title: An extract of neem leaves reduces anxiety without causing motor side effects in an experimental model.
abstract: Anxiety modulation often requires pharmaceutical intervention, and though effective in the short-term, benzodiazepines may cause impaired motor function. As a potential alternative, anxiety-modulating effects of a neem leaf (Azadirachta indica, A Juss) extract were investigated using ethological analysis of rat behaviour on an elevated X maze and compared with diazepam treatment. Sexually immature female Sprague-Dawley rats received 0.07 or 7 mg/kg neem leaf steroidal extract, a sham injection, a 1% DMSO/saline vehicle, 2 mg/kg diazepam or no treatment one hour prior to a recorded five-minute exploration of the elevated X maze. Neem matched diazepam in anxiety reduction as both treatments caused a decrease in per cent protected stretched-attend postures (PPSAP). Neem treatment had no effect on closed arm entries or total rears, distinguishing it pharmacologically from diazepam which resulted in a predictable decrease in those locomotor measures. Whereas both neem and diazepam reduced anxiety in complex ethological behavioural indices, only neem produced anxiolysis without motor deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica, West Indies.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Thaxter
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Parshad
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Addae
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D031601:Azadirachta; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D003975:Diazepam