International Journal of Unani and Integrative Medicine 2020; 4(2): 05-08

E-ISSN: 2616-4558
P-ISSN: 2616-454X
IJUIM 2020; 4(2): 05-08 Anti-Anxiety activity of Kaahu (Lactuca sativa Linn.)
Impact Factor (RJIF): 6.3
Peer Reviewed Journal
and Nilofer (Nympheae Alba Linn.) in animal model
Received: 07-05-2020
Accepted: 09-06-2020
Dr. Manumula Rajaram, Dr. Ghulamuddin Sofi, Dr. Manumula Komala
Dr. Manumula Rajaram Dr. Manchala Ashok and Dr. Makula Swathi
PG Scholar, Department of
Ilmul Advia, National
Institute of Unani Medicine, Abstract
Bangalore, Karnataka, India Anxiety disorders are among the foremost common mental diseases, with immense attendant quality of
life and monetary price. Unani medicine, as is well known, based on the Hippocratic humoral theory. In
Dr. Ghulamuddin Sofi Unani medicine, psychiatrical disorders ar dealt thoroughly below the heading of “amraz-e-nafsaniya”.
Reader, Department of Ilmul The term “izterab” is employed for anxiety in Arabic and Unani texts and therefore the word nafsani
Advia, National Institute of (Psychic) is added to izterab to specify its condition. The present study was undertaken in the
Unani Medicine, Bangalore,
department of Ilmul Advia, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bengaluru. Wister albino rats of
Karnataka, India
either sex, weighing between 150 – 200gm were used in the study. Elevated plus-maze (EPM) test is
Dr. Manumula Komala the model used in this study to define the anxiolytic action, as this EPM test used in almost 80% of the
PG Scholar, Department of scientific publications. Diazepam syrup was used in this study. It was given at a dose of 0.11mg/kg/bw
Moalajat, National Institute of orally. Single unani drugs Kaahu (Lactuca sativa Linn. seeds) and Nilofer (Nympheae alba Linn.)
Unani Medicine, Bangalore, flowers were used as test drugs in the form of hydro alcoholic extracts. The hydro alcoholic extracts of
Karnataka, India Kaahu (Lactuca sativa Linn) at the dose of 51 mg/ kg body weight and Nilofer (Nymphaea alba Linn)
at the dose 266 mg/ kg body weight were tested in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) for their anti-anxiety
Dr. Manchala Ashok effect and observed a significant effect compared to diazepam.
PG Scholar, Department of
Ilaj Bit Tadbeer, National Keywords: Anxiety; Unani medicine; Izterabe Nafsani; Kaahu, Nilofer
Institute of Unani Medicine,
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Introduction
Dr. Makula Swathi Mental problems acquire an eminent position in Unani medicine as their description has been
PG Scholar, Department of made since the time of Greek physician, Hippocrates (460 – 377 BC) who propounded that
Moalajat, National Reseach mental diseases were the consequences of qualitative/quantitative imbalance of Akhlat [1]. In
Institute of Unani Medicine for Unani system of Medicine, interpretation of mental issue depend on the teaching of Galen
Skin Disorders, Hyderabad,
Telangana, India (d.200ca.) and Avicenna (Ibn Sina, d. 1037), and the physiology of four natural liquids called
akhlaat (humors) i.e., blood, mucus, yellow and dark bile, specifically sauda (dark bile) will
instigate burdensome scatters, overabundance of safra (yellow bile) results to ekhtinaqur
raham (delirium) and maniacal disorders [2]. In Unani medicine, psychiatrical scatters are
managed altogether beneath the heading of "amraz-e-nafsaniya" wherever physicians and
students sketched out fluctuated side effects of psychic faculty and their distortion because of
the involvement of humors particularly "safra" and "sauda". As per World Health Report,
roughly 450 million individuals experience the ill effects of one or other mental (or)
behavioural disorder [1]. This amount is around 12.3% of the global burden of disease,
predicted to ascend to 15% by 2020 [2]. Anxiety disorders are the foremost common form of
psychiatric disorders, with associate incidence of 18.1% in total world population and a life
time prevalence of 28.8% [5].
The description of Anxiety disorders, as such, is not found in Unani literature but their
symptoms are elaborately mentioned separately or in cluster with other diseases, such as, like
malekholia, “waswasa” “mania”, “sahar”, “tawahhush”, “hizyan’, “ishque” and “khafqan”,
etc.3 The term “izterab” is employed for anxiety in Arabic and Unani texts and therefore the
word nafsani is added to izterab to specify its condition. Virtually Izterab-e-Nafsani stands
for worry, worry and excessive thinking. In the standard literature of Unani system of
medicine, there is no description of Izterab-e-Nafsani; however there is description of Fikr
(worry) that is employed as word of hysteria. According to Unani System of medicine,
Corresponding Author:
Dr. Manumula Rajaram
Fikr may be a psychological reaction during which the Ruh-e-Haiwaniyah moves from
PG Scholar, Department of outside to within slowly leading to coldness outside which may be felt simply [5].
Ilmul Advia, National Anxiety is defined as a “melancholic” disorder that is caused by excessive secretion of sauda
Institute of Unani Medicine, (melancholic humour/black bile), which adversely affect the faculty that controls the nervous
Bangalore, Karnataka, India system, called “quwwate nafsaniya”.

