Neuropharmacological effects of <em>Alchornea cordifolia</em> (Schumach. & Thonn.) Mull. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) in mice

Alchornea cordifolia (Euphorbiaceae) is a common plant, which has featured prominently in traditional medicinal practice. It has been reported that the decoction of the leaves is taken as central nervous system stimulant. This work was therefore undertaken to examine the central nervous system effects. The neuropharmacological profile of the plant was determined in mice to which the plant extract had been orally administered at respective doses of 250, 500 and 1,000 mg/kg. The behavioral models used included noveltyinduced behaviors (locomotion, rearing and grooming), holeboard and elevated plus maze (anxiolytic) and forced swimming (antidepressant). The Y-maze was used for the investigation of the plant extract on locomotion, learning and memory. The results obtained showed that both locomotor and rearing activities were significantly decreased at the highest dose of 1000 mg/kg orally, while grooming behavior was significantly decreased at all the doses administered. In the hole board experiment, the frequency of head-dips was decreased significantly at 1000 mg/kg, while there was no significant effect observed in the elevated plus maze. Y-maze model results showed that it had no significant effect on spatial memory. There was no significant difference in the immobility duration due to administration of the extract in the forced swimming test. In conclusion, the present study showed that although the ethanolic leaf extract of A. cordifolia exhibited some central inhibitory effect, it is devoid of anxiolytic, antidepressant activities and has no significant effect on learning and memory in mice.Keyword: A. cordifolia, locomotion, grooming, mice, anxiolytic, antidepressant, mice