Journal
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Volume 12, Issue 1, Pages -Publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04840-9
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Israel Ministry of Science, Technology Space [3-12726]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The root extract of Dittrichia viscosa has been found to have antidepressant and antioxidant properties, making it a potential alternative to standard therapies for depression.
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.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available