Tanvi Dodiya & Vineet Jain/ Int. J. Res. Ayurveda Pharm. 9 (3), 2018 201 Research Article www.ijrap.net SCREENING OF BEHAVIOURAL AND ANTIDEPRESSANT ACTIVITY OF OLDENLANDIA CORYMBOSA Tanvi Dodiya 1 *, Vineet Jain 2 1 Parul Institute of Pharmacy & Research, Limda, Waghodia, Vadodara, Gujarat, India 2 Bhagwan Mahavir College of Pharmacy, Surat, Gujarat, India Received on: 12/12/17 Accepted on: 05/03/18 *Corresponding author E-mail: tanvi.dodiya@paruluniversity.ac.in DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.09393 ABSTRACT The aim of present study was to evaluate the behavioural and antidepressant activities of Oldenlandia corymbosa extracts in mice. Behavioural study was evaluated by using Hole board apparatus while Antidepressant activity was tested by Forced swim test and by using Actophotometer. The chloroform and methanol extracts of Oldenlandia corymbosa were administered at 200 and 400 mg/kg. The result of the study shows that the extracts are effective in the treatment of behavioural and depression disorders. The chloroform extracts of Oldenlandia corymbosa show more significant activity over the methanol extract. Keywords: Oldenlandia corymbosa, Antidepressant activity, Actophotometer, Forced swim test, Hole board test. INTRODUCTION Oldenlandia corymbosa syn. Hedyotis corymbosa (Rubiaceae) is a weedy annual, slender herb, found especially during monsoon. The plant is native to Africa and India, but also found throughout Malaysia 1,2 . In traditional medicine of Kerala, the plant is generally known as “Parppatakapullu”. It is known to clear heat and toxins, activate blood circulation, promote diuresis and relieve stranguria. Chinese folk medicine describes the plant to treat skin sores, ulcers, sore throat, bronchitis, gynecologic infections and pelvic inflammatory diseases ,3-6 .It is given in jaundice, and other diseases of the liver, heat eruptions, vitiated conditions of pitta, hyperdypsia, giddiness, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, constipation, helminthiasis, leprosy, skin diseases, cough, bronchitis, necrosis and nervous depression. The important preparations of the drug are Amritarishtam, Candanasavam, Mahatikta ghrtam, Jatyadi tailam, Aranyatulasyadi coconut oil etc 7 . Depression is a serious mood disorder that afflicts several millions of the world population 8 . WHO reports approximately 450 million of people suffer by mental or behavioural disorder 9 . Two-thirds of the anxious, depressed or psychotic patients react to the currently available treatments; but their clinical uses are limited by their side effects such as psychomotor injury, potentiation of other central depressant drugs and dependence liability. In the hunt for novel therapeutics for the management of neurological disorders, medicinal plant research has also contributed by demonstrating pharmacological effectiveness of different herbs in various animals models 10,11 . Herbal treatments are gaining emergent attention because of their cost- effective, eco- friendly features and true relief from illness. Various plants have a folklore claim in the dealing of some dreadful syndromes, but they are not scientifically exploited and/or incorrectly used 12 . Recently, the search for novel pharmacotherapy from medicinal plants for psychiatric illnesses has progressed significantly. Therefore, herbal therapies should be considered as alternative or complementary medicines 13 . In view of the fact that adequate scientific information is not available on behavioural and antidepressant activity of extracts of Oldenlandia corymbosa, we have carried out this work to authenticate the same. MATERIAL AND METHODS Collection and authentication of plant material The plant of Oldenlandia corymbosa was collected in the month of September from the Botanical garden of M.S.U, Vadodara, Gujarat. The plant was authenticated by Taxonomist of the Botanical Survey of India, Jodhpur. A voucher specimen (No BSI/AZRC/I.1202/Tech./2012-13/721) was deposited in the Herbarium of Botanical Survey of India, Jodhpur. Preparation of extracts and their phytochemical screening The plants of O. corymbosa were washed thoroughly with water and air dried in shade at room temperature and then made into a coarse powder. The coarsely powdered material was subjected to successive solvent extraction in a Soxhlet apparatus using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. Water extract was prepared by maceration. After completion of extraction, the solvent was distilled off and the residue was concentrated and finally dried. The marc left after extraction with each solvent was dried completely in air before subjecting to next solvent. To detect the presence of various phytoconstituents, chemical tests were performed. Animals Swiss albino male mice weighing 25-30 g, were used for all sets of experiments in groups of six animals. They were maintained at controlled room temperature (25±2˚C) on 12-hour light/dark cycle and allowed free access to food and water. The experiments