Abstract:
The most common group of psychiatric diseases are anxiety disorders, thus there is increase
need for anxiolytics as a result of increasingly paced world. The current anxiolytics are
characterized by serious adverse effects and narrow therapeutic margin, therefore, there is
need for alternative drugs in terms of plants which are cheaper, more accessible and more
affordable. Thymus vulgaris L. [Lamiaceae] is a medicinal plant belonging to the Lamiaceae
family, Ethinomedicinally T. vulgaris has anti-anxiety, sedative, hypnotic antihelminthic,
expectorant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, antivirotic,
carminative, and diaphoretic effects. The anxiolytic activity of T.vulgaris L was evaluated
using three different doses [50mg/kg, 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg body weight of the extract],
5mg/kg diazepam was also used a reference drug by EPM. The result indicated statistically
dose-dependent reduction of anxiety activities [P<0.05] and highly statistically dosedependent reduction of anxiety activities [P>0.05] in EPM test. The phytochemicals
responsible for the anti-anxiety effects should be elucidated and characterized.
