Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Anti-Stress and Anti-Amnesic Effects of Coriandrum sativum Linn (Umbelliferae) Extract - an Experimental Study in Rats

Sushruta Koppula , Dong Kug Choi

College of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of Korea;

For correspondence:- Sushruta Koppula Email: koppula@kku.ac.kr Tel:+82438403609

Received: 19 April 2011 Accepted: 22 December 2011 Published: 21 February 2012

Citation: Koppula S, Choi DK. Anti-Stress and Anti-Amnesic Effects of Coriandrum sativum Linn (Umbelliferae) Extract - an Experimental Study in Rats. Trop J Pharm Res 2012; 11(1):36-42 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v11i1.5

© 2012 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: Coriandrum sativum Linn. (Umbelliferae, C. sativum) is cultivated throughout the world for its use as spice and as a folk medicine. This study deals with the anti-stress and anti-amnestic properties of C. sativum extract in rats.

Methods: Urinary levels of vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and ascorbic acid were used to evaluate anti-stress activity in rats, while conditioned avoidance response test in normal and scopolamine-induced amnesic rats was used to evaluate anti-amnesic effects. C. sativum extract was also evaluated for its antioxidant activities by inhibition of lipid peroxidation in brain and liver homogenates of the rats.

Results: Daily administration of C. sativum extract (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight) 1 h prior to induction of stress significantly decreased the stress-induced urinary levels of VMA from 382.79 ± 10.70 to 350.66 ± 15.15, 291.21 ± 16.53 and 248.86 ± 13.56 µg/kg/24 h and increased the ascorbic acid excretion levels from 66.73 ± 9.25 to 69.99 ± 7.37, 105.28 ± 13.74 and 135.32 ± 12.54 µg/kg/24 h at 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg, respectively, in a dose-dependent fashion without affecting the normal levels in control groups. The amnesic deficits (acquisition, retention and recovery) induced by scopolamine (1mg/kg, i.p.) in rats was reversed by C. sativum dose dependently. The extract also inhibited lipid peroxidation in both rat liver and brain to a greater extent than the standard antioxidant, ascorbic acid.

Conclusion: C. sativum may be useful remedy in the management of stress and stress related disorders on account of its multiple actions such as anti-stress, anti-amnestic and antioxidant effects.

Keywords: C. sativum, Stress, Lipid peroxidation, Vanillylmandelic acid, Memory