Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by three main behavioral abnormalities: social, motor and speech interactions. These abnormalities typically manifest before the age of 3. Autistic people are at higher risk of anxiety. Antioxidant therapy is an important area of pharmaceutical research that holds promise for improving behavioral disorders. The aim of this research is to study the effect of clove extract, which is rich in eugenol as its main compound, on anxiety indices in a rat model of Valproic acid-induced anxiety. (VPA). Methods and Materials: In this experimental study, pregnant rats were divided into a control and two experimental groups. In two experimental groups, VPA was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 500 mg/kg on day 12/5 of pregnancy. 21 days after birth, 7 male pups were placed in each group. The control and clove + VPA group received saline and clove at a dose of 15 mg/kg for 3 weeks by gavage respectively to evaluate anxiety, and open-field test was performed 42 days after birth. Results: In the open field test, VPA injection significantly reduced the number of center entries (p < 0.05) and the duration of time spent in the center circle (p < 0.001) in VPA group compared to the control. The VPA group treated with clove extract was significantly (p < 0.05) longer in the center. Conclusion: "Eugenol, an activator of antioxidant enzymes and a gene regulator involved in anxiety behaviors, has been found to exhibit anti-anxiety and anti-depressive effects. Based on these findings, it appears that oral administration of clove extract, which is high in antioxidants, may be capable of reducing anxiety behaviors.
