Anxiolytic effects of fractions obtained from Passiflora incarnata L. in the elevated plus maze in mice

The purpose of this study was to characterize the putative anxiolytic-like activity of fractions prepared from a hydroethanol extract of Passiflora incarnata L. using the elevated plus-maze (EPM) in mice. The fractions were prepared as published recently, yielding a butanol, petroleum ether and chloroform fraction. From the tested fractions, the butanol fraction showed significant increases in the number of open arm entries in the EPM in concentrations of 2.1 mg/kg and 4.2 mg/kg corresponding to 150 and 300 mg/kg of the original extract. The highest activity was found for the chloroform fraction in doses of 0.17 mg/kg (10.0 ± 1.9, p < 0.001) and 0.34 mg/kg (6.6 ± 0.86; p < 0.05) which corresponds to a total extract dose of 150 and 300 mg/kg, respectively. Interestingly, the petroleum ether fraction did not show any effects in the elevated plus maze. A sedative or stimulatory effect of each of the fractions could be excluded, since none of the compounds had an influence on the total distance that the animals covered during the observation period. The results suggest that the active principle of passion flower seems to be in the chloroform fraction and to a lower extent in the butanol fraction.