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African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Vol. 6(3), pp. 211-215, 22 January, 2012
Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJPP
DOI: 10.5897/AJPP11.761
ISSN 1996-0816 ©2012 Academic Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Antidepressant-like activities of Ocimum basilicum
(sweet Basil) in the forced swimming test of rats
exposed to electromagnetic field (EMF)
Mehdi Abdoly1, Alireza Farnam1, Fatemeh Fathiazad2, Arash Khaki3*, Amir Afshin Khaki4,
Arezoo Ibrahimi5, Fatemeh Afshari5 and Hossien Rastgar6
1Department Clinical Psychiatry Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Tabrīz, Iran.
2Department of Pharmacognosy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
3Department of Veterinary Pathology, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
4Department of Anatomical Sciences, Bonab Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bonab, Iran.
5Department of Histology, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
6Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Food and Drug Laboratory Research Center, Tehran, Iran.
Accepted 30 December, 2011
Medicinal use of basil, Ocimum basilicum, dates back to ancient times in Iran, China and India. In this
study, we aimed to experiment on the antioxidative property of a herbal source (sweet basil) to protect
central nervous system against oxidative damages of electromagnetic field (EMF) and it’s affective
sequences. We used forced swimming test to evaluate antidepressant effect of basil extract in 30 albino
male Wistar rats that had been exposed to 50 Hz, EMF for 8 weeks. At the end of 8th week, rats which
have been feed with basil extract (1.5 g/kg body weight), showed decrease in immobility score (P <
0.001) and increase in swimming (P < 0.001), but not in climbing scores significantly in comparison with
control group. Basil extract can act as serotoninergic antidepressants medicine to decrease depression
presentation in exposed subjects to EMF.
Key words: Basil, depression, electromagnetic field (EMF), forced swimming test (FST).
INTRODUCTION
As recent increase in the use of electromagnetic field
producing equipments, such as mobile phones, both
epidemiological and experimental studies have been
motivated. Indisputable reports from harmful effects of
these microwaves have been associated with growing
concern and some alarms in our today society. Exposure
to electromagnetic field (EMF) at even low frequencies
(900 to 1800 Hz) causes some established pathologic
consequences such as increased permeability of the
blood-brain barrier, disturbed neurons function and
alteration in electroencephalography (EEG), disturbed
regional cerebral blood flow, oxidant and antioxidant
imbalance, neurotransmitter imbalance and genomic
responses (Croft et al., 2002; Hamblin and Wood, 2002).
*Corresponding author. E-mail: arashkhaki@yahoo.com. Tel:
+989143138399.
Cellular oxidation and free oxygen radicals release has
been introduced as possible cellular injury mechanism
that is accompanied with cognitional and affective
sequences (Gülçin et al., 2007). In the following
hypotheses, numerical antioxidative substances have
been introduced to protect from central nervous system in
front of oxidative effect of EMF. It is in infancy, but
proceeds to protective agents in front of increasing
environmental hazard factors, especially natural base
agents have been motivated. There is more motivation to
study herbal extracts as antioxidative agents, because
herbal-base medications are accompanied with lower
imposed side effects and have more facing today society
(Katalinic et al., 2006). Ocimum basilicum (belongs to
Labiateae family), have been employed traditionally in
Iranian and Indian medicine as folklore remedy for a wide
spectrum of ailments, also incorporated into a number of
herbal medicinal preparations. It has been used as treat-
ment of cold and persistent coughs. Some investigations
212 Afr. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.
shown its various protective effects including radiation
protective efficacy, preventive potential against some
chemicals, antiinflammatory effect, stimulant agent in
central nervous system, bactericidal activity, modulatory
effect on glutathione and improvement in cognitional task,
antioxidant property, ulcer protective, antidiarrheal and
blood-sugar (BS) lowering efficacy (Uma et al., 2000;
Chattopadhyay, 1999). Basil safety in animal and human
models has been confirmed (Katalinic et al., 2006).
Recent study by Khaki et al. (2011) showed that basil
could increase sperms health parameters and protect
exposed animals by EMF. The objective of this research
was to see the moderate effect of sweet basil on
depression that is induced by EMF.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Animals
Albino male Wistar rats, 8 weeks of aged (weight = 220 ± 10 g)
were housed in standard c ages (14” × 9” × 8”) inside a well-
ventilated room, kept at 20 ± 2°C with 12-h dark-light cycle. They
were obtained from Tabriz Medical Science University Central
Animal Facility, and were kept in Dr. Khaki laboratory. All animals
had free access to a standard pellet diet and water. Animals were
exposed to radiation from experimental field (0.1 Tesla) for 6 h
continuously per day for 6 weeks. Animals were free to move about
in the cage during the exposure period. Sufficient ventilation and
avoidance to impose heat shock to rats was controlled. Rats were
brought back to the home c ages following exposure. All
interventions have been done during constant time period of 8:00 t o
13:00.
Animals were divided into three groups: group I (n = 10) control
group (no exposure to EMF without basil f eeding), group II (n = 10)
(exposure to EMF without basil feeding) and group III (n = 10)
(exposure to EMF with basil feeding). All the experiments were
performed in accordance with the European Animal Ethics
Committee.
