Seven psychic energizers have been quantitatively evaluated for their antidepressant and tranquillizing activity using antagonism of reserpine induced emesis and apomorphine induced pecking in pigeons as test procedures for the two activities respectively. Pheniprazine and deanol possess anti-reserpine activity only whereas imipramine, desmethylimipramine, amitriptyline, opipramol and orphenadrine possess both anti-reserpine as well as anti-apomorphine activity. It is suggested that the two tests form a simple and reliable combination for evaluating potential antidepressants.
Key-Words Psychopharmacology - Antidepressants - Reserpine Emesis - Apomorphine Pecking
This work was presented in part at the XI Annual Conference of the Association of Physiologists and Pharmacologists of India held at Lucknow in 1965.