Abstract

COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF GINSENG ROOT AND VITAMIN E ON SOCIAL AND DEPRESSSIVE BEHAVIOUR IN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL OF BIOLOGICALLY AND CHEMICALLY STRESSED MICE

Erigbali P.P.*, Joffa P. P. K., Kiridi E. G., Gbolou J. and Lelei S.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this investigation was to determine comparatively, how mice would respond to ginseng root extract and vitamin E, with respect to antidepressant activity, in view of rising concern which ranks depression as the second frontline cause of debilitating death globally, after cardiovascular diseases. In the experiment design which ran for twenty-two days, seventy-two (72) randomly selected post natal day 2 pups (from timed-pregnant dams) were batched into four with three groups of six mice each. Every batch had specific objective in the study to cover. Batch 1 was to see the impact of stress, this contained group 1(non-stressed), group 2 (biologically stressed), and group 3 (chemically stressed) mice. Batch 2 was to see how non stressed mice would respond to treatment with Ginseng and Vitamin E, so it contained group 1 (control), group 2 (Vitamin E treated) and group 3 (Ginseng treated) mice. Batch 3 was to see how biologically stressed mice responds to these treatments, so it had group 1 (control), group 2 (Vitamin E treated) and group 3 (Ginseng treated) mice. Batch 4 was to see how chemically stressed mice responds to the treatments, thus it had group 1 (control), group 2 (Vitamin E treated) and group 3 (Ginseng treated) mice. Two models of stress (Biological and Chemical) were induced in mice and the various treatments administered as indicated. On day 22, the mice were made to go through two categories of standard Neurobehaviour tests (Tail suspension test and Nesting score test) in which the parameters investigated measures anti depressive activity. The results shows that those mice stressed by both models had significantly (p<0.001) reduced latency to immobility compared to non stressed group meanwhile, the biologically stressed mice and chemically stressed mice, treated with ginseng extract and vitamin E had significantly (p< 0.05 and p<0.001) higher latency to immobility compared to control groups of mice. Although for the non stressed group of mice, treatment with ginseng root extract and vitamin E did not follow same trend. It can be inferred from observed results that ginseng root extract and vitamin E both showed capacity to reverse depression; in a way that vitamin E appeared more potent. Although both medications did not seem to ordinarily show effect of improvements in those Neurobehaviour parameters, without stress related condition. 

Keywords: Ginseng, Vitamin E, biological Stress, chemical stress, depression, social behavior.