Moringa oleifera (Lam.): a natural remedy for ageing?

Effect of Moringa oleifera, an age-old ingredient of Indian ayurvedic and traditional medicine, was tested for its effect on age related antioxidant activity in Wistar albino rats of three age groups (6, 12 and 18 months old). Aqueous extract of M. oleifera leaves (MOAE) was administered orally at a dosage of 200 mg/kg body weight for a period of 30 days. MOAE treatment showed significant reduction in lipid peroxidation and lipofuscin pigmentation along with elevated serotonin and antioxidant enzymes in the brains of treated groups of aged rats. LC-MS-MS analysis revealed blood brain barrier permeable secondary metabolites viz., 9,9-bianthracene, 4-Methoxycinnamic acid, Cinnamic acid, (E)-p-coumaric acid pyrogallol and ostruthin from the extract. 9,9-bianthracene and ostruthin showed better binding affinity to Keap-1 and SERT in silico. The present result suggests the protective efficacy of M oleifera against age related oxidative stress in brain.

Evidence of the involvement of the monoaminergic systems in the antidepressant-like effect of Aloysia gratissima

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Aloysia gratissima (Verbenaceae) is an aromatic plant distributed in South America and, employed in folk medicine for the treatment of nervous systems illness, including depression. The neuroprotective and antidepressant-like activities of the aqueous extract of Aloysia gratissima (AE) administered orally has already been demonstrated.In this study the involvement of monoaminergic systems in the antidepressant-like effect of the AE was investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The implication of the monoaminergic systems in the antidepressant-like activity of Aloysia gratissima was evaluated using different pharmacological antagonists that were administered previously to the acute oral administration of AE (10 mg/kg). The antidepressant-like effect was assessed in the TST and locomotor activity was evaluated in the open-field test in mice.

RESULTS

The anti-immobility effect elicited by AE in the TST was prevented by the pre-treatment of mice with the antagonists, NAN-190 (5-HT(1A) receptor), ketanserin (5-HT(2A/2C) receptor), prazosin (α1-adrenoceptor), yohimbine (α2-adrenoceptor), SCH23390 (dopamine D1 receptor), or sulpiride (dopamine D2 receptor).

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that the antidepressant-like effect of AE in the TST is dependent on its interaction with the serotonergic (5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A/2C)), noradrenergic (α1 and α2-adrenoceptors) and dopaminergic (D1 and D2 receptors) systems, suggesting that this specie might act as a new potential resource for developing antidepressants to treat depressive disorders.