Elsevier

Phytomedicine

Volume 18, Issue 14, 15 November 2011, Pages 1255-1261
Phytomedicine

Antidepressant effect and pharmacological evaluation of standardized extract of flavonoids from Byrsonima crassifolia

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2011.06.018Get rights and content

Abstract

Byrsonima crassifolia (Malpighiaceae) has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of some mental-related diseases; however, its specific neuropharmacological activities remain to be defined. The present study evaluates the anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, sedative effects produced by the extracts of Byrsonima crassifolia, and their influence on motor activity in ICR mice. Additionally, we determine the acute toxicity profiles of the Byrsonima crassifolia extracts and the presence of neuroactive constituents. Our results show that the methanolic extract of Byrsonima crassifolia produces a significant (P < 0.05) antidepressant effect in the forced swimming test in mice at 500 mg/kg dose. However, it does not possess anxiolytic, sedative, or anticonvulsant properties, and does not cause a reduction of mice locomotion (P > 0.05). Although the main compound of the methanolic extract was identified as quercetin 3-O-xyloside (12 mg/kg), our findings suggest that flavonoids, such as rutin (4.4 mg/kg), quercetin (1.4 mg/kg) and hesperidin (0.7 mg/kg), may be involved in the antidepressant effects. To the best of our knowledge, the present study constitutes the first report on the presence of the flavonoids with neuropharmacological activity rutin and hesperidin in Byrsonima crassifolia. In conclusion, the present results showed that the methanolic extract standardized on flavonoids content of Byrsonima crassifolia possesses potential antidepressant-like effects in the FST in mice, and could be considered as relatively safe toxicologically with no deaths of mice when orally administered at 2000 mg/kg.

Introduction

Byrsonima crassifolia (Malpighiaceae) is a tropical tree widely distributed in Mexico, Central and South America. The pharmacological activities of Byrsonima crassifolia extracts as a bactericide, fungicide, leishmanicide, and as a topical anti-inflammatory (Maldini et al. 2009) have been described. Byrsonima crassifolia is popularly known as “nanche” and it has been used medicinally since prehispanic times, mainly to treat gastrointestinal afflictions and gynecological inflammation (Heinrich et al. 1998). Some other reports indicate that Byrsonima crassifolia has been employed in the treatment of nervous excitement and to induce a pleasant dizziness (Maldonado 2008). A preliminary screening on the central nervous system (CNS) showed effects on gross behavior produced by aqueous extracts of the leaves and bark of Byrsonima crassifolia (Morales et al. 2001). In addition, the triterpens betulin, betulinic acid and lupeol, the flavonoids catechin, epicatechin, guiaverin, quercetin and its 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside have been isolated in the leaves and bark of Byrsonima crassifolia (Béjar et al., 1995, Béjar et al., 2000). However, although previous studies, as well as its traditional uses that suggest the possible ability to modulate the CNS physiology of this tree, the specific neuropharmacological activity and toxicity of Byrsonima crassifolia as same as the identification of the neuroactive constituents remain uninvestigated.

Our study focuses on the neuropharmacological activities of Byrsonima crassifolia, with respect to understanding its traditional medicinal applications, its medicinal uses in the modern society, and potential uses in drug development. The present study was designed to evaluate the anxiolytic, antidepressant, sedative, and anticonvulsant effects produced by extracts of Byrsonima crassifolia in ICR mice by using different models, such as the elevated plus maze, the forced swimming test, the pentobarbital potentiation test, and the seizures-induced pentylenetetrazol. Furthermore, their influence on motor activity test was also studied. Additionally, by using the isolated guinea pig ileum model, the effects of Byrsonima crassifolia extracts on the enteric nervous system were evaluated. The safety of “nanche” was evaluated by determination of the acute toxicity profile of the Byrsonima crassifolia extracts while the extract were characterized by means of the presence and quantification of main constituents.

Section snippets

Plant material and preparation of the extracts

Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth sens. lat. (Malpighiaceae) aerial parts were collected in the state of Morelos, Mexico. The identification of the plant was authenticated by one expert in the field of plant taxonomy, who is also one of the authors (E. León). A voucher was deposited at the Mexican Institute of Social Security Medicinal Herbarium (IMSSM) under the number 15441. The plant material was dried in the dark at room temperature. Then, it was powered (2100 g) and successively extracted

FST

BcMeOH induced a significant antidepressant effect in the FST because it significantly diminished the immobility time compared with the control (P < 0.05) (Fig. 1). On the contrary, BcHx did not induce this behavior. In addition to the effects observed for the 500 mg/kg dose, the 1000 mg/kg dose caused a significant increase in immobility time (P < 0.0) in the FST with respect to control group (Veh). However, the 2000 mg/kg doses did not induce a similar behavior (Fig. 2).

Open field

BcHx and BcMeOH did not show

Discussion

Although Byrsonima crassifolia has been used to treat some mental-related diseases in traditional medicine, its specific neuropharmacological activities have not been demonstrated yet.

The findings of the current investigation show for the first time that BcMeOH standardized in its content of flavonoids with doses of quercetin 3-O-xyloside (12 mg/kg), rutin (4.4 mg/kg), quercetin (1.4 mg/kg) and hesperidin (0.7 mg/kg) induced a significant antidepressant effect in the FST. In this assay, mice are

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant 82588 from SEP-CONACyT-Ciencia Básica 2007, Mexico (to M. Huerta-Reyes) and grant FIS/IMSS/PROT/C2007/040 from the FIS, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico (to M. Huerta-Reyes). The authors wish to thank Arturo Pérez M. for technical assistance.

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