Forced swimming test
The modified forced swimming test was designed and used in
accordance with the procedures described (Detke et al., 1997).
Rats were taken and placed individually in a cylinder (50 × 20 cm)
filled to a depth of 30 cm, by fr esh, non-choleric water (22 ± 2°C).
During the 5 min, the climbing, swimming and immobility behaviors
were recorded at 5 s intervals.
Two swim s essions were conducted: a 15 min pretest, followed
24 h later by a 5 min test. The 5 min test sessions were videotaped
and viewed at a later time by two raters blind to treatment. The
raters have sc ored rat behavior for each 5 s period (60 times for the
5 min test) as one of the following: (1) immobility, making only those
movements necessary to k eep its head above water; (2) swimming,
making active swimming movements; and (3) climbing, making
vigorous movements with the forepaws in and out of the water,
usually against the cylinder.
Tests were done in the second week and were repeated at the
end of the study at the sixth week to evaluate acute and chronic
effect of extract of basil.
Extract preparation
Fresh basil was prepared from local shopping in Tabriz.
Superfluous materials were rub off and were drained. Dried plants
were steeped in methanol (80°), then extract were exploited in
vacuum c ondition. Prepared extract were dried and used in
maximum two days. Extracts were k ept in refrigerator before use in
laboratory. All of extract preparation processes have been done in
pharmacognosy laboratory of Tabriz Pharmacology Faculty of
Medicine, Tabriz-Iran.
Drug administration
Prepared extract was dissolved in aqua’s water. Exposed r ats were
fed with basil extract as 0.5 g/kg body weight by nasogastric tube.
Feeding was done at least 1 h before exposure to electromagnetic
field.
Sucrose preference test
We have added standard sucrose consumption prefer test to our
experiment to confirmed depression presentation after exposure to
electromagnetic field.
For the sucrose preference testing, all animals were presented
with two bottles in their home cages. One bottle contained normal
tap water and the second one 10% sucrose solution. Consumption
rates were recorded every hour over a 3 h period. Sucrose was
offered 1 h after daily feeding. Sucrose intake was expressed in
relation of the animal’s body weight. (ml/kg). Test was carried as a
base sc ore before exposure in both groups and would be repeated
at the second and sixth weeks.
Statistical analysis
The data were analyzed by SPSS software (release 17). The
number of time points where climbing, swimming or immobility were
scored over the 5min experimental session were summed for each
rat. Data were expressed as means with standard error of mean
(SEM). The means of measures in two groups were compared by
independent-T test. Analyses of detected scores in behavioral
parameters were done by one-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey’s
highest significant difference (HSD) test. P-value < 0.05 was
considered as significant.
RESULTS
In the second week of the study, it was found that EMF
exposure affected all parameters of forced swimming
test, as it significantly increase immobility and decrease
locomotor function of swimming and climbing in
comparison to control group (P < 0.05). Basil feeding was
not significantly effective to be protective in front of
radiation imposed stress (Figure 1). In the last week, it
was found that basil extract could be effective in
decreasing immobility (P < 0.001) and in other way, in
increasing swimming (P < 0.001). However, basil extract
had not affected the climbing behavior significantly (P =
0.18) (Figure 2).
The Tukey’s multiple comparisons test showed that
basil extract in chronic stress (end of 6 weeks)
significantly had decreased the total counts of immobility
when compared with control (P < 0.01) and exposed
group without basil feeding (P < 0.01). Basil extract had
Abdoly et al. 213
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
control
EMF
EMF+basil
29.4 32.4
31.2
18
16.5
16.8
12.4
11.1
11.4
immobil ity
swimming
climbing
Figure 1. Effect of 1.5 g/kg body weight O. basilicum and 50 Hz EMF on forced swimming test parameters
in the 2nd week.
0
10
20
30
40
50
control
EMF
EMF+basil
30.6
42.2
25
17.9
12.1
28.5
11.5
5.7
6.3
immobil ity
swimming
climbing
Figure 2. Effect of 1.5 g/kg body weight O. basilicum and 50 Hz EMF on forc ed swimming test
parameters in the end of 6th week.
when compared with control (P < 0.01) and exposed
group without extract (P < 0.01). Exposed animals had
lower sucrose consumption in comparison to control
group (29.5 ± 1.5 to 37.1 ± 1.1, P < 0.001).
DISCUSSION
Animal models are indispensable tools in the search to
indentify new antidepressant drugs (Uriguen et al., 2008;
Cryan et al., 2002). The forced swimming test (FST) is
the most widely used animal test predictive of
antidepressants treatment that was proposed primarily
(Porsolt et al., 1977, 1978) and was subsequently
improved (Detke et al., 1997; Cryan et al., 2005). The test
is based upon the observation that rodents eventually
develop immobility when they are placed in cylinder of
water after they stop active escape behaviors, such as
214 Afr. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.
increased the score of swimming behavior significantly
climbing or swimming. Antidepressant treatments reduce
the amount of immobility, or delay its onset, and increase
or prolong active escape behaviors displayed during the
FST. Our investigation showed that electromagnetic field
exposure causes impose stress on animals that are
followed by depression like behavior in exposed animals.
