Efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide capsules for depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide (MOO) capsules for depressive disorder. Methods: Eight electronic databases were searched for relevant studies from inception to April 19, 2020. Randomized controlled trials comparing MOO capsules with antidepressants were included. Data analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.3 software. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and the quality of the studies was evaluated by two researchers using the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) software. Results: Seven studies involving 1,384 participants were included in this study. The effect of MOO capsules for moderate depressive disorder was not different from that of antidepressants (risk ratio [RR] = 0.99, 95%CI 0.92-1.06). Regarding adverse events, no significant difference was found between MOO capsules and antidepressants (RR = 0.84, 95%CI 0.65-1.07). In addition, the quality of evidence related to these adverse events was rated as low. Conclusion: This systematic review suggests that the efficacy of MOO capsules in the treatment of mild to moderate depression is not inferior to that of conventional antidepressants, which may provide a new direction for clinical alternative selection of antidepressants. However, more high-quality research and detailed assessments are needed.

Analysis of the chemical stability of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides during extraction / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical stability of oligosaccharides in Morinda officinalis (M. officinalis) extracted with different solvents. METHODS: The change of M. officinalis oligosaccharides extracted with water, ethanol, and aqueous solutions at different pHs was detected by HPTLC. RESULTS: The oligosaccharides began to constantly hydrolyze after 0.5 h when being extracted with water for different time. There was a fall of oligosaccharides concentration while the contents of fructose and sucrose were on the rise. New unknown compositions were generated after 0.5 h. When M. officinalis oligosaccharides were extracted with different percentages of ethanol, it only hydrolyzed when ethanol was in the range of 10%-30%, with little unknown compositions. Oligose was almost completely hydrolyzed at pH 2-3 but the hydrolyzation was alleviated at pH 3-4, with many kinds of new unknown composition generated. The oligosaccharides became stable when the pH was between 6 and 10. CONCLUSION: M. officinalis oligosaccharides is unstable in water, but rather stable in ethanol. However, there is significant difference in aqueous solutions at different pHs.