INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHEARPY RESEARCH ISSN 2278 – 5701 www.earthjournals.org Volume 3 Issue 1 2013 1 RESEARCH ARTICLE ANXIOLYTIC EFFECT OF MYRISTICA FRAGRANS Nagaraju B 1 , Sahar SH 1 , Ali Bolouri 1 , Neha Kushnoor Z 1 , Zahra A 1 , Zothanmawia C 1 , Surendranatha A 2* 1 Doctor of Pharmacy, Visveswarapura Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, KIMS Hospital and Research Centre, Bangalore-560002, India. 2 Department of Pharmacology, Sri KV College of Pharmacy, Chickballapur 562101, India. Abstract: The use of Myristica fragrans as an anxiolytic agent has been mentioned in the ayurveda but still no study has been reported. The present study was evaluated for its anxiolytic activity using Open field model.In the open field test, the parameters measured were ambulation, rearing, grooming, and fecal pellets.In the open field test the Myristica fragrans at doses of 25mg/kg and 50mg/kg significantly increased the number of ambulations and rearing. The Myristica fragrans at doses 25mg/kg and 50mg/kg significantly decreased the number of grooming and fecal pellets. Myristica fragrans showed anxiolytic activity in dose dependant manner. Myristica fragrans at doses of 25mg/kg and 50mg/kg possess anxiolytic activity in the model tested and was found that higher dose (50mg/kg) was more significant than lower dose (25mg/kg). More investigations are necessary to prove the anxiolytic activity of Myristica fragrans by other models. Further the molecule responsible for the anxiolytic activity can be separated and identify the mechanism of action. Key words: Myristica fragrans; Open field; ambulation, rearing, grooming, fecal pellets. INTRODUCTION Anxiety is a normal response to stress, a feeling of apprehension or fear, combined with the symptoms of increased sympathetic activity. A clinical problem may arise if anxiety becomes persistent that interferes with everyday performance. Clinical symptoms of anxiety include panic disorder, agoraphobia and other phobias and generalized anxiety [1]. The prevalence of such syndromes in the general population is about 10-20% and there is high rate of co morbidity with depressive disorders [2]. The overall female to male ratio is 2:1. Although the maximum prevalence of generalized anxiety and agoraphobia- panic is in 50-64 age groups; the age of onset of most of anxiety disorders is in the young adulthood (twenties and thirties) [3]. Current pharmacotherapy of anxiety revolves around the use of synthetic molecules. However the drugs in current use are associated with the side effects such as drowsiness, impaired