Antidepressant Activity of Tanacetum Balsamita Essential Oil on Some Experimental Models of Depression in Mice

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of many diseases, including depression. On the other hand, previous studies have reported the antioxidant effect of Tanacetum balsamita. The aim of the present study is to investigate the antidepressant effect of Tanacetum balsamita essential oil (TBEO) in animal models of depression.

In this experimental study, 84 mice were randomly divided into 14 groups of 6 and intraperitoneally received vehicle (10 ml/kg), fluoxetine (20 mg/kg), imipramine (30 mg/kg), and TBEO (12.5, 50,100, and 200mg/kg). To evaluate the antidepressant effect, the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were used. The animal locomotion was also assessed by open-field test (OFT). Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance followed by the Newman-Keuls post hoc test.

Doses of 50 to 100 mg/kg of essential oil in both FST and TST caused a significant reduction in the duration of immobility (p<0.001). In addition, doses of 50,100 and 200 mg/kg of TBEO significantly increased swimming time (p<0.001). But, climbing time was not significantly increased by all doses of the essential oil (p>0.05). Also, none of the essential oil doses caused a significant change in the number of crossing and rearing’s in the OFT (p>0.05).  

Tanacetum balsamita essential oil has an anti-depressant effect in mice. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to determine its mechanism of action.