Oroxylum indicum (L.) Bark Ameliorates Anxiety and Depression: Evidence From Experimental and Computational Studies

This study evaluated the antioxidant and neuropharmacological potentials of methanol extract of Oroxylum indicum bark (MOIB) to advocate the scientific basis of its traditional use in medical folklore. The preliminary phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis identified twenty phytochemicals in MOIB. Besides, in EPM, MOIB exhibited an increase in time spent and the number of entries in open arms while an enhancement in head dipping was demonstrated by MOIB in HBT compared to control, indicating anxiolytic activities. Furthermore, a dose-dependent reduction in locomotor activities together with immobility time was revealed by MOIB in the hole cross test, open field test, and tail suspension test, forced swimming test, respectively in comparison to that of control suggesting sedative and antidepressant activities. Again, the molecular docking analysis revealed two compounds CID 550198 and CID 10393 with a good binding affinity to all the targeted receptors together with promising pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles evident from ADME/T analysis. Consequently, the respective molecular dynamic simulation study confirmed the stability of the protein-ligand complexes. Moreover, two compounds with CID 550198 and CID 10393 might be used as natural lead compounds for the treatment of anxiety, sleep disorders, and depression. Yet, advanced studies are required to reveal the fundamental mechanism of these activities.