Adaptogenic Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Tribulus terrestris L.

Objective: To investigate the adaptogenic activity (anti-stress) of the ethanolic extract of Tribulus terrestris at various doses using experimentally induced stress models in Mice and Rats. Methods: Anoxia stress tolerance, Swimming endurance, Immobilization and Cold stress models were used for evaluation of adaptogenic activity. Withania sominifera (100mg/kg, po) was used as reference standard and it showed significant adaptogenic activity in all four models of stress. The parameters like Anoxia stress tolerance time and swimming endurance time were measured for anoxia induced stress tolerance and swimming endurance models respectively. However for other two models organ weight and biochemical marker levels were estimated in negative control, positive control and drug treated groups. Result: Concomitant treatment with ethanolic extract at 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg showed marked increase in anoxia stress tolerance time and swimming endurance time as compared to control group in anoxia stress tolerance and swimming endurance tests. Similarly, concomitant treatment with ethanolic extract at different doses showed marked decrease in blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and BUN level as compared to stress control in both immobilization stress and cold stress models. Weight of the liver and adrenal gland are markedly decreased but no weight changes were observed in spleen and testes in both the stress models. Conclusion: The present study suggests that ethanolic extract of T. terrestris L. possess a significant adaptogenic property and its incorporation in the Siotone an Ayurvedic rasayana is justifiable.