Evaluation of anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects of Mentha spicata and carvone using experimental model in male mice

Background and Aim : Depression, anxiety and sleep disorders are the major psychological problems in the human life. Although there are several effective medications to treat or control these psychiatric disorders, but most of these medications have limited efficacy and unwanted side effects. Researchers are always looking for new drugs, especially those of natural origin, and they hope that the investigation for newer medications, especially natural products, could be helpful to solve these problems.Methods : In this study we investigated the anti-anxiety, anti-depression, sedative-hypnotic and muscle relaxant effects of Mentha spicata essential oil and carvone, using experimental models including elevated plus maze, pentobarbital induced sleep and forced swimming and grip strength tests. Forced swimming test was carried out on Swiss male mice, while other tests performed on NMRI mice with a body weight of 20–25 g (n=10 in all groups). The M. spicata essential oil and carvone were prepared and then administered intra-peritoneally to mice at different doses. The effects of different doses of M. spicata essential oil and carvone were compared with the control group.Results : In the elevated plus maze test, M. spicata essential oil showed significant effect at the dose of 200 mg/kg. M. spicata essential oil and carvone at different dose increased the sleeping time induced by pentobarbital and decreased the immobility time in the forced swimming test and increased the muscle relaxant effect by grip strength test in mice compared to the control group.Conclusion : The results indicate that the essential oil and carvone have the anti-depressant, muscle relaxant and sedative-hypnotic activities. However, More studies are needed to find the exact mechanism involved in these activities.

Keywords:

Mentha spicata essential oil , carvone , Sedative-hypnotic , anti-anxiety , anti-depressant , Mice