**2. Plant profile**

*Achyranthes aspera* (family-Amarantheceae) is commonly known as Latjira in Hindi. The plant is used for the treatment of dysentery, fever and diabetes [2]. *A. aspera* is available as weed in whole India, Asia and many other parts of the world such as Mexico, Central America and Africa [3]. It is described as bitter, pungent, purgative, heating, laxative, stomachic, carminative and digestive and is also used for the treatment of bronchitis, heart disease, piles, itching abdominal problems, ascites, rheumatism, abdominal enlargement, rabies and also for enlarged cervical gland. It is use as folk medicine. It is also known as medicinal herb in different types of system of medicine in India. It is known by different names such as *Chirchita* (Hindi), *Apamarg* (Sanskirt), *Aghedi* (Gujrati), *Apang* (Bengali), *Nayurivi* (Tamil), *Kalalat* (Malayalam) [4]. This plant grows on road sides. It is also found as field boundaries and waste places as a weed throughout India up to an altitude of 2100 m and in South Andaman Islands [5]. The leaves extract of *A. aspera* having antifertility effect [6]. Methanolic extract of *A. aspera* shows wide varieties of pharmacological activities however, little is known about its anti-depressant activity. Most of the researches are not found its antidepressant activity by using open field test and forced swimming test, so the aim of present study to assess the anti-depressant activity of *A. aspera* extract against physically induced depression in rats, using open field test and forced swimming test apparatus [5]. *A. aspera* (Chirchita) belong to the family Amaranthaceae. Two different varieties of *A. aspera* are mentioned in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicines, 1st is red and 2nd is white [2].

**Common name of** *A. aspera:* [7]. **Arabian**: Atkumah, Na'eem, No'eem, Mahout, Wazer (Yemen). **Ayurvedic**: Apamarg, Chirchita, Shikhari, Shaihkharika. **Bengali**: Apang. **English:** Prickly chaff flower, Hawai chaff flower, Devil's horse whip. **French:** Achyranth a feuillers rudes, collant, Gendarme. **Gujrati:** Safad Aghedo, Anghadi, Andhedi, Agado. **Hindi:** Latjira, Chirchita, Lamchichra, Sonpur, Onga. **Indonesia:** Jarong.

#### *Comparative Study between Herbal and Synthetic Antidepressant Drugs DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103977*

The methanolic extract of *A. aspera* showed the anxiolytic activity due the presence of its phytoconstitents viz. alkaloid, steroid and triterpenes. It could be used for the management of anxiety disorders because it is economically therapeutic agent [8]. Seed extract of *A. aspera* give the hypolipidemic activity which might be attributed to its phyto-constituents like saponin and flavonoids. Thus it showed the protective effect against HFF [9]. Leaves and stem parts of the *A. aspera* were converted into powder form and extracted with distilled water, which extract exhibited antimicrobial activities because of its many photochemical constituents including flavonoids and alkaloids [10]. The root extract of *A. aspera* has anticancer activity against different human cancer cell lines due the presence of its chemical constituents like alkaloid, flavonoids, phenolics and terpenoids [11]. The methanolic extract of it possess antiviral (antiherpes) activity because of its pure compound oleanolic acid. The OA of *A. aspera* showed the protective effect against both HSV-1 and HSV-2. Result showed that OA or methanolic extract of *Acyrantes aspera* act on the early stage of HSV replication [12]. It was also reported that its phytoconstituent (non- alkaloid fraction) significantly inhibits Epstein–Barr-virus which is a member of Herpesviride family [13]. The ethanolic extract of *A. aspera* seeds showed significant anti arthritic activity at various concentrations ranging from 10 to 1000 μg/ml [14]. The brewer's yeast induced pyrexia in rats used for the investigation of antipyretic activity of *A. aspera* extract. Regulation of body temperature requires a balance between production and loss of heat. The hypothalamus acts as a regulator for the set point at which body temperature is maintained [15]. The antiulcer activity of *A. aspera* demonstrated that the methanolic extract of *A. aspera* protects rats against ulcer by using pyloric ligation method. From the result it has been clear that the methanolic extract of *A. aspera* at a dose of 300 mg/kg shows maximum ulcer protection as compared to control group [16]. *A. aspera* contain different chemical constituents such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids and terpenoids. Its water soluble alkaloid achyranthine isolated via extraction possess anti-inflammatory activity [17]. The result showed that the ethanolic extract of *A. aspera* having antifertility activity. It also possesses the antizygotic, blastocytotoxic and antiovulatory activities [18]. Antiarthritic activity of *A. aspera* has been carried out by using most popular method, known as inhibition of protein denaturation. The ethanolic extract of *A. aspera* seeds showed significant anti-arthritic activity of various concentrations ranging from 10 to 1000 μg/ml [14]. Alkaloids of leaves of *A. aspera* plant determined with the help of thin layer chromatography. In this method silica gel aluminum used as stationary phase while chloroform used as mobile phase for the determination of alkaloids in the leaves of *A. aspera*. Measurement of alkaloid in the alkaloid fraction extract of leaves of *A. aspera* carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography. Alkaloids of *A. aspera* extract used for the treatment of different disorders such as in-vivo study of it demonstrated that the alkaloid of *A. aspera* cause apoptosis and healing in breast cancer cells in mice induced by benzopyrene. *A. aspera* consist of 13 different types of chemical constituents while alkaloids are major constituents of it. 53.36% alkaloids are present in the *A. aspera* [19].
