RESUMO
Medicinal and aromatic plants have very substantial emotional effects on rats, which is part of the current study. Decoction products of three Moroccan plants (Lavandula angustifolia L., Laurus nobilis L., and Artemisia herba-alba) were used to be tested on Wistar rats in the laboratory. The goal was to check if they had an anti-depressant and/or anti-anxiety action on the animals' tests. Wistar Rats were born and bred in the pet store of the Faculty of Science, Kenitra. The antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects were assessed according to three animal models: Open Field, Elevated Plus-maze for anxiety, and the Forced Swimming animal model for depression. The results showed that drinking water containing plant extracts has anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects. Rats have overcome depression by reducing downtime during forced swimming. Concerning anti-anxiety, the open-field test showed an increase in the rat's locomotor activity, which indicates unhesitating exploratory behavior in the form of confident movement through the number of visits to the central part and the total distance crossed. The anxiety reduction was also corroborated by the elevated Plus-maze test, where the rats displayed no aversion to open spaces on account of the prolonged time they spent in the open arms and platform of the raised cross maze. In light of the findings from the experiments conducted in the study, the decoction products of the three plants appear to be viable candidates for the treatment of depression and anxiety.