Anxiety-Mitigating Potential of the Ethylene Extract of Tetrapleura tetraptera
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60787/tnhj.v24i4.997Keywords:
Wistar Rats, Light-Dark Transition Box, Anxiolytic, Anxiety, Tetrapleura tetrapteraAbstract
Background: Tetrapleura tetraptera, a traditional herbal remedy in Sub-Saharan Africa, is widely recognised for aiding postpartum recovery. This study evaluates its potential anxiolytic effects in female Wistar rats. The objective of this study is to assess the anxiety-mitigating effects of the ethanolic extract of Tetrapleura tetraptera (TTE) in female Wistar rats.
Method: Twelve rats were divided into two groups: a control group receiving distilled water and a test group receiving 100 mg/kg of TTE orally for 14 days. Anxiety-like behaviours were assessed using the Light-Dark Transition Box test. Parameters included entries into compartments, rearing frequency, and grooming behaviours. Data were analysed using independent t-tests, with statistical significance at p < 0.05.
Results: TTE-treated rats exhibited fewer entries into the dark compartment (3.17 ± 0.54) compared to controls (4.17 ± 0.54), though not significant (p = 0.222). However, rearing frequency, an indicator of reduced anxiety, was significantly higher in the TTE group (23.17 ± 1.90) than in controls (10.67 ± 0.33, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: TTE demonstrated anxiolytic effects, supporting its traditional use in postpartum care. Further studies are recommended to elucidate its pharmacological mechanisms.
Downloads
References
Ojewole JA, Adewunmi CO. Anti-inflammatory and hypoglycaemic effects of Tetrapleura tetraptera (Taub) [Fabaceae] fruit aqueous extract in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004;95(2–3):207-12. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.06.026.
Radoš SN, Matijaš M, Anđelinović M, Čartolovni A, Ayers S. The role of posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms in mother-infant bonding. J Affect Disord. 2020; 268:134-40. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.03.006.
Aderibigbe AO, Iwalewa EO, Adesina SK, Adebanjo AO, Ukponmwan OE. Anticonvulsant, analgesic and hypothermic effects of aridanin isolated from T. tetraptera fruit in mice. J Biol Sci. 2007;7(8):1520-4.
Awad R, Levac D, Cybulska P, Merali Z, Trudeau VL, Arnason JT. Effects of traditionally used anxiolytic botanicals on GABA receptor activity. J Ethnopharmacol. 2007;113(3):552-6. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2007.07.015.
Abdullahi RA, Mainul H. Preparation of medicinal plants: Basic extraction and fractionation procedures for experimental purposes. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2020;12(1):1-10.
Griebel G, Holmes A. Fifty years of hurdles and hope in anxiolytic drug discovery. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2013;12(9):667-87. doi:10.1038/nrd4075.
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The Journal is owned, published and copyrighted by the Nigerian Medical Association, River state Branch. The copyright of papers published are vested in the journal and the publisher. In line with our open access policy and the Creative Commons Attribution License policy authors are allowed to share their work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
This is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.
The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations. While the advice and information in this journal are believed to be true and accurate on the date of its going to press, neither the authors, the editors, nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.
TNHJ also supports open access archiving of articles published in the journal after three months of publication. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g, in institutional repositories or on their website) within the stated period, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access). All requests for permission for open access archiving outside this period should be sent to the editor via email to editor@tnhjph.com.
