In spite of the presence of known anxiolytic medicine in the pharmaceutical market, remedies from medicinal plants are used with success to treat anxiety disorder. In this study, authors describe effects of essential oil of PK on anxiety markers in male mice using the hyponeophagia test. Groups of 6 mice each were given 200, 400 or 600 µg/kg essential oil of PK per os. Another 6 mice were applied as saline controls. A plastic jug was used as a hyponeophagia unit with a spout with food to direct mice. Mice were allowed to roam freely in the jug for 120 seconds at day 15, 20 and 25 after treatments. In the test, the time spent until mice began to eat food and number of stools of mice were measured. After each trial the recipient was cleaned with ethanol to prevent a bias based on olfactory cues. The results show that mice in group 2, 3, and 4 to group 1 found food faster, so amount of anxiety in group 2, 3, and 4 to group 1 was fewer. The present research indicated the anxiolytic activities of the medical plant, offering to use as an anxiolytic supplement.
