Angelica archangelica Linn. (Apiaceae) is an herb distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In Indian system of medicine, it is used for nervous disorders including anxiety, anorexia and migraine. It is also used for cerebral diseases in Chinese system of medicines. Present study is aimed to evaluate the anxiolytic effect of aqueous extract of Angelica archangelica Linn. A. archangelica (1 kg) was subjected to extraction with water using decoction method (yield 16.3% w/w). Aqueous extract (AEA) was evaluated for anxiolytic effects using elevated plus maze, light/dark box and hole board tests in rats. AEA increased number of entries and time spent in open arms on the elevated plus maze test while as in the light/dark arena test, they showed an increase in number of crossings and time spent in light arena (*P <0.05, **P <0.01, ***P <0.001) in both the models. In the hole-board test, AEA significantly increased head-dipping counts and its duration. The results showed significant anxiolytic activity and further works are in progress in our laboratory to isolate and identify the constituent responsible for anxiolytics and the mechanism of action involved.
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