Introduction: Anxiety is among the most prevalent and severe mental health disorders worldwide. Scutellaria pinnatifida, a medicinal plant from the mint family, has been studied for its potential anxiolytic effects. This study investigates the anxiolytic properties of the methanolic extract of S. pinnatifida roots in mice.
Materials & Methods: In this experimental study, 48 male mice weighing 20-30g were randomly assigned to six groups of eight. The groups included: I) control (normal saline), II) positive control (diazepam, 2 mg/kg), III, IV, and V) treatment groups receiving S. pinnatifida methanolic extract at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively, and VI) a combination group receiving flumazenil (2 mg/kg) plus S. pinnatifida extract (200 mg/kg). All treatments were administered intraperitoneally. Anxiety levels were assessed using the elevated plus-maze, and data analysis was conducted with inStat software. Results were expressed as Mean ± SEM, with significance set at P < 0.05.
Results: The findings revealed that treatment with diazepam and the highest dose of S. pinnatifida methanolic extract (200 mg/kg) significantly increased the number of entries into the open arms and decreased the time spent in the closed arms. Additionally, no significant difference was observed between the 200 mg/kg S. pinnatifida group and the group receiving 200 mg/kg S. pinnatifida combined with flumazenil.
Conclusion: This study suggests that the methanolic extract of S. pinnatifida possesses anxiolytic and sedative properties, with the most pronounced anxiolytic effect observed at the highest dose.