Wild cabbage offers a natural way to relieve anxiety

Researchers from India have found a potential remedy for anxiety in wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea). In this study, which was published in Pharmacognosy Journal, the researchers looked at the in vivo effects of wild cabbage extracts on mice.

• Anxiety disorders are characterized by feelings of fear and tension due to the anticipation imagined threats, which can have debilitating effects on a person’s life.
• Conventional treatments for anxiety include psychotherapy and drugs. However, medications like benzodiazepines are associated with side effects.
• One of the causes of anxiety disorders is free radical-induced oxidative stress, which also causes depression and nervous system impairment. Because of this, antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals are being considered for treatment.
• Wild cabbage is an edible plant that has been identified as a good source of various phytochemicals. These include phenolic compounds which have antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, and hepatoprotective activities.
• In this study, the authors assessed the anti-anxiety effects of different doses (50, 100, and 200 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) of wild cabbage extracts on mice. This was determined based on anxiety-like behavior during the following experiments: elevated plus maze, hole-board test, and mirror chamber test.

From these experiments, the researchers observed that wild cabbage significantly reduces the anxiety-like behavior of mice, proving that the plant has potent anti-anxiety activity. For future studies, they recommend the identification of the exact compounds responsible for these effects

Read the full text of the study at this link. ^[PDF]

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Journal Reference:

Kaur D, Shri R, Kamboj A. EVALUATION OF ANTI-ANXIETY EFFECT OF BRASSICA OLERACEA L. EXTRACTS IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS. Pharmacognosy Journal. July 2017;9(5). DOI: 10.5530/pj.2017.5.101