Abstract

ANTIDEPRESSANT LIKE EFFECTS OF JASMINUM SAMBAC – INVESTIGATION OF INVOLVEMENT OF MONOAMINERGIC SYSTEM

Krishnaveni A, Lavanya Y, Pradeepthi Ch, Bindu P, Santh Rani Thaakur*

Abstract

Jasminum sambac (JS), an evergreen plant belongs to the family of Oleaceae, extensively used in traditional Malay medicine for the treatment of depressive disorders. The present study investigates the antidepressant activity of JS and also to evaluate possible mechanisms involved in its antidepressant action. JS at a dose of 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg were administered to mice for 7days. Imipramine (25 mg/kg) was used as standard. Tail Suspension Test (TST) and Forced Swim Test (FST) were used to evaluate the antidepressant activity of JS. Malondialdehyde, Reduced glutathione and Vitamin C were evaluated to assess the antioxidant activity of JS against depression induced oxidative stress. The mechanisms were probed by measuring brain neurotransmitters and monoamine oxidase enzyme activities. After one week of treatment, JS showed decreased immobility time in TST and FST, increased climbing time in FST significantly, but with no change in swimming time. JS showed increased brain dopamine levels dose dependently and increased brain serotonin levels at 500 mg/kg significantly, but showed no significant effect on brain norepinephrine, monoamine oxidase-A and monoamine oxidase-B levels. These findings demonstrated that JS produces antidepressant activity and the mechanism involves serotonergic and dopaminergic systems there by causing generalized increase in the monoamine turnover

Keywords: Depression, Jasminum sambac, Tail Suspension Test, Forced Swim Test, Dopaminergic system, Serotonergic system.