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International Journal of Unani and Integrative Medicine http://www.unanijournal.com

There are three main factors that adversely affect the five multiplying the higher dose of 7 gm by the conversion
internal faculties of the brain, called “quwa khamsa batina”. factor of 7 (Freirich et al., 1966) and found to be as follows;
These include, excessive secretion of black bile or Control group will receive distilled water at a dose of
melancholic humour transformation of abnormally digested 5ml/kg/b.w orally. Standard group will receive diazepam
safrawi (choleric) or balgami (phelgmetic) humours in to syrup at a dose of 0.11mg/kg/b.w orally. Test group 1 will
abnormal melancholic humour and transformation in the receive hydroachoholic extract of Kaahu at a dose of
normal quality of the melancholic humour. 51mg/kg/b.w orally. Test group 2 will receive
Benzodiazepines, Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA’s), hydroalchoholic extract of Nilofer at a dose of
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, SSRIs, azapirones are 266mg/kg/b.w orally.
commonly used conventional medicines for treating anxiety
disorders; however β –blockers, Hydroxyzine and anti- Elevated Plus Maze (EPM)
psychotic drugs are sometimes useful in treating anxiety and Elevated Plus-Maze consists of two opposite open arms
other medical disorders. These conventional drugs produce 50x10 cm crossed with two close arms of the same
significant adverse effect in their long term use such as, dimensions with walls 40 cm high. The arms are connected
anti-cholinergic effects, hypotension and weight gain, to a central square 10x10 cm2 to give the apparatus a plus
sleepiness and fatigue. sign appearance. It is elevated to a height of 40 cm from the
In Unani system of medicine, physicians have used many ground. Animals were handled daily 1 week prior to the
single and compound drugs for the management of anxiety. experiment and administered the drugs as per schedule. Two
Hence the present is designated to evaluate the anti-anxiety days before the experiment, the animals were allowed to
effects of Kaahu and Nilofer, as the chemical constituents of acclimatize to the EPM apparatus. On the test day, 1 hour
these drugs have possess effects of sedation, hypnotic, after oral administration of the drugs, animals were allowed
headache, migraine and palpitation. to explore for elevated-plus maze. Rats were individually
placed in the central square facing enclosed arm and were
Materials and Methods allowed to explore the maze for five minutes. During the
The study was conducted in NIUM, Bengaluru from June next five minutes, following parameters were noted: (a)
2014 to January 2015. Before starting the experiment the Latency of the entry of the closed arm in seconds on seventh
research protocol was submitted for ethical clearance. The day, (b) Number of entries in open and closed arms (entry
Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) of National defined as entry of 4 paws into the arm) (c) Average time
Institute of Unani Medicine, Bengaluru approved the spent by the animal in each arm. Animals were assessed for
protocol vide its Reg. No. IAEC 11/04/IA. transfer latency, time spent in open arms and time spent in
close arms and number of entries in open arm [74].
Plant materials Statistical analysis of the above 4 groups were done by
Kaahu – Lactuca sativa L. seeds and Nilofer (Nymphaea calculating time spent in open arms and time in close arms,
Alba L.) flowers were obtained by local market of number of entries in open arms and the transfer latency was
Bengaluru, Karnataka. Both the drugs were authenticated by recorded for each group and comparison was statistically
experts from Institute of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences carried out using ANOVA by standard statistical software:
and Technology, Bengaluru. The drug was dried in shade Vasserstat75 and Graph Pad Instat.
and powdered coarsely in an electric grinder. The powder
was then extracted in hydroalcoholic solution (50%+50%) Results
in the ratio of 1:5, (100 gm of powdered drug was taken into The hydro alcoholic extracts of Kaahu (Lactuca sativa
500 ml of hydroalcoholic Hippocratic Journal of Unani Linn) and Nilofer (Nymphaea Alba Linn) were tested in the
Medicine 47 solution) with the help of a Soxhlet apparatus EPM and observed a significant increase in the number of
for 8 hrs. The liquid extract was then filtered and entries in open arms and time spent in open arms compared
concentrated on water bath. The concentrated extract was to plain control.
obtained. The following tables show the results of parameters
observed in elevated plus maze paradigm for each group.
Experimental animal model The mean number of entries into open arms in distilled
Twenty four Albino rats of either sex will be selected water treated control group was 0.5±0.223. Compared to
randomly. Healthy albino rats of either sex weighing 150- this group, differences in the mean number of entries into
200gms will be included. The rats were housed in the open arms in diazepam treated group (1.67±0.421),
polypropylene cages, under controlled conditions of light hydro alcoholic extract of kaahu treated group (2±0.365)
(12/24 hour) and temperature (23+2 0C) and provided and hydro alcoholic extract of nilofer (1.83±0.307) were
standard commercial food pellets and tap water ad libitum, statistically significant.
under strict hygienic conditions. All the protocols and
experiments were conducted in strict compliance according Table 1: Effect of Kaahu and Nilofer on number of entries in open
to ethical principles and guidelines provided by Committee arm by rats in Elevated Plus Maze
for the purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments Number of entries in open arm entries
on Animals (CPCSEA). Drugs
(Mean± SEM)
Distilled water 0.5±0.223
Dosage of the control and test drugs Diazepam 1.67±0.421*
The selected rats are divided into 4 groups having 6 rats in HAE of Kaahu 2±0.365**
each group. The human therapeutic dose of coriander HAE of Nilofer 1.83±0.307**
Test used: ANOVA one way with Tukey pair comparison test, ** -
described in Unani literature, is 5-7 gm (Anonymous, 2007;
p < 0.01,
Ghani, ynm). Its dose for albino rats was calculated by * - p< 0.05 with respect to plain control group.

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International Journal of Unani and Integrative Medicine http://www.unanijournal.com

Graph 1: Effect of Kaahu and Nilofer on number of entries in Graph 3: Effect of Kaahu and Nilofer on Transfer Latency (TL) in
open arm in Elevated Plus Maze Elevated plus Maze

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