Evaluation of safety profile and stress suppressant activity of Rosa moschata in mice

Abstract

Stress is a state that seriously disturbs psychological or physiological homeostasis of the body and subsequently affects the morphology and function of the hippocampus. Currently available anti-stress medications provide limited benefits with cost of severe adverse effects. In the present study, effect of Rosa moschata extract was evaluated using acute restraint model in mice. The stress suppressant activity of Rosa moschata was evaluated by using elevated plus maze test (EPM), dark light box test and open field test (OFT) following restraint stress protocol. Results showed that the Rosa moschata extract significantly enhanced the number of transitions and the time spent in the open arm in the EPM, increased the number of transitions and time spent in the light compartment of the dark light box, and also enhanced the locomotor activity in OFT, as compared to the stress group. In addition, LD50 of the plant extract is greater than 5000mg/Kg. Thus the findings of our studies show that Rosa moschata significantly alleviates stress following the acute restraint stress in mice. Further studies dealing with underlying mechanism and characterization of active fraction/compound may provide an alternative therapy for stress and related neurological conditions.