Anxiolytic Activity of Solanum aethiopicum Shum (Solanaceae) Leaves in White Mice (Mus musculus Swiss)

Mental health disorders constitute one of the threats to public health as well as to the lives of populations and the social stability of many countries. The consequences of such disorders represent a noteworthy health and social burden, including discrimination, marginalization, social cohesion and impact on the economy. One of these disorders is anxiety. Solanum aethiopicum Shum (Solanaceae) is a medicinal plant known for its anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, sedative and anti-ulcer activities in African folk medicine. The aim of this work is to evaluate the anxiolytic effects of the decoction of S. aethiopicum Shum leaves. The leaves of S. aethiopicum used to prepare the decoction were collected in Ngaoundere, the headquarters of the Adamawa region of Cameroon. Four doses of extract 175; 87.5; 43.75 and 17.5 mg/kg) were orally administered to Mus musculus Swiss strain mice. The anxiolytic effects were observed, including the stress-induced hyperthermia test, elevated cross maze test, open arena test and hole board test. The data obtained in the different pharmacological tests were presented as mean ± standard error on the mean (SEM). The results showed a significant decrease of temperature in stress-induced hyperthermia. In the elevated cross-maze test, the 175 mg/kg dose of S. aethiopicum extract significantly increased the number of entries into the open arms and the decoction doses increased the percentage of time spent in the open arms of the maze. Doses of S. aethiopicum extract decreased the number of righting and the number of head tilts. The open arena test showed that S. aethiopicum increased the number of lines crossed and the time spent in the center. In the hole board test, the increase was noted in the number of head tilts (11.2) in mice dosed with 175 mg/kg of S. aethiopicum and lines crossed in mice treated with S. aethiopicum decoction. The study concluded that the extract of S. aethiopicum significantly inhibits the increase in body temperature in the stress-induced hyperthermia test. It significantly increased the number of entries and the time spent in the open arms of the elevated cross maze on the one hand. The study suggested that S. aethiopicum has anxiolytic activity.