INTRODUCTION:

Depression is an affective disorder that causes lowmood and aversion to activities that could negatively affect a person's mental behaviour, worldview, and behaviour as well as physical health. Depressed mood is a common symptom of psychiatric illnesses, making it an important global psychiatric issue.¹According to the World Health report in 2001 by WHO, Around 450 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have a mental or behavioural condition, however only a small percentage of them receive even the most basic care. This amounts to 12.3% of the global burden of disease by 2020, this will increase to 15%.²Despite the fact that there are numerous efficient antidepressants on the market right now, the existing therapeutic arsenal is frequently insufficient and only works for around one-third of the patients it is intended to treat.

This calls for the creation of novel, more potent antidepressants derived from conventionally used medicinal plants whose psychotherapeutic potential has been evaluated in a range of animal models.³

Herbal medicine has been a common practice since antiquity, especially in most African and Asian nations where the benefits of traditional medicinal plants are widely valued. Despite the dominance of orthodox medicine, plants continue to make significant contributions to human health care. Some of the plants considered medicinal by traditionalists have demonstrated extraordinary therapeutic abilities.⁴Nowadays, a wide range of plant-derived medicines have been developed as new sources of psychiatric therapies, which is reflected in the enormous number of conventional medicines tested and screened for their psychotherapeutic ability in rodent models and have significantly influenced the development of effective therapeutic drugs in modern medical sciences.⁵

The plant Elaeocarpus serratus has been widely planted in subtropical and tropical Asia, tropical Australia, and central and southern Taiwan. Elaeocarpus serratus extracts bioactivities were evaluated in similar studies. A significant amount of polyphenols and flavonoids, including myricitrin, a pharmacologically active substance used to cure rheumatism and as a poison antidote are present in the leaves of Elaeocarpus serratus L. and it contain significant amounts of flavonoids like myricitrin, mearnsitrin, and mearnsetin, with myricitrin playing a crucial role in human health.⁶

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antidepressant activity of Elaeocarpus serratus leaf extracts on mice model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Harvesting and authentication of plant material:

The leaves of Elaeocarpus serratus was collected from the local areas of Thirthahalli taluk, Shivamogga district, Karnataka, India. Identified and authenticated by Mrs. Soukya N., Head of the department of Botany, S.R.N.M National college of Applied Science, Shivamogga, Karnataka.

Chemicals and drugs:

Ethanol used in the study was of analytical grade and Normal saline solution, Imipramine purchased from local pharmacy.

Extraction of plant material:

The leaves of Elaeocarpus serratus were air dried in the shade avoiding exposure to direct sunlight and were then pulverized in a grinder. The leaves powder material was successively extracted using ethanol and aqueous with the Soxhlet apparatus and cold maceration method respectively. After completion of extraction, the solvent was distilled out and the extract was dried through vacuum drying.

Imipramine was suspended in normal saline. All solutions were freshly prepared whenever required.

Animals and treatment:

The animal experiments were performed in accordance with the guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals, of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), India and approved by the Institutional Animal Ethical Committee of National College of Pharmacy, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India (Registration NCP/IAEC/ 02/2021-23) Male albino mice (22-26 g and 3 to 4 months) were used for the study. All animals were maintained under controlled conditions of temperature (22±2°C) and illumination (12 h light-dark cycle), with free access to food and water. Groups of six animals were structured and in order to reduce the influence of day variation all assays were conducted from 11 to 15 h and all assays were performed in a special noisefree room with controlled illumination.

The mice were divided into six groups (n=6) and received the following oral doses

Group I: Control receives vehicle, physiologic saline solution

Group II: Receives reference standard, (Diazepam 2mg/kg b.w.)

Group III: Ethanolic extracts of Elaeocarpus serratus. (200mg/kg)

Group IV: Ethanolic extracts of Elaeocarpus serratus. (400mg/kg)

Group V: Aqueous extracts of Elaeocarpus serratus. (200mg/kg)

Group VI: Aqueous extracts of Elaeocarpus serratus. (400mg/kg)

Preliminary phytochemical investigations⁷:

Preliminary phytochemical investigation of the crude ethanol and aqueous extracts of Elaeocarpus serratus were subjected to standard phytochemical screening procedure.

Assessment of Antidepressant activity:

1. Forced swim test⁸:

The studies were carried out on mice according to the method of Porsolt et al. Briefly, mouse was individually forced to swim individually for 6min, in glass cylinders (20cm in height; 14cm in diameter), containing fresh water up to a height of 10cm at 259/1 8C. After 6min, they were removed and dried with a towel. They were again forced to swim in a similar environment for a period of 6min 24h later. The duration of immobility was measured during the final 4 min interval of the test.

