Neuropharmacological Evaluation of Methanolic Extract from Mercurialis Annua a Plant used in Morocca

Current therapeutic for the treatment of anxiety is associated with a wild variety of prominent side effects. The traditional use of plant extract to health care can indicate an important source of new pharmaceuticals. In Morocco traditional medicine, the use of Mercurialis annua is commonly recommended for relief of anxiety. Nevertheless, despite  its popular use there are no studies related to its possible neuropharmacological effect. Here, we investigated the possible anxiolytic effect of the extract of M.annua after acute treatment in mice. Anxiety is considered a common emotional phenomenon in the human population,occurring in response to physiological and/or environmental factors . When anxiety becomes excessive, it may be considered as an anxiety disorder, and can critically decrease the quality of life inducing several psychosomatic diseases. Benzodiazepines are the major class of compounds used in anxiety and they have remained the most commonly prescribed treatment for anxiety . Benzodiazepines can lead to disturbing effects, such as amnesia, dependence liability, and sedation .Therefore, the development of other anxiolytic drugs without such adverse effects is important for the treatment of anxiety disorders

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