ABSTRACT
The use of these plants as medicine for the different illnesses that has plagued man has been linked to the phytochemical properties which these plants possess which can have either good or antagonistic effects on humans and animals .The aim of this study is to evaluate the chronic anti stress properties of the polyherbal tea consisting of Curcuma longa, Moringa olifera, Zingiber of icinale, Allium sativum, Citrus limon, Syzygium aromaticum. The poly-herbal formulated tea was administered to a group of animals (adult mice) that were subjected to a chronic stress model of forced swimming test and tail suspension test. The animals underwent an array of stressors such as tail suspension test, forced swimming test, water and food deprivation, cold and physical restraint tests, hot plate stress test, acetic acid pain stress and isolation for the period of twenty one days.The animals antioxidants levels (superoxide dismutase, malondealdehyde, cortisol, gluthathione peroxidase, gluthathione reductase, catalase were analyzed. The effect of the poly- herbal formulated tea (Curcuma longa, Moringa olifera, Zingiber of icinale, Allium sativum, Citrus limon, Syzygium aromaticum) on the time of immobility of tail suspension test in mice induced with chronic stress. In tail suspension test, the poly-herbal formulated tea at 5mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and the standard (fluoxetine 20mg/kg) significantly reduced the time of immobility when compared to the chronic stress control (*p<0.05; **p<0.01; *p<0.05). In forced swimming test the effect of the poly-herbal formulated tea at 5mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and the standard (fluoxetin 20mg/kg) significantly increased the swimming time when compared to the chronic stress control (*p<0.05; *p<0.05; **p<0.01). On SOD level in mice induced with chronic stress. The poly-herbal formulated tea at 5mg/kg, 10 mg/kg significantly increased SOD levels when compared to the chronic stress control (*p<0.05; **p<0.01). On cortisol level, the poly-herbal formulated tea at 5mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and the standard (fluoxetine 20mg/kg) significantly decreased cortisol levels when compared to the chronic stress control (*p<0.05; **p<0.01; *p<0.05). On catalase level the poly-herbal formulated tea at 5mg/kg and 10 mg/kg significantly increased catalase levels when compared to the chronic stress control (*p<0.05; *p<0.05). In MDA level, the poly herbal formulated tea had no effect compared with control group. In gluthathione peroxidase, the poly-herbal formulated tea 10mg/kg showed an increase in Gluthathione peroxidase levels when compared to the stress control (*p<0.05). In Gluthathione reductase level, the poly-herbal formulated tea at 5mg/kg and 10mg/kg and had no effect.
