Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders in the general population. Around 15-20% patients in general practice present with anxiety disorders. It is characterized by excessive worrying, apprehension, uneasiness and fear about uncertainties in future. Recent studies have shown that as many as 18% of Americans, 20.7% of Indians and 14% of Europeans are affected by anxiety. 1,2 The DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association) covers the following major categories of anxiety disorders: panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia), social phobia (social anxiety disorder), specific phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified. 3 Decreased levels of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system is responsible for causing anxiety.Most of the anxiolytics achieve their goal by modulating the GABA receptors. [4][5][6] Benzodiazepines are the most commonly used, safe and effective drug in the short term management of anxiety. 7 Long-term use of benzodiazepine has psychological and physical adverse effects. They are also associated with tolerance, physical dependence and withdrawal syndrome on sudden discontinuation. 8,9 Hence, the requirement for newer, well-tolerated and efficacious treatment remains high.Boswellia serrata (BS) is a tree of moderate height, grows mainly in hilly parts of India. The therapeutic value of resinous gum (Guggulu), has been known since a long period. Gum resin possesses anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, and analgesic activity. 10,11 BS is a proven antioxidant. 12 Phytochemical analysis has shown the presence of many valuable compounds such as lignans, flavonoids, hydrolysable tannins (ellagitannins), polyphenols, triterpenes, sterols and alkaloids. In vitro tests also revealed that Boswellic acid, isolated from ABSTRACT Background: Boswellia serrata (BS) has been described in the ancient Ayurvedic texts Sushruta Samhita and Charaka Samhita. It possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-arthritic and antioxidant properties. It is found that BS helps in surging of GABA levels in mice brain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible anxiolytic activity of BS in Swiss albino mice by light and dark arena (LDA) and elevated plus maze (EPM) models. Methods: In this study, BS (50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg; p.o) was evaluated for anxiolytic action and compared with standard drug (diazepam) and control (normal saline) in mice by LDA and EPM models. In LDA, number of entries and time spent in light and dark boxes were noted for individual mouse. Similarly, number of entries and time spent in open and closed arms were recorded for EPM model. Results: One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by Dunnett's post-hoc test was used to analyze the data. BS in a dose of 50 mg/kg has shown significant increase in time spent in light box (p<0.05) and decrease in time spent in dark box (p<0.05) when compared to control group in LDA model. Si...
Background: Boswellia serrata has been known for many decades and mentioned in the ancient Ayurvedic texts. Many previous studies have demonstrated its role in depression and anxiety in animal models. Objectives: The present study is carried out to evaluate the effect of Boswellia serrata on neurotransmitter levels of Swiss albino mice by spectrophotometer. Methods: Eighteen (n=18) Swiss albino male mice were procured for this study. All mice were divided into three groups of six mice in each. The first group of mice (control) received normal saline (10 mg/kg); the second group (standard) received imipramine (10 mg/kg), and the third group (test) received Boswellia serrata (100 mg/kg) orally for 21 days. On the 22nd day, all mice were sacrificed as per CPCSEA (Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals) guidelines. The mice brains were dissected, and their brain tissue was collected and stored in a preservative. The mice brain tissue was centrifuged, and samples were used for the estimation of serotonin (5-HT), Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), dopamine, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), and glutamate levels by spectrophotometry. Results: The levels of neurotransmitters are expressed in Mean±SE. Analysis of results was done by 1-way ANOVA and Tukey Kramer tests. The statistical tests revealed that imipramine- treated mice have significantly increased the levels of AChE, GABA, and glutamate when compared to control (P<0.05). However, imipramine treated group showed statistically significant lower levels of 5-HT and dopamine levels when compared to the control (P<0.05). Similarly, the test drug Boswellia serrata-treated group had significantly higher levels of 5-HT, AChE, GABA, and glutamate when compared to the control group (P<0.05) and lower levels of dopamine when compared to the control (P<0.05). Conclusion: The present study establishes the role of Boswellia serrata in various psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety in animal models by modulating multiple neurotransmitters in the brain.
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