Antidepressant-like properties of Antiaris toxicaria aqueous extract

Authors

  • Priscilla Kolibea Mante Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Eric Woode Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Kennedy K. E. Kukuia Department of Pharmacology, University of Ghana School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
  • Donatus W. Adongo Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Elvis O. Ameyaw Department of Biomedical and Forensic Sciences, School of Biological Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

Keywords:

Antiaris, Para-chlorophenylalanine, Head twitches, N-methyl-d-aspartate, Tail suspension, Uterus

Abstract

Background: Depression is a global burden whose therapy is plagued with inconsistent efficacy. Hence, the need for the discovery of newer therapies.

Methods: In this study, Antiaris toxicaria extract (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg, p.o.), was evaluated for antidepressant activity using behavioral tests battery particularly the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). In order to investigate its mechanism of action, animals groups were pretreated with α-methyldopa (α-MD), para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA), reserpine, D-serine and 5-hydroxytryptophan.

Results: It increased the mobility periods and decreased immobility periods significantly in both the FST and the TST when compared to the control group. But the TST showed more promising effect than the FST. Pre-treatment with α-MD reversed the antidepressant property of A. toxicaria aqueous extract as did PCPA, reserpine and reserpine combined with α-MD. The extract increased the number of head twitches produced by 5-hydroxytryptophan confirming the involvement of serotonin in the antidepressant property and inhibited carbachol-induced contractions on the isolated rat uterus, which was non-competitively antagonized by propranolol.

Treatment with D-serine produced no significant increase in the immobility time produced by the extract at the doses studied. This excludes the involvement of N-methyl-d-aspartate in the possible mechanisms of action.

Conclusion: A. toxicaria possesses antidepressant-like action in rodents.

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Published

2017-01-20

How to Cite

Mante, P. K., Woode, E., Kukuia, K. K. E., Adongo, D. W., & Ameyaw, E. O. (2017). Antidepressant-like properties of Antiaris toxicaria aqueous extract. International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 4(1), 111–120. Retrieved from https://www.ijbcp.com/index.php/ijbcp/article/view/874

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