Article Sidebar
Published:
Aug 29, 2023Keywords:
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Submission of a paper for publication implies the transfer of the copyright from the author(s) to the publisher upon acceptance. Investigational Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology is therefore the copyright holder after publication of an article, and published articles should not be used for commercial purpose without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief.
Main Article Content
Antidepressant-like effects of the aqueous lyophilizate of the roots bark of Capparis sepiaria (Capparaceae) on an animal’s model of depression
Abstract
Background: Major Depressive Disorder is a common mental illness characterized by persistent low mood, cognitive impairment, anhedonia, weight gain, or loss and several other symptoms, ranging from psychomotor to cognitive impairments. Commonly available antidepressants show side effects and limited efficacy; therefore, an alternative is to be considered. Capparis sepiaria (Capparaceae) is a plant used in traditional medicine to treat mental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate possible antidepressant-like effects of the aqueous lyophilizate of Capparis sepiaria in Wistar rats.
Methods: Depressive-like behavior was induced using restraint stress for 14 days. The forced swimming test, the open field test, the sucrose preference test, body weight, and the food consumption were done to assess depressive-like behavior. On day 15 animals were sacrificed and the adrenal glands mass and the hippocampi were collected for Hypothalamo-pituitary-axis activity and oxidative stress markers assessment.
Results: The aqueous lyophilizate of the root bark of Capparis sepiaria increased swimming time and decreased immobility time (p<0.001) in the forced swimming test and, increased sucrose consumption in the sucrose preference test (p<0.001). In the open field test, there was no difference in the number of lines crossed between groups. Chronic stress significantly increased adrenal weight (p<0.05) which was prevented by the aqueous lyophilizate of Capparis sepiaria at the dose 10 mg/kg. Chronic stress decreased food consumption and weight which was prevented by the aqueous lyophilizate of Capparis sepiaria. The lyophilizate increased the reduced glutathione (GSH) level (p<0.001), and Catalase activity (p<0.001), and decreased the malondialdehyde level (p<0.001) in the determination of some oxidative stress markers.
Conclusion: These results suggest that the aqueous lyophilizate of the roots bark of C. sepiaria possesses antidepressant-like effects.
