LAUSR

Introduction: Depression is evidenced by decreased mood and reduced activity that can affect person's thoughts, behavior, feelings, and also sense of well-being in the society. Use of long term antidepressant agent pose a significant adverse effect to vital organs hence safer drugs with antidepressant property is the need of the hour. Objectives: To evaluate antidepressant activity of Ciprofloxacin and Levofloxacin by using Tail suspension test in Swiss albino mice on chronic administration. Materials and Methods: Animals (Swiss albino mice) weighing in between the range of 25 to 30gms were selected for the study and administered the drugs, viz Control-1% Gum acacia, 10ml/kg, StandardImipramine, 10mg/kg, and compared with Ciprofloxacin (25 & 50mg/kg) and Levofloxacin (25 & 50mg/kg). All the drugs orally were administered once a day for 9 days and on 10 day, screened for antidepressant activity by suspending it from a rod 50cm above the ground and its mobility and immobility time was recorded over a six minutes’ observation by discarding initial two minutes’ observation to avoid bias. Statistics: Increases in the mobility time and decrease in immobility was considered as statistically significant result based on ANOVA (post hoc Dunnet’s test) statistical test with a significance probability of p value <0.05. Results: Ciprofloxacin at 25mg/kg & 50 mg/kg has shown significant antidepressant activity with increase in duration of immobility with 64.00 ± 2.83 & 50.50 ± 1.50 sec with a p value of <0.01 respectively. Similarly, Levofloxacin in the dose of 25and 50 mg/kg has shown significant antidepressant activity with increase in duration of immobility with 44.67 ± 2.24 and 64.67 ± 2.97 sec with a p value of <0.01 respectively. Conclusion: In our study, we identified the potent and efficacious antidepressant activity of an antimicrobial drug viz Ciprofloxacin and Levofloxacin as antidepressant drug.