Promising Anxiolytic, Antidepressant, and Cognitive-Enhancing Effects of Some Selected Indian Medicinal Plants

The prevalence of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline continues to increase, thus giving rise to global health concerns which is caused mainly due to modern day busy and materialistic lifestyle, this stressful and uncertain lifestyle affected mental health of individuals and such cases grew remarkably after COVID-19, thereby necessitating exploration of safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives based on our natural resources mentioned in traditional Indian Knowledge System (IKS). Medicinal plants, enriched with diverse bioactive compounds, offer promising neuroprotective and psychotropic potential. This study aimed to assess Moringa oleifera and Chenopodium album's impacts of Moringa oleifera and Chenopodium album on anxiety, depression, learning, and memory using validated mice models. Behavioral assays such as the Elevated Plus Maze, Open Field Test, Forced Swim Test, Tail Suspension Test, and Morris Water Maze were employed. Phytochemical analysis reveals that Moringa oleifera is rich in quercetin, kaempferol, and phenolics acids, which exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, modulate monoaminergic pathways, and enhance cholinergic transmission. Chenopodium album, containing saponins, flavonoids, and essential micronutrients, is proposed to exert anxiolytic effects through GABAergic modulation and to improve cognitive performance by reducing oxidative stress. Experimental findings demonstrated significant antidepressant-like effects of Moringa oleifera and notable anxiolytic and memory-enhancing actions of Chenopodium album. It is pertinent to state that the promising results thus obtained in the present research work suggest that both plants may play a significant role to regulate neurochemical pathways, attenuate oxidative and inflammatory damage, and improve behavioral outcomes, thereby supporting their promising future potential in further exploration of neuropsychiatric disorders managed by alternative approach. Further investigations are recommended to validate these preliminary interesting findings.