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This study investigated the antidepressant activity of ethanolic extract of U. lanosa Wallich var. appendiculata Ridsd (ULEtOH) for two-weeks administrations by using FST and TST on mice. In order to understand the probable mechanism of antidepressant-like activity of ULEtOH in FST and TST, the researchers measured the levels of monoamines and monoamine oxidase activities in mice brain, and combined the antidepressant drugs (fluoxetine, imipramine, maprotiline, clorgyline, bupropion and ketanserin). Lastly, the researchers analyzed the content of RHY in the ULEtOH. The results showed that ULEtOH exhibited antidepressant-like activity in FST and TST in mice. ULEtOH increased the levels of 5-HT and 5-HIAA in cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and hypothalamus, the levels of NE and MHPG in cortex and hippocampus, the level of NE in striatum, and the level of DOPAC in striatum. Two-week injection of IMI, CLO, FLU and KET enhanced the antidepressant-like activity of ULEtOH. ULEtOH inhibited the activity of MAO-A. The amount of RHY in ULEtOH was 17.12 mg/g extract. Our findings support the view that ULEtOH exerts antidepressant-like activity. The antidepressant-like mechanism of ULEtOH may be related to the increase in monoamines levels in the hippocampus, cortex, striatum, and hypothalamus of mice.

The influence of the aqueous crude extract of Glycine tomentella root (Leguminosae) on lipid metabolism was investigated in hyperlipidemic hamsters. It was found that the administration of the G. tomentella extract (GTE) leads to a decrease of high serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels induced by high-fat diet. The GTE also increased serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and decreased serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The reduction of serum triglyceride levels was accompanied by a significant decrease in the hepatic triglyceride content, while the cholesterol content was not changed. The results indicate that GTE is definitely an anti-hyperlipidemic agent, at least, in animals.

I-Tiao-Gung has long been used in the Kinmen area of Taiwan as an anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of rheumatic illness. The roots of Flemingia lineata (FL), Flemingia macrophylla (FM) and Flemingia prostrata (FP) are also used as I-Tiao-Gung in the Taiwan markets. In the present study, we investigated the analgesic effect of aqueous extracts of Flemingia lineata (FL), Flemingia macrophylla (FM), and Flemingia prostrata (FP) by acetic acid-induced writhing response, formalin test, and the anti-inflammatory effect of FM, FL and FP by lambda-carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice. We also detected the changes in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GRx) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) of liver in the lambda-carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice to investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of FL and FM. The results showed that FL and FM significantly inhibited the acetic acid-induced writhing response and formalin-induced licking time during the late phase (p < 0.001). FL and FM also significantly decreased the lambda-carrageenan-induced paw edema (p < 0.001). FL and FM significantly increased the GRx and GPx activities in the liver and decreased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in the edema paw (p < 0.001). These results indicated that FL and FM possessed analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of FL and FM might be related to the decrease in the level of MDA in the edema paw via increasing the activities of GPx and GRx in the liver and decreasing the NO level in the edema paw.

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