A large number of the world’s population suffer from depression and anxieties at some points in their life time, the sufferers are however sceptical about the available orthodox drugs largely because of side effects, cost and availability. This present study was aimed at evaluating the antidepressant potentials of Voacanga africana to query its ethno medicinal claim. The extract of the stem-bark of the plant was screened for its phytochemical composition, and antidepressant potentials assessed using forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). The results revealed presence of abundant alkaloids, but traces of saponin, terpenoid, cardiac glycosides with a meaningful antidepressant potentials at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg by reducing the immobility duration in FST (46.19±1.212and 23.96±1.14 compared to the negative control 79.06± 0.16 and positive control~imipramine 24.13±0.405), also increasing the swimming duration from 159±0.416 of the negative control to 187.91±0.516 and 217.24±1.132 seconds respectively. Similar trend was observed in the TST, where the immobility duration was reduced from 183.207± 5.157 (negative control) to 98.62± 0.347 and 75.51± 1.366for 100 and 200 mg/kg test drug compared to 62.77± 0.426 secs (positive control). The ethno-medicinal claim of this plant is hereby justified.

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