Psychopharmacological activities of acorus calamus roots in rat and mice models

Abstract

Acorus calamus (Araceae) is commonly known in India as sweet flag and has been used in traditional medicine as a remedy for pain, convulsion, inflammation, and ulcer. In the present work, the methanolic extract of Acorus calamus roots (MEAC) was assessed for different psychopharmacological activities in rats and mice by evaluation of general, exploratory behaviour, phenobarbitone sodium-induced sleeping time and muscle relaxant activity. The extract at doses 100 mg/kg and above exhibited a reduction in spontaneous activity and a decrease in exploratory behavioural pattern was observed. Also a significant reduction in muscle relaxant activity and potentiated phenobarbitone sodium-induced sleeping time in mice was noted in MEAC treated groups. From our study, the results indicates that MEAC appears to have effects on alteration in general behavior pattern, evident from the spontaneous activity, sound, touch and pain responses of the MEAC treated groups.