2. Tail suspension test⁹:

The tail suspension test was based on the method of Steru et al. Mouse was individually suspended by the tail with clamp (1cm distant from the end) for 6 min in a box 25×25×30cm) with the head 5cm to the bottom. Testing was carried out in a darkened room with minimal background noise. The duration of immobility was observed during the final 4 min interval of the test.

Statistics:

Values are given as mean±S.E.M and significances calculated using one-way analysis of variance following by Dunnett’s t-test.

RESULT:

Extraction:

Fresh 160g of leaves of Elaeocarpus serratus yielded 55.64g (34.77%) and 23.44g (14.65%) of ethanol extract and aqueous extract respectively.

Phytochemical investigation:

The obtained extracts were subjected to phytochemical investigation for the major active constituents. The phytochemical analysis reveals presence of carbohydrates, protein, tannins, Triterpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides and alkaloids in ethanol extract of E. serratus. In aqueous extract of E. serratus carbohydrates, protein, tannins, Saponins, flavonoids, glycosides and steroids.

Antidepressant activity:

The effects of E. serratus extracts on the immobility time in the force swim test:

The ethanolic and aqueous extract of E. serratus showed an antidepressant effect in the FST because it significantly reduced the immobility time compared with the control group.

Table 1: Table showing the effect of various extracts of leaves of Elaeocarpus serratus on antidepressant activity by forced swim test.

Groups	Treatment	Dose (mg/kg)	Time of immobility in seconds
I	Control	-	102±1.406
II	Imipramine	15	62.83±2.088
III	EEES	200	83.33±1.430**
IV	EEES	400	77.67±1.687***
V	AEES	200	89.01±1.438**
VI	AEES	400	79.67±2.472***

Figure No. 8: Effect of different extracts of Elaeocarpus serratus on antidepressant activity by forced swim test.

The effect of E. serratus extracts on the immobility time in the TST:

In the TST, the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of E. serratus showed a significantly decreased immobility time compared with the control group

Table No. 5.6: Table showing the effect of various extract of leaves of Elaeocarpus serratus on antidepressant activity by tail suspension test.

Groups	Treatment	Dose (mg/kg)	Time of immobility in seconds
I	Control	-	103.7±1.926
II	Imipramine	15	65.50±1.945
III	EEES	200	90.01±2.066**
IV	EEES	400	80.17±1.956***
V	AEES	200	94.17±2.136*
VI	AEES	400	85.17±2.272***

Figure No. 9: Effect of different extracts of Elaeocarpus serratus on antidepressant activity by tail suspension test

DISCUSSION:

Medicinal plants are a great source of economic value all over the world. Plant used for traditional medicine contains wide range of substance that can be used to treat chronic as well as communicable diseases. Elaeocarpus serratus is one of such medicinal plant being used in folk medicine for treating for various diseases.

Report suggests that the plant contain flavonoids, Saponins, tannin, alkaloids, Triterpenoids, cardiac glycosides, steroids, reducing sugar. The previous study of the plant suggest that that it have potential antidiabetic activity, Antimicrobial activity, Anti -arthritic activity, Analgesic activity, Antidiarrheal activity, Antioxidant activity.

Depression is characterized by emotional symptoms such as hopelessness, loss of self-confidence, sense of guilt and motivation as well as biological symptoms like psychomotor retardation, loss of libido, sleep disturbances and loss of appetite. When the symptoms are very severe, major depression is considered.

The present study is done by using forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) in mice. Both the paradigms are widely accepted behavioral models for assessing pharmacological antidepressants activity. The result indicate that’s the both the extracts significantly decrease the immobility time in mice with mild sedative effect which indicates antidepressant activity. The decrease immobility time is accompanied with increase in swimming time of animal.

CONCLUSION:

Antidepressant activity was performed by Forced swim test and tail suspension test. Imipramine was taken as standard reference drug. In both the models, the ethanol and aqueous extracts of E. serratus at doses of 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg has the antidepressant activity as it significantly reduces the immobility time and movement of animals. It can be concluded that active constituents may responsible for antidepressant activity might be present in the aerial parts of the plant extracts.

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Received on 14.12.2023 Modified on 28.02.2024

Res. J. Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics. 2024;16(2):95-98.

DOI: 10.52711/2321-5836.2024.00017