Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Its hallmark symptoms are abnormalities in social interaction and communication. The core manifestations of autism are frequently accompanied by other features, including anxiety. Valproic acid (VPA) is widely used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder; its administration during pregnancy increases the risk of autism in the child. The extracts of sumac fruits have the remarkable antioxidant effect to free radicals. The purpose of this study investigated the anti-anxiety effect of sumac on animal model of autism. We injected pregnant females on embryonic day 12 either with VPA (600 mg/kg, i.p.) or 0.9 % saline solution .the end of lactation, pups were divided into five groups: control, positive control, patient, patient treated with 20 mg/kg body weight of sumac extract. Positive control and treated group’s gavage with sumac (20 mg/kg) for 30days.In the end, anxiety behavior was examined by the open filed test. Time spent in the center significantly (P< 0.001) decreased in the VPA-exposed group compared to those in the control group which indicated anxiety-like behaviors. Treatment of sumac in the following, the increase (20mg/kg P< 0.001) than VPA group. According to the results VPA significantly (P<0.001) increase the animal activity compared to the control group whereas, there is the sharp decrease decreased (20mg/kg P<0.001) with VPA group. Our results showed that sumac may have anti-anxiety properties and a good natural product for the treatment of autism.
