Effect of rhizome extract of Acorus calamus on depressive condition induced by forced swimming in mice
Keywords:
Forced swimming test, Cortisol, Neurotransmitters, Monoamine oxidaseAbstract
The present study evaluated the anti-depressant properties of A. calamus rhizome in a forced swimming test (FST) of mice model. Three doses of methanol extract of rhizome (200,400 and 600 mg extract/kg b.wt) and imipramine (15 mg/kg b.wt), a positive control, were orally administered once a day for the consecutive period of 14 days in Balb/c mice. The effect of extract on immobility period was measured using forced swimming test. The levels of cortisol monoamine oxidase and neurotransmitters were analyzed using standard methods. The anti-depressant effect was observed maximum at the dose of 200 mg/kg. b.wt that caused 23.82% reduction in immobility period. The extract also significantly attenuated the FST-induced elevation of plasma cortisol, monoamine oxidase activity and returned the altered levels of neurotransmitters near to the normal levels in brain. These results of the present study suggest that the extract of A. calamus rhizome has antidepressant-like activity which is mediated by modulating the central neurochemical as well as HPA (hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal) axis in response to stress induced by FST. Therefore, A.calamus rhizome may be used as a valuable herbal supplement for the treatment of depression related conditions.
References
. Anisman, H, Zacharko RM.
Depression. The predisposing
influence of stress. Behav Brain Sci
; 5: 89-137.
. Chuang C, Shi Y, You H, Lo Y, Pa T.
Antidepressant effect of GABA-rich
monascus-fermented product on
forced swimming rat model. J Agric
Food Chem 2011; 59: 3027-3034.
. Xu Q, Pan Y, Li Y, Mo S, Jiang F,
Qiao C, Xu H, Lu X, Kong L, Kung
H. Anti-depressant-like effects of
psoralen isolated from the seeds of
Psoralea corylifolia in the mouse
forced swimming test. Biol Pharm
Bull 2008; 31: 1109-1114.
. Sánchez-Mateo CC, Prado CXB,
Rabanal RM. Antidepressant activity
of some Hypericum reflexum L. fil
extracts in the forced swimming test
in mice.J Ethnopharmacol 2007;
: 115-121.
. Rojas P, Serrano-García N, MedinaCampos ON, Pedraza-Chaverri J,
Ögren SO, Rojas C. Antidepressantlike effect of a Ginkgo biloba extract
(EGb761) in the mouse forced
swimming test: Role of oxidative
stress. Neurochem (International)
; 59: 628-636.
. Xia X, Cheng G, Pan Y, Xia ZH, Kong
LD. Behavior, neurochemical and
neuroendocrine effects of the
ethanolic extract from Curcuma
langa L in the mouse forced
swimming test. J Ethanopharmacol
; 110: 356-363.
. Yende SR, Harle UN, Rajgure DT,
Tuse TA, Vyawahare NS.
Pharmacological profile of Acorus
calamus: An Overview. Pharmacog
Reviews 2009; 2: 22-26.
. Palani S, Raja S, Praveen Kuma R,
Parameswaran P, Senthil Kumar B.
Therapeutic efficacy of Acorus
calamus on acetaminophen induced
nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress
in male albino rats. Acta
Pharmaceutica Sciencia 2010; 52:
-100.
. Parab RS, Mengi SA. Hypolipidemic
activity of Acorus calamus L. in rats.
Fitoterapia 2002; 73: 451-455.
. Muthuraman A, Singh N, Jaggi AS.
Protective effect of Acorus calamus
L. in rat model of vincristine induced
painful neuropathy: An evidence of
anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative
activity. Food Chem Toxicol 2011;
: 2557-2563.
. Kim H, Han T, Lee S. Antiinflammatory activity of a water
extract of Acorus calamus L. leaves
on keratinocyte HaCaT cells. J
Ethnopharmacol 2009; 122: 149-
. Sandeep D, Nair CKK. Protection of
DNA and membrane from γ-
radiation induced damage by the
extract of Acorus calamus Linn.: An
in vitro study. Enl Toxicol Pharmacol
; 29: 302-307.
. Lee M, Chen Y, Tsai J, Wang S,
Watanabe T and Tsai Y. Inhibitory
effect of β-asarone, a component of
Acorus calamus essential oil, on
inhibition of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1
cells. Food Chem 2011; 126: 1: 1-7.
. Si M, Lou J, Zhou C, Shen J, Wu H,
Yang B, He Q, Wu H. Insulin
releasing and alpha-glucosidase
inhibitory activity of ethyl acetate
fraction of Acorus calamus in vitro
and in vivo. J Ethnopharmacol 2010;
: 154-159.
. Vohora, SB, Shah, SA, and
Dandiya, PC. Central nervous
system studies on an ethanol extract
of Acorus calamus rhizomes. J
Ethnopharmacol 1990; 28: 53-62.
. Shukla PK, Khanna V.
Neuroptotective effect of Acorus
calamus against middle cerebral
artery occlusion-induced ischaemia
in rats. Human Exp Toxicol 2006; 5:
-194.
. Mazza G. Gas chromatographic and
mass spectrometric studies of the
constituents of the rhizome of
calamus : I. The volatile constituents
of the essential oil. J
Chromatography A, 1985; 328: 179-
. Ilaiyaraja N, Farhath Khanum.
Amelioration of alcohol induced
hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress
in rats by Acorus calamus. J Diet
Suppl 2011; 8: 331-345.
. Porsolt RD, Bertin A, Jalfre M.
Behavioural despair in mice. A
primary screening test for
antidepressant. Arch Int
Pharmacodyn Ther 1977; 229: 327-
. Alburges ME, Narang N, Wamsley
JK. A sensitive and rapid HPLCECD method for the simultaneous
analysis of norepinephrine,
dopamine, serotonin and their
primary metabolites in brain tissue.
