MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DEPRESSIVE ILLNESSES: ANTIDEPRESSANT ACTIVITY OF METHANOL STEM BARK EXTRACT OF ADANSONIA DIGITATA L. IN MICE
MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DEPRESSIVE ILLNESSES: ANTIDEPRESSANT ACTIVITY OF METHANOL STEM BARK EXTRACT OF ADANSONIA DIGITATA L. IN MICE
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Date
2018-08
Authors
SHEHU, Aishatu
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
Depression is a heterogeneous mood disorder that has been treated with a number of synthetic drugs. These drugs have adverse effects and delayed onset of action that compromise their therapeutic benefits. This makes it worthwhile to search for new antidepressant agents with proven efficacy and favourable benefit-to-risk ratio. Medicinal plants have enjoyed wide patronage among local people in the management of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression. The study therefore aimed at establishing a collection of medicinal plants used in the management of depressive illnesses by the traditional medical practitioners of Zaria, Nigeria, as well as provide scientific basis for their ethnomedical use in the management of depression and determine the antidepressant activity of the most promising of the collected plants and its possible mechanism of action. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in December, 2015 in Zaria, Nigeria in which data were collected by interviewing traditional medical practitioners in Zaria with the aid of a questionnaire. Plant specimens were collected along the line, subsequently dried and mounted. They were taken for identification and authentication in the Herbarium Section of Botany Department, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where specimen vouchers were documented. Information on sources, safety, methods of preparation and administration, identity, local and botanical names of ten medicinal plants used in the management of depression by traditional medical practitioners were obtained. Nine of the medicinal plants were further collected and then extracted with methanol using soxhlet apparatus method of extraction. Thin layer chromatographic finger printing of the medicinal plants extract was conducted, followed by acute toxicity (LD50) studies using oral OECD 420 guidelines. Antidepressant activity of all the medicinal plant extracts was evaluated using tail suspension test (TST), followed by test for motor co-ordination deficit and stimulant activity using beam walking assay
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(BWA) and open field test (OFT) respectively.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN PHARMACOLOGY
Keywords
MEDICINAL,, PLANTS,, MANAGEMENT,, DEPRESSIVE ILLNESSES,, ANTIDEPRESSANT ACTIVITY,, METHANOL STEM BARK EXTRACT,, ADANSONIA DIGITATA L.,, MICE