A review on antidepressant effect of medicinal plants

Depression is a life-threatening, debilitating, and common disease affecting different segments of community. Chemical and synthetic drugs available to treat this disease cause many adverse effects and may lead to complete recovery in only 50% of patients. At the same time, medicinal plants have been reported to exert optimal pharmacological effects in treating depression in different models. In this review, the relevant articles indexed in the reliable databases PubMed, PubMed central, Scopus and Web of Science were review-ed. The review indicated that most medicinal plants exerted antidepressant effects through synaptic regulation of serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine, regulating activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, reinfor-cing anti-oxidant defense system, and decreasing inflammatory mediators. The medicinal plants and their active compounds can relieve depression through different pathways and hence are considered a new source to produce antidepressants

A review of medicinal herbs with antioxidant properties in the treatment of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Stroke is the second most common cause of death and a major cause of disability in individuals aged over 65 years, worldwide. Considering the complex pathological process of ischemia, use of one single agent does not seem ideal for treatment. Therefore, studies in search of effective compounds and methods are under way. In recent years, increased attention has been paid to medicinal plants as potential sources for the treatment of ischemia and reperfusion. This study aimed to introduce the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia and review the effects of medicinal plants and their mechanisms of action in cerebral ischemia. METHODS: In this study, articles indexed in scientific databases including ISI, SID, PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, and Web of Science were evaluated, using the following keywords in Farsi and English: "Ischemia and reperfusion", "medicinal herbs", and "antioxidant properties". FINDINGS: The review of conducted studies showed that medicinal plants and their compounds are capable of reducing infarct volume, cerebral edema, neuronal damages, sensory problems, and motor disorders through reducing oxidative and nitrative stress. Moreover, these plants are able to decrease the expression of inflammatory mediators, inhibit DNA fragmentation and oxidative DNA damage, reduce microglial and astrocyte activities, increase the expression of mitochondrial genes, inhibit apoptotic protein expression, reduce eicosanoids, and boost anti-apoptotic protein expression. CONCLUSION: Medicinal herbs and their compounds are able to diminish the damages caused by cerebral ischemia through several pathways; therefore, they can be used as new sources against cerebral ischemia

Effects of matricaria chamomilla extract on motor coordination impairment induced in rat and determination antioxidant properties of chamomile

Objective To evaluate the effect of ethanolic extract of chamomile on balance and motor learning in rats receiving scopolamine and intact rats. Methods Fourty-two rats were divided into 6 groups (n = 7). Control group received distilled water. Rats in Group 2 were given 1 mg/kg scopolamine. Groups 3 and 4 received chamomile extract 200 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg, respectively, and scopolamine simultaneously for 20 days. Intact groups (Groups 5 and 6) only received chamomile extract 200 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg, respectively. Motor coordination of rats was assessed with rotarod apparatus. Results According to the obtained results, compared with the control group, scopolamine significantly decreased time spent on rotarod performance (P < 0.001). Compared with scopolamine group, the strength and staying on rotarod apparatus in Group 3 significantly increased (P < 0.05). The results of this research showed that intact groups that received only chamomile extract at doses of 200 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg significantly increased time spent on rotarod, compared with scopolamine group (P < 0.001). Conclusions The results of this study indicated the high antioxidant property and protective effect of chamomile extract on motor coordination in the groups that received scopolamine

Effect of lavender on blood brain barrier permeability in rats subjected to ischemia

Background and purpose: Lavender is a medicinal plant with antioxidant activity. Stroke causes long term disability and is associated with oxidative stress. The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of lavender extract against blood brain barrier permeability and its possible mechanisms in an experimental model of stroke. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 42 male Wistar rats weighing 250 to 300 g were used. The rats were divided into 6 groups (n= 7 per group). Group 1 was ischemic, groups 2 and 3 were ischemic that were given 100 and 200 mg/kg lavender extract, respectively. Group 4 were intact and groups 5 and 6 were intact groups which received lavender extract with dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg. Group 7 was also considered as the sham. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in rats by the transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for 1 hr. Data were analysed with SPSS and comparison of means were compared using One Way Anova. Results: The ethanolic extract of lavender at 200 mg/kg significantly reduced the blood brain barrier permeability in rat stroke model compared with ischemic group. Conclusion: The results indicate that lavender extract has neuroprotective activity against cerebral ischemia and alleviated neurological function in rats

Effect of dietary virgin olive oil on infarct volume and brain ceramide, cerebroside and phosphatidylcholine levels in rat stroke model

زمینه و هدف: سکته مغزی سومین عامل مرگ و میر در کشورهای صنعتی بعد از بیماری های قلبی- عروقی و سرطان است. این مطالعه با هدف بررسی ارتباط بین اثر روغن زیتون بکر بر سطح لیپیدهای مغزی و کاهش حجم سکته مغزی در مدل سکته مغزی موش صحرایی انجام گرفت. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی از 5 گروه 12 تایی موش صحرایی نر استفاده شد. این گروه ها شامل کنترل، شم و سه گروه آزمایشی بودند که دوزهای 25/0، 5/0 و 75/0 میلی لیتر بر کیلوگرم وزن بدن روغن زیتون بکر را به صورت خوراکی از طریق گاواژ به مدت 30 روز دریافت نمودند. دو گروه کنترل و شم آب مقطر دریافت کردند. دو ساعت بعد از آخرین دوز گاواژ شده هر گروه 12 تایی به دو زیر گروه تقسیم شدند. زیر گروه (middle cerebral artery occlusion)MCAO، به منظور اندازه گیری حجم سکته مغزی و زیر گروه دیگر برای آنالیز لیپیدهای مغزی استفاده شد. داده ها با استفاده از آزمون های ANOVA و تست تعقیبی LSDو آزمون ضریب همبستگی پیرسون تجزیه و تحلیل شدند. یافته ها: پیش تیمار با روغن زیتون بکر خوراکی با دوز 5/0 و 75/0 میلی لیتر بر کیلوگرم در روز باعث افزایش سطح فسفاتیدیل کولین بافت مغز گردید (05/0