The FST is the most widely used pharmacological model
for assessment of potential antidepressant activity in
rodents. Increased immobility factor in forced swimming
test is indicator for depression like condition in animal.
However, to exclude stress imposed by FST by self, we
have carried out another standard test to evaluate
depression in exposed animals. Sucrose preference test
is a standard test that confirmed our hypothesis.
Decreased sucrose consumption preference predicates
anhedonia, the major component of depression in animal.
It has been demonstrated that swimming score is
sensitive to serotonergic compounds, and that climbing is
sensitive to drug with selective effects on noradrenergic
transmission (Page et al., 1999). Increasing swimming
without significant increase in climbing like serotonergic
agents predicts sedative effect of basil without stimulatory
effect on locomotor activity. However, true mechanism of
antidepressant effect of the O. basilicum is unknown but
behavioral parameters in forced swimming test confirmed
potential antidepressant effect as serotonergic agents.
Unlike serotonergic pharmaceutical medicines, basil
extract have not got serious side effects as sexual
dysfunction or restlessness since our study have
manifested that basil extract has antianxiety effects.
Khaki et al. (2011) have shown that nourished animals
with basil extracts had showed elevated level of
testosterone and increased sexual desire as more sexual
intercourse episodes.
Mood disorders have been treated with botanical
medicines since antiquity, while modern research on
herbal medicine in psychiatry, although, still in its infancy,
has increased in recent years with a 50% increase in the
literature (Garcia-Garcia et al., 2008). Several herbal
medicine revealed on array of pre-clinical antidepressant
activity. Some antidepressant herbal medicine, such as
Hypericum perforatum, Rhodiola rosea (roseroot) and
Crocus sativas (Saffron) offer promise for the treatment
of depression via known psychopharmacological actions
and sometimes antidepressant mechanisms are not as
clearly defined as with selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs) (Toda and Morimoto, 2008; Panossian,
et al ., 2008; Limpeanchob et al., 2008; Sarris and
Kvanagh, 2009; Van Dierman et al ., 2009; Hosseinzadeh
and Noraei, 2009; Krishnakumar et al., 2009; Awad et al.,
2009; Lopez et al ., 2009; Grundmann et al ., 2009; Sena
et al ., 2009; Cao et al., 2010; Cho et al., 2010; Chang
and Wang, 2010). Some agents, such as Piper
methysticum and H. perforatum in meta-analyses studies
revealed significant effects over placebo and comparable
effects to synthetic agents (Linde, 2008; Sarris et al.,
2010). Herbal agents have better tolerability over some
conventional antidepressants (Kasper et al., 2008a;
2010b). Although, these results and findings are encou-
raging, but there is so many non-tried herbal agents in
traditional medicine of nations. H. perforatum is one of
the mentioned herbal medicines that have is known as
antidepressant herbal medicine since several years ago
and its efficacy was evaluated by several experimental
studies (Rojecky et al., 2004). Ishola et al. (2008)
investigated antistress efficacy of extract of Alchornea
cordifolia in rats by occupying forced swimming test.
Hosseinzadeh et al. (2007) investigated antidepressant
effect of Kaemperol, a constituent of Saffron (Crocus
sativus) on rats. Entirely, the present study has showed
that O. basilicum extracts have had protective effect in
exposed animals to electromagnetic fields induced
depression. We suppose, protective property of basil
against EMF is referred to its antioxidative potency and
free radical scavenging activity. Some pervious studies
have investigated basil antioxidative property in vital
organs (Gülçin et al., 2007; Phuong et al., 2008). The
antioxidative effect is mainly due to phenolic components,
such as flavonoids, phenolic acids and phenolic
diterpenes. The antioxidant activity of phenolic
compounds is mainly due to their redox properties, which
can play an important role in absorbing and neutralizing
free radicals, quenching singlet and triplet oxygen, or
decomposing peroxides (Shahidi et al., 1992). Comparing
the mentioned studies with our study, showed similar
results in their efficacy; nonetheless, basil is a
nonexpansive material in general population with less
probably hazard side effects that people have used from
several and several hundreds years ago and it is
acceptable in folklore culture with perfect favor in food.
Fixed dose of feeding extract and the missing dose
relative effect of basil on locomotor activity, and a
synchronic comparison of different types of known
antidepressants and the missing assessment of the
biochemistry effect of basil on vital organs are the
limitations observed in this study. We have tried to study
a cost effective and easy obtained herbal substance to
evaluate its protective efficacy in front of electro magnetic
fields that enveloped us in every day life. We suggest
more study on known herbal medicine drugs with more
details in that field .We can not stop expansion of
technology associated with EMF, but we can protect
ourselves, especially young persons, against hazardous
effects of radiations.
Conclusion
Basil extracts acted as antidepressant agents (by
decreasing anhedonia and increasing locomotors) in vital
subjects without or at least with lower side effects when
compared to some known pharmaceutical agents, and
were more pleasurable to patients.
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