www.wjpr.net Vol 5, Issue 7, 2016. 1726 Chakrabarty et al. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research ANTIDEPRESSANT ACTIVITY OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF COMMELINA BENGHALENSIS LINN. WHOLE PLANT. Nishan Chakrabarty 1 , Tanvir Ahmad Chowdhury 1 , Mohammed Shoibe 1 , Mohammad Shah Hafez Kabir 1 *, Md. Nazmul Hasan 1 , Md. Hosne Mobarak Chowdhury 1 , Md. Rakibul Hasan 1 , Fahima Zaheed 2 , Muhammad Abdulla Al Noman 2 , Md. Abdullah Al Masum 1,2 1 Department of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Chittagong, Chittagong-4203, Bangladesh. 2 Department of Pharmacy, University of Science & Technology Chittagong, Chittagong- 4202, Bangladesh. ABSTRACT Objectives: The present study was to investigate antidepressant action of the methanol extract of Commelina benghalensis. Methods: Leaves of C. benghalensis was extracted with pure methanol (MECB). The forced swimming (FST) and tail suspension (TST) tests were used as predictive animal models of antidepressant activity, where the time of immobility was considered. For in vivo tests, doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight were used. Results: The extract also significantly decrease the duration of immobility in both animal models of antidepressant activity, forced swimming and tail suspension tests. In FST, mice treated with two doses of MECB (200 and 400 mg/kg) showed decreases in their immobility times, which was significant (131.17±2.75 and 108.70±1.14 respectively; p<0.001) when compared with control (194.27±4.81). In TST, animals treated with two doses of MECB showed decreases in their immobility times, which was significant (133.07±1.87 and 109.08±1.38 respectively; p<0.001) when compared with control (205.9±1.01). Conclusions: The overall results of the study indicated significant antidepressant activity of methanol extract of C. benghalensis leaves. So this plant deserves further investigation to isolate the active constituents responsible for these activities and to establish the mechanism of action. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research SJIF Impact Factor 6.805 Volume 5, Issue 7, 1726-1733. Research Article ISSN 2277– 7105 *Corresponding Author Mohammad Shah Hafez Kabir Department of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Chittagong, Chittagong-4203, Bangladesh. Article Received on 19 May 2016, Revised on 08 June 2016, Accepted on 29 June 2016 DOI: 10.20959/wjpr20167-6629