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International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences Research Article
Evaluation of In vivo antidepressant activity and in vitro antioxidant activity of ethanolic leaf extract of Momordica charantia
D. Rajesh Babu, Y. Gowthami, Rama Rao Nadendla
Year : 2026 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 69-77
Received on: 27/12/2025
Revised on: 13/01/2026
Accepted on: 16/02/2026
Published on: 01/03/2026
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D. Rajesh Babu, Y. Gowthami, Rama Rao Nadendla( 2026).
Evaluation of In vivo antidepressant activity and in vitro antioxidant activity of ethanolic leaf extract of Momordica charantia
. International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences, 11( 2), 69-77.
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Abstract
Depression is a prevalent mental disorder often associated with oxidative stress. Traditional medicinal plants, such as Momordica charantia, have been explored for their neuropharmacological effects due to the presence of bioactive phytochemicals. While the fruit of Momordica charantia is well-studied, its leaves remain underexplored for central nervous system effects. This study investigates the antidepressant and antioxidant potential of its leaf extract to validate its ethnomedicinal use. To evaluate the in vivo antidepressant activity and in vitro antioxidant potential of the ethanolic leaf extract of Momordica charantia (ELMC), a plant traditionally used in herbal medicine. Fresh leaves of Momordica charantia were collected, shade-dried, and extracted using ethanol by Soxhlet extraction. The extract was subjected to In vitro antioxidant assays, including DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging and FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) assays. In vivo antidepressant activity evaluation using animal models such as the Forced Swim Test (FST) and Tail Suspension Test (TST) in Swiss albino mice. The extract was administered at doses of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg orally for 14 days. Imipramine (15 mg/kg) was used as the standard antidepressant. The ethanolic leaf extract of Momordica charantia showed significant antioxidant activity with IC?? values of 59.5 µg/mL in the DPPH assay and 73.06 µg/mL in the hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay, along with a dose-dependent increase in FRAP values. In vivo, the extract produced a significant reduction in immobility time in both the Forced Swim Test and Tail Suspension Test (p < 0.05), demonstrating antidepressant-like activity comparable to imipramine. No signs of toxicity or mortality were observed during the acute oral toxicity study up to 2000 mg/kg. The ethanolic leaf extract of Momordica charantia demonstrated potent antioxidant and antidepressant activity, supporting its traditional use in mental health disorders. These effects may be attributed to the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Further studies are warranted to isolate and characterize the active constituents and elucidate their mechanisms of action.
Keywords
Momordica charantia, Antidepressant, Antioxidants, Tail suspension test, Forced swim test, DPPH assay.
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© The Author(s) 2025. This article is published by International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (creativecommons.org), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