Biomed Chromatogr 1993; 7: 306-
. Schurr A, Livne A. Different
inhibition of mitochondrial
monoamine oxidase from brain by
hashish components. Biochem
Pharmacol 1976; 25: 1201-1203.
. Yu ZF, Kong LD, Chen Y.
Antidepressant activity of aqueous
extracts of Curcuma longa. J
Ethanopharmacol 2002; 83: 161-
. Lucki, I.The forced swimming test as
a model for core and component
behavioral effects of antidepressant
drugs. Behav Pharmacol 1997; 8:
-532.
. Dhingra D, Sharma A. Evaluation of
antidepressant-like activity of
glycyrrhizin in mice. Ind J Pharmacol
; 37: 390-394.
. Butterweck V, Nishibe S, Sasaki T,
Uchida M. Antidepressant effects of
Apocynum ventum leaves in a
forced swimming test. Biol Pharm
Bull 2001; 20: 848-851.
. Nakazaw T, Yasuda T, Ueda J,
Ohsawa K. Antidepressanat-like
effects of apigenin and 2, 4, 5-
trimethoxycinnamic acid from Perilla
frutescens in the forced swimming
test. Biol Pharm Bull 2003; 26: 474-
. Hill MN, Brotto LA, Lee TT and
Gorzalka B. Corticosterone
attenuate the antidepressant-like
effects elicited by melatonin in the
forced swim test in both male and
female
rats.Prog.Neuropsycopharmacol
Biol Psychiatry 2003; 27: 905-911.
. Pan Y, Kong L, Xia X, Zhang W, Xia
Z, Jiang F. Antideprssant-like effect
of icariin and its possible
mechanism in mice. Pharmaco
Biochem Behav 2005; 82: 686-694.
. Chen Y, Kong L, Xia X, Kung H,
Zhang L. Behavioral and
biochemical studies of total
furocoumarins from seeds of
Psoralea corylifolia in the forced
swimming test in mice
J.Ethanopharmacol 2005; 96: 451-
. Leem SA, Homh SS, Han XX,
Hwang JS, Oh GJ, Lee KS, Lee MK,
Hwang BY and Ro JS. Piperine from
the fruits of Piper longum with
inhibitory effects on monoamine
oxidase and antidepressant-like
activity. Chem Pharm Bull 2005; 53:
-835.
. Connor TJ, Kellliher P, Shen Y,
Harkin A, Kelly JP, Leonard BE.
Effect of subchronic antidepressant
treatments on behavioral,
neurochemical, and endocrine
changes in forced-swimming test.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2000;
: 591-7.
. Yi L, Li C, Zhan X, Cui C, Xiao F,
Zhou L, Y Xie Y. Involvement of
monoaminergic system in the
antidepressant-like effect of the
flavonoid naringenin in mice Prog
Neuropsychopharmacol Biol
Psychiatry 2010; 34: 1223-1228.
. Pandy V, Subhash H. CNS activity
of methanol and acetone extracts of
Acorus calamus leaves. J
Pharmacol Toxicol 2009; 4: 79-86.
. Hwang JH, Hong SS, Han XH,
Hwang JS, Lee D, Lee H, Yun YP,
Kim Y, Ro,JS, Hwang BY.
Prenylated xanthones from the root
bark of Cudrania tricuspidata. J Nat
Prod 2007; 70:1207-1209.
. Lee SJ, Chung HY, Lee IK, Oh SU
and Yoo ID. Phenolics with inhibitory
activity on mouse brain monoamine
oxidase (MAO) from whole parts of
Atemisia vulgaris L (Mugwort). Food
Sci Biotechnol 2000; 9: 179-182.
. Jeong SH, HanXH, Hong SS,
Hwang JS, Hwang JH, Lee D, Lee
MK, Ro JS, Hwang BY. Monoamine
oxidase inhibitory coumarins from
the aerial parts of Dictamnus albus.
Arch Pharm Res 2006; 29: 1119-
. Zhou Y, Shen Y, Zhang C, Su J, Liu
R, Zhang W. Triterpene saponins
from Bacopa monnieri and their
antidepressant effects in two mince
models. J Nat Prod 2007; 70:652-
. Yun B, Lee I, Ryoo I, Yoo I.
Coumarins with monoamine oxidase
inhibitory activity and antioxidative
coumarino-lignans from Hibiscus
syriacus. J Nat Prod 2001; 64 :
-1240.
. Xu Y, Li S, Chen R, Li G, Barish PA,
You W, Chen L, Lin M, Ku B, Pan J,
Ogle WO. Antidepressant-like effect
of low molecular proanthocyanidin in
mice: Involvement of
monoaminergic.system. Pharm
Biochem Behav 2010a; 94: 447-453.
. Machado DG, Bettio, LEB, Cunha
MP, Santos ARS, Pizzolatti MG,
Brighente IMC, Rodrigues ALS.
Antidepressant-like effect of rutin
isolated from the ethanolic extract
from Schinus molle L. in mice:
Evidence for the involvement of the
serotonergic and noradrenergic
systems. Eur J Pharmacol 2008;
: 1-3, 10: 163-168.
. Xu Y, Wang Z, You W, Zhang X, Li
S, Barish P, Vernon MM, Du X, Li G,
Pan J, William WO. Antidepressantlike effect of trans-resveratrol:
Involvement of serotonin and
noradrenaline system. Eur
Neuropsychopharmacol 2010b; 20:
-413.
. Takeda H, Tsuji M, Inazu M,
Egashira T, Matsumiya T.
Rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid
produce antidepressive-like effect in
the forced swimming test in mice.
Eur J Pharmacol 2002; 449: 3, 261-
.
