Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology

Exposure to various stress and release of free radicals are the root cause for development and progression of various diseases in humans. The plant “Acorus calamus Linn” rich in polyphenols have the capacity to neutralize free radicals and stimulate intrinsic antioxidant machinery is considered to be helpful for human health. Aim of the study is to determine the effect of alcoholic extract of Acorus calamus Linn (ACL) and active principle alpha-asarone on histomorphometric changes in different hippocampal regions in restraint induced stressed rats and compare it with that of the standard drug Tinospora cordifolia. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into five groups six in each, Group I: Control received Dimethyl Sulphoxide (1mL/kg/day) for 21 days. Group II: Animal received Dimethyl Sulphoxide ((1mL/kg/p.o/day) and subjected to restraint stress, 6hr daily for 21 days. Group III: (EE-ACL) Animals received Ethanolic extract of ACL (100mg/kg/p.o/day) half an hour before subjecting to restraint stress, 6hr daily for 21 days. Group IV:(A-Asarone) Received alpha-asarone (9mg/kg/p.o/day) active principle of ACL half an hour before subjecting to restraint stress, 6hr daily for 21 days. Group V: TC Animals received Tinospora cordifolia (40m g/kg/p.o/day) half an hour before subjecting to restraint stress, 6hr daily for 21 days. On 21^st day animals the rats were sacrificed and brain tissue was harvested for sectioning, staining and histomorphometric analysis. The histomorphometric results revealed that supplementation with the drug EE-ACL, A-Asarone and TC have decreased the damaging effect of stress, thereby improving the changes in the hippocampus morphology. ACL could be an adjuvant therapy as it plays a role in neuronal stress adaptation mechanism to cope up with stress.