Anxiolytic activity of ultra-diluted Aconitum napellus on Wistar rats

Background Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent that affect millions of people worldwide.Homeopathic system is gaining popularity due to its efficacy in chronic diseases. Ultra-diluted Aconitum napellus is a homeopathic medicine used by clinicians for treatment of acute anxiety. Aim Objective of this study is to test the efficacy of Aconite on experimental anxiety models of Wistar rats. Methodology 18 Female Wistar rats were divided into Control, Anxiety, and Anxiety + Aconite (ANX+ACO) groups. Acute stress was induced by restraining the rats for six hours daily for five days in Anxiety and ANX + ACO groups. After five days of stress, a single dose of Aconite 200cH was given to ANX + ACO group through oral gavage, whereas control and anxiety group rats were maintained with a normal diet. Following this, behavioral assessment was done. Histological sections of the hippocampal area were taken and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin and also Cresyl violet stain.Results It was observed that the Aconite treated group had more number of entries and also the percentage of time spent in the open arm was higher than the stressed anxiety group. Histological study of the brain tissue procured from all three groups was analyzed. Conclusion It was inferred that ultra-diluted homeopathic Aconite has decreased anxiety in Wistar rats which were subjected to acute restrain stress. However, the decrease was not statistically significant to deduce Aconite as an anxiolytic