Background: Lavandula officinalis has anti-anxiety and sedative properties. In the present study, the antidepressant effect of aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of Lavandula officinalis in forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) in male mice was investigated.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 72 male mice were randomly divided into 9 groups of 8: Negative and positive control groups received normal saline (10 ml/kg), fluoxetine (20mg/kg) and imipramine (30mg/kg) respectively and treatment groups received extracts of Lavandula officinalis (100,200 and 400 mg/kg). Immobility, swimming and climbing behaviors were recorded during 6-min.

Results: Lavandula officinalis extracts (except the aqueous extract at a dose of 100 in FST) compared to control group significantly and dose dependently reduced the duration of immobility time a both of tests (p<0.001).Also, these extracts (except the aqueous extract at a dose of 100 in FST) significantly and dose dependably increased swimming time (p<0.001) without significant change of climbing time.

Conclusion: Lavandula officinalis has considerable antidepressant-like effect and their effect similar to fluoxetine.

Abstract

Background: Stress oxidative factors are known to causes diseases resulting from metabolic disorders. Therefore, preventing, or at least decreasing the amount of these factors may have a positive impact on prevention or improvement of the metabolic problems. Recently, the herbal medicines are more considered due to more effectiveness. We designed the present study to evaluate anti-oxidant effect of aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

Materials and Methods: For extract preparation, the dry aerial part of lavender mixed with boiling water for 4 hours and then the container was filtered and condensed in a bain marie. Finally, the extract was powdered by freeze dryer. The anti-oxidant activities of the herbal medicine samples in 5, 10, 20 and 40 ppm concentrations were determined via DPPH method. This method is based on free radical scavenging of 2, 2- dipheny L-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) reflected in the color and absorbance changes in spectrophotometery method in 520 nm. Finally the IC50 was calculated and compared with that of for vitamin C as a standard.

Results: All doses of the aqueous extract of the lavender showed dose- dependent potent anti-oxidant activity, So that, their differences were significant compared to control sample. The IC50 of the herbal medicine was 24.66 ppm that was less than the vitamin C of 2.3 ppm.

Conclusion: As a potent anti-oxidant, the lavender aqueous extract can be effective in treatment of metabolic diseases.