Antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of hydroalcoholic extract from Salvia elegans

Salvia elegans Vahl (Lamiaceae), popularly known as "mirto", is a shrub that has been widely used in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of different central nervous system (CNS) diseases, principally, anxiety. Nevertheless, the available scientific information about this species is scarce and there are no reports related to its possible effect on the CNS. In this work, the antidepressant and anxiolytic like effects of hydroalcoholic (60%) extract of Salvia elegans (leaves and flowers) were evaluated in mice. The extract, administered orally, was able to increase the percentage of time spent and the percentage of arm entries in the open arms of the elevated plus-maze, as well as to increase the time spent by mice in the illuminated side of the light-dark test, and to decrease the immobility time of mice subjected to the forced swimming test. The same extract was not able to modify the spontaneous locomotor activity measured in the open field test. These results provide support for the potential antidepressant and anxiolytic activity of Salvia elegans.