UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Background: Alcohol dependence remains a major public health problem worldwide, and effective therapeutic strategies to reduce alcohol craving are limited. Medicinal plants are increasingly explored as safer alternatives or adjuncts to existing pharmacotherapies. The present study evaluated the anti-alcoholic potential of the ethanolic leaf extract of Spinacia oleracea using a runway self-administration model in mice.

Objective: To assess the effect of ethanolic leaf extract of Spinacia oleracea on ethanol-seeking behavior in mice.

Methods: Alcohol dependence was induced in mice by oral administration of ethanol. Behavioral assessment was performed using the runway apparatus, and ethanol-seeking behavior was quantified by measuring run time to reach the goal box. Animals were divided into control (saline), negative control (ethanol), standard (acamprosate 300 mg/kg, p.o.), and test groups receiving ethanolic extract of Spinacia oleracea at doses of 1 g/kg and 5 g/kg (p.o.). Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post-hoc test.

Results: The ethanolic extract of Spinacia oleracea significantly reduced ethanol-seeking behavior in a dose-dependent manner. The higher dose (5 g/kg) produced effects comparable to acamprosate, as evidenced by increased run time during post-conditioning, extinction, and reinstatement phases.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that the ethanolic leaf extract of Spinacia oleracea possesses significant anti-alcoholic activity, supporting its potential role as a natural therapeutic candidate for alcohol dependence. The observed anti-craving effect may be attributed to the presence of bioactive phytochemicals such as flavonoids, saponins, and thylakoids in Spinacia oleracea, which are known to exert antioxidant and neuromodulatory effects and to influence reward-related neurotransmitter pathways involved in alcohol dependence.