Antidepressant effects of natural and micropropagated Bacopa monnieri (L.) plant extracts

Background: Bacopa monnieri Linn. an important medicinal plant in Indian system of alternative medicine belonging to Scrophulariaceae family. It is distributed in the wet and marshy lands throughout India, Nepal and many other parts of world. This study was carried out to evaluate the natural and micropropagated Bacopa monnieri plant extract for antidepressant activity. Materials and Methods: Antidepressant effects of natural and micropropagated plant extract was evaluated by spontaneous motor activity. All the extracts were administered 30 min prior to the test. The standard drug chlorpromazine (2mg/kg) was used. The locomotor activity was performed using an actophotometer after different doses of test drug. Result: The locomotor activity of control and treated mice were recorded and statistically correlated among the control, standard and the test drugs. The inhibition of spontaneous motor activity in case of BMN, BMS extract was found 291, 93.5 and 277, 93.66 count at interval of 30 and 60 min. respectively. But in case of BMM plant extract it was found 290, 87.33 and 146 count at 30, 60 and 120 min. interval respectively so results showed that a significant antidepressant-like effect at a dose of 100 mg/kg. It can be used as adjuvant therapy for depression. Conclusion: There was statistically highly significant (p value Keywords: Bacopa monnieri, Natural plant, Micropropagated plant, Spontaneous Motor activity, Actophotometer, Anti-depressant effect.