Investigation of anxiolitic effect of orientin

Anxiety is one of the basic symptoms accompanying psychological problems and at the origin of many psychopathological forms. In addition to the drugs used in the treatment of anxiety, various medicinal plants are also utilized. It is aimed to investigate the anxiolytic effect and mechanism of action of orient in the content of Passiflora species with known anxiolytic effects. Swiss albino female mice were used in the study. Diazepam (1 mg/kg) with proven anxiolytic efficacy was used as positive control. 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg doses of intra-peritoneally administered orientinin hole board, light-dark box, open area and elevated plus labyrinth tests showed a significant anxiolytic effect at 20 mg/kg dose, in other doses the effect was reduced depending on the dose. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the contribution of GABAergic, adrenergic and serotonergic modulations using flumazenil (3 mg/kg, i.p.), alpha-2 adrenergic receptor blockers yohimbine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) and 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100635 (1 mg/kg i.p.) in the 20 mg/kg (i.p.) orientin's anxiolytic action in mice. According to the results of the study, orientin showed anxiolytic effect in hole board, light-dark box and open-field tests, this activity was not reversible by flumazenil pre-treatment, but it was significantly antagonized by yohimbine and WAY-100635 pre-treatment. From these findings, it was concluded that serotonergic system and adrenergic system involvement is prominent in the anxiolytic activity of orientin. Due to the various side effects and some disadvantages of the drugs used in the treatment of anxiety, efforts to develop new drugs are continuing. We believe that the investigation of the effects of flavonoids in medicinal plants known to have anxiolytic effect, and revealing their effect profiles, will accelerate and guide new drug development studies. Keywords: Anxiety, Orientin, Yohimbine, Adrenergic system.