PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF ANTIANXIETY ACTIVITY OF DESMOSTACHYA BIPINNATA LEAVES IN ANIMAL MODELS

Objective: Anxiety is a widespread psychiatric disorder affecting around 5% of the population. Furthermore, it is difficult to predict patient’s response to any given treatment. In the traditional systems of medicine, many plants have been used to treat anxiety and depression for thousands of years. Desmostachyabipinnata belongs to the family Poaceae, have pharmacological actions like dysentery  and  menorrhagia , and as a  diuretic . The present study was designed to evaluate the antianxiety activity of the alcoholic and aqueous extracts of Desmostachyabipinnata leaves in rodents. Methods: Antianxiety activity was screened by different methods like elevated plus maze model and actophotometer. Results: The results infer that reduced aversion fear elicits anti-anxiety activity. Conclusion: It was concluded that alcoholic and aqueous extracts of Desmostachyabipinnata leaves are having anti-anxiety activity among which alcoholic extract of Desmostachyabipinnata leaves showing more significant activity over the aqueous extract.