Investigating the Effect of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Parsley Leaves (Petroselinum crispum) on Anxiety in Rats Treated with Lead Acetate

Heavy metals such as lead can have negative effects on the nervous system. Anxiety is one of the most common neurological disorders that can be induced under the influence of lead. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of parsley leaves (Petroselinum crispum; HEPL) on anxiety in rats treated with lead acetate.

Male rats were divided into 6 groups of 10. The control group did not receive drug treatment, but the sham group animals received 1 ml of distilled water as lead acetate solvent by intraperitoneal injection. The animals of the Lead group received lead acetate at a dose of 20 mg/kg and the animals of the HEPL200 group received HEPL at a dose of 200 mg/kg by intraperitoneal injection. The animals of the Lead+HEPL100 and Lead+HEPL200 groups received lead acetate with a dose of 20 mg/kg as an intraperitoneal injection 2 hours before the intraperitoneal injection of HEPL with a dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. The study period in all groups was 21 days. At the end of the study, the open field test was used to measure anxiety behavior including the parameters of Grooming (cleaning the body, face and legs), Rearing (standing on two rear legs) and Crossing (crossing the lines). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc test.

The results of this study showed that there was a significant decrease in the number of Grooming, Rearing and Crossing in the Lead group compared to the control and control groups (P<0.05). In the Lead+HEPL200 group, a significant increase in the number of Grooming, Rearing and Crossing was observed compared to the Lead group (P<0.05).

Lead can cause anxiety behaviors in male rats. However, administration of HEPL can improve anxiety behaviors in male rats treated with lead acetate.