Cardamom Oil- An Essential Oil in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Kadiri Sunil Kumar^*, Aneesha Unnisa, K. Sai Sushmitha, Ashish lokhande 
Department of Pharmacology, Vijaya College of Pharmacy, Munaganoor, Hyderabad-500070

A B S T R A C T
The study was planned with a rationale to investigate the anxiolytic potential of Cardamom oil (50mg/kg) against experimentally induced anxiety model such as Light and Dark Box transition test in albino rats. The control, test (Cardamom oil, 50mg/kg) and standard (buspirone 1 mg/kg) treated rats are placed in the center of light and dark box apparatus one by one with head facing towards dark box and the preference of animals towards dark and light box are noted for a period of 5 minutes. The behavioral parameters that were recorded are time spent in light box, time spent in dark box and number of entries in light and dark box. The cardamom oil (50mg/kg) showed significant anxiolytic activity in albino rats by increasing in time spent by the animals in light box (197.33±52.78 sec) when compared to the control rats (19± 9.262 sec) in the light and dark box apparatus. Hence it can be concluded that cardamom oil (50mg/kg) exhibits anxiolytic activity. Phytochemical screening of cardamom oil reveals the presence of steroid, oil, fats and carbohydrates.  Hence the above mentioned active constituents of cardamom oil may be involved in its anxiolytic potential.
Keywords: cardamom oil, anxiolytic potential, light and dark box & buspirone.