Examining the Bioactive Elements of Urtica urens Hydroalcoholic Extract and Its Possible Antidepressant Effects in Mice

The majority of antidepressant medications reduce depression symptoms, but they also have a number of undesirable side effects. The hunt is on for medications that are both more effective and well-tolerated. In light of this, the current investigation set out to assess the hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica Urens L.'s aerial parts' (HAUU) antidepressant potential in mice. The Tail Suspension Test (TST) and the Forced Swimming Test (FST) on mice were used to assess it. For 14 days, the HAUU (250 and 500 mg/kg, po) was given orally to distinct groups of 20–25-weight Swiss albino mice in order to conduct TST and FST testing. The presence of alkaloids, glycosides, phenols, flavonoids, and tannins was discovered through phytochemical examination. The HAUU demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease in the amount of time that mice were immobile. Mice's immobility duration was considerably shortened in both the FST and TST when 500 mg/kg of HAUU was administered. The extract's effectiveness was discovered to be on par with fluoxetine (20 mg mg/kg, po). It was discovered that when given orally at a dose of 2000 mg/kg, it was toxicologically safe and did not cause any mouse deaths. The results of the current investigation indicate that the HAUU is toxicologically safe and has strong antidepressant activity, as demonstrated by the TST and FST tests. Keywords: Urtica Urens L, Depression, Tail suspension test, Forced swimming test, Fluoxetine