Abstract
The present study is to evaluate the antidepressant activity of aqueous stems of Asparagus officinalis L. and to evaluate the role of combination of extract on the side effects of Imipramine. The study was carried out to assess the antidepressant activity of Asparagus officinalis in two animal models of depression. The forced swim and tail suspension tests were performed in Swiss albino mice of either sex after grouping the animals into different groups. Six animals per group were used for the study. Doses of Asparagus officinalis used were 0.6 g/kg, 1.5 g/kg and 3.0 g/kg. Distilled water was used as Normal control and imipramine (10 mg/kg) was used as standard. The duration of immobility in seconds was recorded for assessing antidepressant like activity in mice. The study was also conducted to find the role of combination on the side effects of imipramine. Medium dose of Asparagus officinalis (1.5 g/kg) was given in combination together with imipramine treatment for fifteen days and the tests for the side effects like anxiety (elevated plus maze and staircase test), hypotension, urine output, weight gain and libido were carried out. The results of the present study indicate that Asparagus officinalis has significant antidepressant activity. The literature suggests that the antidepressant effects seen was due to the presence of sarsapogenin; a steroidal saponin present in Asparagus officinalis, which may help in increasing the neurotransmitter levels in the brain. It was also observed that medium dose (1.5 g/kg) when given in combination with imipramine improved the side effects. The result of the present study indicates that Asparagus officinalis has significant antidepressant activity. It was also observed that medium dose (1.5 g/kg) when given in combination with imipramine improved the side effects.