ABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: A number of plant species are used in Danish folk medicine for treatment of depression and anxiety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of 17 plant species were tested for affinity to the serotonin transporter and for inhibition of MAO-A-both targets for antidepressive treatment. RESULTS: An ethanolic extract of aerial parts of Borago officinalis had affinity to the serotonin transporter. Ten extracts, from eight plants, had IC(50) values below 25µg/ml extract in the MAO-A assay. The most active extracts in the MAO-A assay were the ethanol extract of seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum (IC(50) 4µg/ml); ethanol extract of leaves of Apium graveolens (IC(50) 5µg/ml) and the water extract of aerial parts of Calluna vulgaris (IC(50) 8µg/ml). CONCLUSIONS: Besides Borago officinalis, which toxicity profile excludes it from further development as an herbal drug, none of the plants had potential as serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Several plants had MAO-A inhibitory activity.
Subject(s)
Anti-Anxiety Agents/pharmacology , Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology , Monoamine Oxidase/metabolism , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plants, Medicinal , Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins/metabolism , Anxiety/drug therapy , Denmark , Depression/drug therapy , Medicine, Traditional , PhytotherapyABSTRACT
Aqueous and methanolic extracts of 11 plants, used in Danish folk medicine for improvement of memory and cognition, and 3 Corydalis species were tested for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity using the Ellman colorimetric method. Significant inhibitory activity in dose-dependent manner was observed for extracts of Corydalis cava, Corydalis intermedia, Corydalis solida ssp. laxa and Corydalis solida ssp. slivenensis. Extracts of Ruta graveolens, Lavandula angustifolia, Rosmarinus officinalis, Petroselinum crispum and Mentha spicata exhibited moderate inhibition of the enzyme, defined as more than 15% at 0.1 mg/ml.
Subject(s)
Cholinesterase Inhibitors/chemistry , Memory Disorders/drug therapy , Nootropic Agents/chemistry , Plants, Medicinal , Acetylcholinesterase/chemistry , Chromatography, Thin Layer , Denmark , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Medicine, Traditional , Plant Extracts/chemistryABSTRACT
Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of 42 plants used in Danish folk medicine for the treatment of epilepsy and convulsions, or for inducing sedation, were tested for affinity to the GABA(A)-benzodiazepine receptor in the flumazenil-binding assay. Ethanolic extracts of leaves of Primula elatior and Primula veris and aerial parts of Tanacetum parthenium exhibited good, dose-dependent affinity.
