Antianxiety Effects of Acorus tatarinowii Volatile Oil and Water Decoction

Abstract:

Objective: To observe the antianxiety effects of Acorus tatarinowii and to explore its mechanism of action. Method: The Kunming male mice were randomly divided into 8 groups (n=12), the model group, control group, positive control group diazepam (DZP), volatile oil of A. tatarinowii (VO) high dose group, middle dose group and low dose group (10, 5, 2.5 g·kg^-1·d^-1), water decoction of A. tatarinowii (WD) high dose group, middle dose group and low dose group (20, 15, 10 g·kg^-1·d^-1), the model control group intragastric administration physiological saline, positive control group intragastric administration DZP (2.5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1), continuous intragastric administration five days, 0.5 h after the last intragastric administration, do the elevated plus maze test and light-dark transitions test, to observe the intervention effect of A. tatarinowii Schott on anxiety behavior in mice. Determine the content of r-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamic acid (Glu), serotonin (5-HT) in the mice brain by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Result: ①The VO high, low dose group and WD low dose group could significantly increase the mouse open arms in the elevated plus maze apparatuson the retention time of residence time than the open arm (OT) % (P<0.05) ;The VO high, middle dose group and WD middle, low dose group could obviously increase the number of open arm of mice in the elevated plus maze apparatus into the number of the number of open arm ratio (OE) % (P<0.05). ②The VO dose group and WD high dose group could significantly increase the content of GABA in brain tissue of mice (P<0.05).The VO middle, low group and WD dose group could significantly reduce the content of Glu in brain of mice (P<0.05). The VO dose group and WD dose group could significantly reduce the content of 5-HT in brain of mice (P<0.05). Conclusion: The VO dose group and WD dose group of A.tatarinowii in mice with elevated plus maze model and light-dark transitions test model showed anti anxiety effect, its effect is similar with diazepam. The mechanism may be related to the increasing GABA content, reducing the content of 5-HT and Glu.