Antidepressant-like effects of a chlorogenic acid- and cynarine-enriched fraction from Dittrichia viscosa root extract

Abstract

Dittrichia viscosa is a perennial Mediterranean plant used in traditional medicine for “calming purposes”, pointing at a possible antidepressant activity of the plant. We conducted chromatographic and bioassay-guided fractionation of D. viscosa root extract to isolate a specific fraction (fraction “K”) with antidepressant-like characteristics in vivo and strong antioxidant properties in vitro. A single dose of “K” reduced immobility time in the forced swim test with a mouse model possessing a depressive-like phenotype. Neurochemical profiling for 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and its primary metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of “K”-treated mice showed reduction in 5-HIAA, indicative of either serotonin uptake transporter or monoamine oxidase-A inhibition, as well as slight increases in 5-HT content. These neurochemical alterations, as well as the behavioral changes observed, were comparable to the effects of paroxetine. “K” also protected PC12 cells in a H2O2 cytotoxicity assay, thus demonstrating antioxidant properties, yet paroxetine augmented oxidative damage and cell death. Identification of the main compounds in “K” by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) indicated that chlorogenic acid and cynarine comprised 87% of the total components. D. viscosa root extract appears to produce antidepressant and cytoprotective effects and may serve as an attractive alternative to standard therapies for depression.

Chlorogenic Acids, Acting via Calcineurin, Are the Main Compounds in Centella asiatica Extracts That Mediate Resilience to Chronic Stress in Drosophila melanogaster

“…In fact, coffee has been shown to have antidepressant effects and though this has been attributed to caffeine, decaffeinated coffee rich in chlorogenic acid can also improve mood [56][57][58]. The antidepressant potential of chlorogenic acid is also supported by experiments in rats and mice, showing that chlorogenic acid or chlorogenic acid-rich plant extracts had anxiolytic and antidepressant effects [59][60][61][62][63]. Due to these findings and our results, we initiated studies to identify a mechanism of how chlorogenic acid may lead to resilience against stress.…”

The promising guide to LC–MS analysis and cholinesterase activity of Luffa cylindrica (L.) fruit using in vitro and in-silico analyses

“…An ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupoletime-of-flight-mass spectrometry has been employed in several studies to characterize the potential components [66]. Additionally, LC-MS analysis revealed the presence of compounds like Mahaleboside (Coumarin glycosides), Chlorogenic acid (Polyphenols), Crotanecine (Pyrrolizidine alkaloids), Perlolyrine (Harmala alkaloids), Phrymarolin I (Benzodioxoles), Diplodiatoxin (Gamma keto acids), Dihydrocapsaicin (Capsaicinoid), Morindone (Anthraquinone), Corchorifatty acid (Linoleic acid), and Polyporusterone B (triterpene carboxylic acid) were known to possess anticancer, depression, hypertension, anti-inflammatory activities [67][68][69][70].…”

Polyphenols of the Inuleae-Inulinae and Their Biological Activities: A Review

“…Murlanova and coworkers studied antidepressant-like activity of the root extract from D. viscosa [27]. A fractionation of the crude extract led to the identification of fractions active against H2O2induced damage in the rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells.…”

“…Except for the cytotoxic or antiproliferative action, the preparations from the plants of the subtribe are often investigated for their anti-inflammatory [10][11][12], antidiabetic [13][14][15], antilipidemic [16][17][18], vasorelaxant/antihypertensive [19,20], anti-oxidative stress [21][22][23] and hepatoprotective [24][25][26] activities in vivo. Recently, their efficacy in the prevention of depression-like behavior in rodents has been also explored [27,28]. The results of the studies have suggested that the polyphenolic metabolites are, at least in part, responsible for the observed pharmacological effects.…”