Antidepressant-like effect of Valeriana glechomifolia Meyer (Valerianaceae) in mice

Abstract

The antidepressant-like effect of a supercritical CO2 (SCCO2) Valeriana glechomifolia extract enriched in valepotriates was investigated in a mice tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST). The SCCO2 extract decreased mice immobility in the FST (0.5-20 mg/kg p.o.) and elicited a biphasic dose-response relationship in the TST (1-20 mg/kg p.o.) with no alterations in locomotor activity and motor coordination (assessed in the open-field and rota-rod tests, respectively). The anti-immobility effect of the SCCO2 extract (5 mg/kg, p.o.) was prevented by mice pre-treatment with yohimbine (1 mg/kg, i.p., an α2 adrenoceptor antagonist), SCH 23390 (15 μg/kg, s.c., D1 dopamine receptor antagonist) and sulpiride (50 mg/kg, i.p., D2 dopamine receptor antagonist). However, mice pre-treatments with prazosin (1 mg/kg, i.p., α1 adrenoceptor antagonist) and p-chlorophenilalanine methyl ester (4×100 mg/kg/day, i.p., a serotonin synthesis inhibitor) were not able to block the anti-immobility effect of the SCCO2 extract. Administration (p.o.) of the SCCO2 extract (0.25 mg/kg) and imipramine (10 mg/kg), desipramine (5 mg/kg) and bupropion (3 mg/kg) at sub-effective doses significantly reduced mice immobility time in the FST. These data provide the first evidence of the antidepressant-like activity of V. glechomifolia valepotriates, which is due to an interaction with dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission.

<b><i>Valeriana officinalis</i></b> Root Extract Modulates Cortical Excitatory Circuits in Humans

“…Other studies indicate that VE has antioxidant and neuroprotective effects [6,7,8,9]. Furthermore, VE modulates brain neurotransmitters [10,11,12,13,14], and shows antianxiety, antidepressant, and antiepileptic activity in animal models [15,16]. …”

Chronic imipramine treatment differentially alters the brain and plasma amino acid metabolism in Wistar and Wistar Kyoto rats

“…The forced swimming test can detect the antidepressant-like effect of commercial antidepressant drugs (Müller et al, 2012;Owolabi et al, 2014). As mentioned above, only chronic administration, and not short-term administration, of antidepressant drugs has antidepressant effects in humans.…”

“…As mentioned above, only chronic administration, and not short-term administration, of antidepressant drugs has antidepressant effects in humans. On the other hand, single administration of common antidepressant drugs has an antidepressantlike effect in most strains of rodents (Müller et al, 2012;Owolabi et al 2014). This discrepancy raises a question about the validity of these rodent models.…”

Study of antidepressant-like activity of an enriched phloroglucinol fraction obtained fromHypericum caprifoliatum

“…The measurement of spontaneous locomotor activity was performed in the open-field and was carried out according to Müller et al (2012). After the drug administration (pre-treatment/or treatment), mice were replaced in their holding cages for the required administration-test interval and then individually transferred to a transparent acrylic box measuring 45 Â 30 Â 30 cm with a dark bottom divided into 24 equal quadrants.…”