NAAS Score: 4.11; IC Value: 74.82; UGC-India Approved 19 The Journal of Phytopharmacology 2018; 7(1): 19-24 Online at: www.phytopharmajournal.com Research Article ISSN 2320-480X JPHYTO 2018; 7(1): 19-24 January- February Received: 27-10-2017 Accepted: 11-12-2017 © 2018, All rights reserved Kundan Singh Bora Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sardar Bhagwan Singh Post Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences & Research, Balawala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand– 248001, India Ankita Pant Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sardar Bhagwan Singh Post Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences & Research, Balawala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand– 248001, India Correspondence: Kundan Singh Bora Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sardar Bhagwan Singh Post Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences & Research, Balawala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand– 248001, India Email: kundan1381[at]gmail.com Evaluation of anxiolytic activity of W. Chinensis Merrill Leaves Kundan Singh Bora*, Ankita Pant ABSTRACT Wedelia chinensis (family: Asteraceae), commonly known as Pilabhangra has been traditionally used for the treatment of various ailments like jaundice, diarrhoea, cephalahagia, respiratory disorders and to induce sleep, reduce the mental tension and in anxiety. Despite a long history of uses, no scientific pharmacological evaluation has ever been carried out on this plant. Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate anxiolytic activity of W. chinensis using different models of anxiety. Hydro-alcohol extract of W. chinensis leaves was prepared and subjected to bioactivity guided fractionation. Antioxidant activity was determined by spectrophotometric method. Total phenolic and flavonoid content were also estimated. Amongst the various fractions/extract of W. chinensis tested, only hydro-alcoholic extract, and its ethyl acetate fraction exhibited significant (P<0.05) anxiolytic activity in mice using elevated plus maze and light-dark box model of anxiety at a dose of 200 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg respectively. Among the various fractions tested, maximum anxiolytic activity was observed only in ethyl acetate fraction which was at par with that of diazepam. The results of present investigation provide evidence that ethyl acetate fraction of hydro-alcoholic extract of W. chinensis has potent anxiolytic activity supporting the traditional claim of W. chinensis in the treatment of anxiety. Keywords: Wedelia chinensis, anxiolytic activity, antioxidant activity, total flavonoid and phenolic content. INTRODUCTION In the current scenario, a sudden holocaust of CNS disorders and recognition of severe side effects and addiction liabilities associated with long term use of synthetic drugs has aroused the attention of researchers towards natural medicines/resources. Recently, World Health Organization has suggested the evolution of the effectiveness of plants in condition wherever there is lack of safe artificial/synthetic drugs [1, 2] . W. chinensis Merrill (family: Asteraceae), commonly known as Pilabhangra is the most useful popular plant utilized in different system of medicine like Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani [3, 4] . Traditionally, W. chinensis have been used for the treatment of various ailments like jaundice, cholagouge, diarrhea, cephalahagia, contagious disease and respiratory disorders [5] . Leaves are used as tonic, in cough, cephalagia, alopecia, phalacrosis, to treat amenorrhea, kidney dysfunction, cold and wound. In Indo-China the infusion of the plant has been used for treating swelling of abdomen. The tribes of Kolli Hills of Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India used the decoction of plant to induce sleep, reduce the mental tension and in anxiety [5-7] . W. chinensis is extremely specific in treating hepatitis. Moreover, the fruit, leaves and stems are utilized in child birth and in the treatment of bites and stings, fever, amenorrhea and infection [8] . Pharmacologically, W. chinensis exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, antistress, antiulcerogenic, anticancer, antifungal, anticonvulsant, hepatoprotective and steroid suppressing activities [7, 8-11] . Despite a long history of use of W. chinensis as traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments, especially in CNS disorders, the plant has never been subjected to anxiolytic activity evaluation. Thus, it was considered worthwhile to evaluate W. chinensis for anti-anxiety activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS Plant material The plant W. chinensis was procured from Forest Research Institute, New Forest, Dehradun, Uttrakhand- 248001, India. The identity of plant was confirmed through Systematic Botany Discipline Botany Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India wide Ref. No. Dis/ 583/ 2016/Syst.Bot./Rev.Gen./4- 5.