Potential of Alternanthera philoxeroides on Improvement of Anxiety-Like Behavior Induced By Ovariectomized Mice Model

Background: Ovariectomy (OVX) causes estrogen deprivation and oxidative stress leads to the hippocampus cell death and affected on mood disorders such as anxiety. Alternanthera philoxeroides was folk used for blood tonic and neuroprotective. Objectives: The action of A. philoxeroides extract (AP) on anti-anxiety in OVX mice model was evaluated and chromatographic fingerprint of AP was analyzed. Methods: Mice were ovariectomized to induce estrogen deprivation which involved anxiety. AP (250 and 500 mg/kg/day) and 17β-estradiol (E2, 1μg/kg/day) was treated. Six weeks after treatment, anxiety-like behavior was evaluated by the elevated plus maze test (EPM) and light/ dark exploration test (LD). Additionally, fingerprint of AP was characterised by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. Results: E2 and AP 250 and AP 500 significantly diminished the anxiety behavior. Rutin, quercetin and kaempferol were detected in this plant. Conclusion: AP can manifest anti-anxiety in mice via estrogenic activity and it may action by rutin, quercetin and kaempferol.