The Effect Of Cyperus Rotundus Ethanolic Extract On Motor Coordination In A Rat Model Of Alzheimer

Background and Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder that leads to progressive cognitive decline. The memory dysfunction of AD has been associated with a cortical cholinergic deficiency and loss of cholinergic neurons of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM). This study investigated the effect of ethanolic extract of Cyperus rotundu tubers (CRT) on motor activity in NBM-lesioned rat model of AD and intact rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study 49 Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups. For this purpose, Wistar rats received bilateral electric lesions of the NBM. The control and sham groups received distilled water while NBM-lesioned group received CRT extract for 20 days with doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg. Intact rats received CRT extract for 20 days without any surgery. The motor activity was assessed with Rotarod apparatus. Data were analyzed using one- way Anova and LSD test. Results: Use of ethanolic extract of CRT for 20 days improved motor activity in NBM-lesioned rats that received extract with a dose of 100 mg/kg. Ethanolic extract of CRT in the intact rats for 20 days significantly reduced motor activity when compared with the control group. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that ethanolic extract of CRT is useful in NBM-induced lesion rats via inducing some changes in acetylcholine levels in the brain

The neuroprotective effect of pretreatment with Lavandula officinalis ethanolic extract on brain edema in rat stroke model

To evaluate the protective effect of Lavandula officinalis (L. officinalis) extract against blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and its possible mechanisms in an experimental model of stroke. METHODS: Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by the transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for 1 h in rats. Lavender extract (100, 200 mg/kg i.p.) was injected for 20 consecutive days. BBB permeability and oxidative stress biomarkers were evaluated using standard methods. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that L. officinalis ethanolic extract significantly reduced the BBB permeability in experimental groups when compared with ischemia group. The lavender extract significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels of plasma and brain tissue in intact group when compared with control group. CONCLUSIONS: L. officinalis extract reduced blood brain barrier permeability and alleviated neurological function in rats, and the mechanism may be related to augmentation in endogenous antioxidant defense and inhibition of oxidative stress in the rat brain

Antidepressant effects of mentha pulegium in mice

The aim of this study is to investigate the antidepressant effects of Mentha pulegium essential oil in BALB/ c mice. Six experimental groups (7 mice each) were used. Forced swim test was performed 30 min after essential oil injection. In the groups receiving M. pulegium essential oil (50, 75 and 100 mg/ kg), immobility duration significantly decreased compared to the control group. M. pulegium (50 and 75 mg/kg) resulted in significant decrease in nitrate/nitrite content in serum compared to the control group. M. pulegium essential oil antidepressant effect that may be due to the inhibition of oxidative stress. The results showed that decrease in nitrate/nitrite content in serum and high anti-oxidant effects of M. pulegium essential oil. © 2016, Bangladesh Pharmacological Society. All rights reserved

Relationship between dietary virgin olive oil on brain cholesterol, cholesteryl ester and triglyceride levels and blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability in a rat stroke model

Introduction: Recent studies suggest that dietary virgin olive oil (VOO) reduces hypoxia-re oxygenation injury in rat brain. We have attempted to determine the effect of dietary virgin olive oil on brain lipidomics and its relationship with brain edema in a rat stroke model. Methods: Five groups, each consisting of 6 male Wistar rats, were studied. The first and second groups (control and sham) received distilled water, while three treatment groups received oral VOO for 30 days (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 ml/kg/day, respectively). Two hours after the last dose, each main group was subdivided into middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-operated and intact subgroups for assessment of neuropathology (blood brain barrier permeability) and brain lipid analysis. Results: VOO increased the brain cholesteryl ester and cholesterol levels in doses of 0.5 and 0.75 ml/kg/day. VOO in all three doses increased the brain triglyceride levels (p<0.05). Oral administration of VOO reduces infarct volume, brain edema, blood brain barrier permeability, after transient MCAO in rats. Conclusion: Although further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms of ischemic tolerance, VOO is partly associated with increased levels of brain cholesteryl ester, cholesterol and triglyceride in rats

Effect of Dietary Ethanolic Extract of Lavandula officinalis on Serum Lipids Profile in Rats

Antioxidants are effective in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Lavandula officinalis possesses antioxidant activity, therefore, in this study; the effects of Lavandula officinalis extract were investigated on serum lipids levels of rats. Experimental mature male Wistar rats were treated with 100, 200 or 400 mg/Kg/day of lavender ethanolic extract or distilled water for 25 days via gastric gavage (n=8 each group). At the end of 25(th) day, the serum cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL and VLDL levels, as well as atherogenic indices were determined in rats' serum. The ethanolic extract of lavender decreased serum cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and VLDL levels in 100 mg/Kg group (p=0.03, p=0.001, p=0.001, p=0.001, respectively). Serum HDL level increased in 100 mg/Kg/day group (p=0.01). Lavender extract decreased LDL/HDL level at doses of 100 and 200 mg/Kg/day (p=0.001, p=0.001, respectively). The TG/HDL levels decreased in experimental groups with doses of 100 and 200 mg/Kg/day (p=0.001, p=0.001, respectively). Lavandula officinalis extract exerts hypolipidemic effect in rats and might be beneficial in hyperlipidemic patients