Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Gastrodia elata and Its Phenolic Constituents in Mice

The purpose of this study was to characterize the putative anxiolytic-like effects of the aqueous extract of the rhizome of Gastrodia elata along with its phenolic constituents, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HA) and 4-hyroxybenzaldehyde (HD), using an elevated plus maze (EPM) in mice. The mice were administered either the aqueous G. elata extract orally or received an intraperitoneal injection of the phenolic constituents, 1 h before the behavioral evaluation in the EPM. A single treatment of the aqueous G. elata extract significantly increased the percentage of time spent and arm entries into the open arms of the EPM versus the saline controls. Among the phenolic constituents of G. elata, HA and HD significantly increased the percentage of time spent and arm entries into the open arms of the EPM versus saline controls (p