Effect of aqueous fruit extract of Emblica officinalis on haloperidol induced catalepsy in albino mice

Neuroleptic drugs used in the treatment of schizophrenia and other affective disorders are known to produce extrapyramidal side effects. Catalepsy was induced by these drugs in animals and these have been used as models for the extrapyramidal side effects associated with antipsychotic agents in human beings. In the present study, we have attempted to evaluate the protective effect of the aqueous extract of the fruits of Emblica officinalis (EO) on haloperidol (1.0mg/kg intraperitoneal administration) induced catalepsy in mice by employing the standard bar test. Mice were allocated to seven groups, each group containing six animals. The effects of the test drug EO (0.8, 2.0 and 4.0mg/kg doses) and the standard drugs scopolamine (1.0mg/kg) and ondansetron (0.5 and 1.0mg/kg doses) were assessed after single and repeated dose administration for seven days, 30 minutes prior to the haloperidol. Mice were sacrificed on the seventh day and super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the brain tissue was estimated by using the Beauchamp and Fridovich method. A significant (P<0.001) reduction in the cataleptic scores was observed in all the test drug treated groups as compared to the control, with maximum reduction in the dose 4.0mg/kg group. Similarly, the maximum reduction in SOD activity (P<0.01) was observed in the dose 4.0mg/kg group. Our study suggests that EO has significantly reduced oxidative stress and the cataleptic score induced by haloperidol. It could be used to prevent drug-induced extrapyramidal side effects.