Antidepressant effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Alpinia officinarum rhizome on chronic unpredictable stress induced depression in BALB/c mice

Abstract

Background: Alpinia officinarum is an aromatic plant that show some neuroprotective functions in animal models. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant effects of hydroalcoholic extract of A. officinarum rhizome using two behavioral models. Methods: Forty male BALB/c mice were randomized to four groups. All studygroups underwent three weeks of daily chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) sessions. Control group received daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of normal saline 30 min before daily CUS; groups 2, 3 and 4 received i.p. injection of 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg/day of A. officinarum extract, respectively. Behavior tests were performed after 21 days of treatment. Serum and brain malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TCA) were also measured. Results: Immobility duration in both forced swim test and tail suspension test decreased significantly in the groups treated with A. officinarum extract at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg compared to control group (P < 0.05). Extract treatment reduced MDA and increased TCA in both brain and serum (P < 0.05). Results demonstrate that the hydroalcoholic extract of A. officinarum possesses antidepressant activity in the animal model.

Effects of a Lacticaseibacillus Mix on Behavioural, Biochemical, and Gut Microbial Outcomes of Male Mice following Chronic Restraint Stress

“…Other experiments conducted on male BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice under similar CRS conditions also reported no difference in time spent in the central area of the OF and/or the open arms of the EPM [39,40]. In contrast, several other studies showed a reduction in time spent in the OF central area and/or time spent in the EPM open arms in BALB/c mice [41][42][43]. These discrepancies could be partly explained by the use of different mouse strains, different durations of daily stress, and different experimental behavioural conditions.…”

“…These discrepancies could be partly explained by the use of different mouse strains, different durations of daily stress, and different experimental behavioural conditions. For instance, in [43], mice were subjected to additional stress as they received a daily i.p injection of normal saline during the CRS. Interestingly, although CRS was not associated with differences in performance in the OF and EPM tests between NS-PBS and S-PBS mice, S-Probio mice spent more time in the OF central area and made more visits in the EPM open arms than their NS counterparts.…”

Therapeutic potential of berries in age-related neurological disorders

“…This suggests that GA’s therapeutic benefits may be limited to individuals already experiencing oxidative stress. Further research is necessary to determine safe and effective dosages for potential clinical applications ( Salehi et al, 2018 ).…”

Influence of Thermal Treatment on the Composition of Alpinia officinarum Rhizome

“…Aqueous extracts have also been studied in skin problems [34], showing antiphotoaging effects [35] and in studies on the pharmacological activity and therapeutic potential of galangin in age-related diseases [36]. Moreover, Alpinia has also been shown to have beneficial effects on the digestive [37][38][39][40][41]), respiratory [42,43], nervous [44][45][46][47][48] and circulatory systems [49] and also on bone structure [50,51]. The biological activities of Alpinia rhizome also include antidiabetic effect (especially type 2 diabetes) [52][53][54][55], inhibition of pancreatic lipase and antihyperlipidemic effect, lowering blood cholesterol [56], as well as helping to regulate body weight, which is important in the treatment of obesity [57,58].…”