Anti-stress Effect of Scutellatia baicalensis in SD Rats and ICR Mice

The aim of this study is to investigate anti-stress effect of Scutellaria baicalensis(SB). The experiments were performed with the use of young (9 weeks of age) male rats of SD strain and the male ICR mice (20-25 g) at the time of first treatment with SB. Animals of the normal group were not exposed to any stress and the control group were exposed to stress. The rats of the Ginseng, Diazepam(BZ) and SB supplementary group were orally administered once a day 100 mg of red ginseng extract, 5 mg of BZ or 100 mg of SB extract/kg body weight and they were exposed to stress. The mice of the Ginseng, BZ and SB supplementary group were given water containing 200 mg of red ginseng extract, 10 mg of BZ or SB extract/100 ml potable water and exposed to stress. Animals were given supplements for 7 days without stress, and then were given supplement for 5 days with restraining and electroshock stress. We recorded stress related behavioral changes of the experimental animals by stressing them using the Etho-vision system and measured levels of blood corticosterone and IL-2. SB supplementation partially blocked the stress effect on locomotion in the rats and mice, and also partially blocked stress-induced behavioral changes such as freezing, burrowing, grooming, smelling, and rearing behavior in the rats and smelling, grooming, tailing, and rearing in the mice. in elevated plus maze test, the staying time of the stressed rats and mice in the open area decreased while it increased in the closed area. But these changes also partially were blocked by SB-supplementation. SB-supplementation decreased levels of the blood corticosterone which was increased by stress in the rats but did not significantly increase levels of blood interleukin 2 which was decreased by stress in mice.