Cyperus rotundus L.: Traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities.

Antidepressant active ingredients from herbs and nutraceuticals used in TCM: pharmacological mechanisms and prospects for drug discovery.

Ethanol extract of Yueju pill, a Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal formula widely used to treat mood disorders, demonstrates rapid antidepressant effects similar to ketamine, likely via instant enhancement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus. Here we investigated ethanol extracts of the constituent herbs of Yueju responsible for rapid antidepressant effects. Screening with tail suspension test in Kunming mice at 24 hours after a single administration of five individual constituent herbs of Yueju, we found that only Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (GJ) showed a significant effect. The antidepressant response started at 2 hours after GJ administration. Similar to Yueju and ketamine, a single administration of GJ significantly reduced the number of escape failures in the learned helplessness test. Furthermore, GJ decreased latency of food consumption in the novelty suppressed-feeding test. Additionally, starting from 2 hours and continuing for over 20 hours after GJ administration, BDNF expression in the hippocampus was upregulated, temporally linked with the antidepressant response. These findings suggest that GJ has rapid antidepressant effects, which are associated with the elevated expression of BDNF in the hippocampus. In Yueju formula, Yue represents GJ, as thus our study demonstrates the primary role of GJ in rapid antidepressant efficacy of Yueju.

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Rapid Antidepressant Activity of Ethanol Extract of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis Is Associated with Upregulation of BDNF Expression in the Hippocampus.

The effect of Chaihu-Shugan-San and its components on the expression of ERK5 in the hippocampus of depressed rats.

Two new iridoid glycosides, rotunduside A (1) and rotunduside B (2), along with four known compounds, 6′′-O-p-coumaroylgenipin gentiobioside (3), isoaragoside (4), chionoside A (5), and helioside C (6) were isolated from the rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus L. Their chemical structures were determined by application of spectroscopic (NMR, MS) and chemical methodologies. The macrophages respiratory burst (MRB) inhibitory activity of all the isolated compounds was reported. Compound 2 showed marginal inhibitory activity against MRB in the test with IC50 value of approximately 31 μM.

Phenolic and iridoid glycosides from the rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus L.

Objective:To screen the antidepressant fractions from Cyperus rotundus and investigate the possible a mechanism.Method: The extract and florentine were orally given to mice at a dosage of 10 g·kg-1 and 0.08 g·kg-1 per day,respectively.The swimming test and the tail suspension test were applied to observe the antidepressant effect of C.rotundus extracts.The content of serotonin(5-HT),dopamine(DA) and noradrenalin(NE) was determined by RP-HPLC method to study the mechanism of C.rotundus extracts.Result: The ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions from the ethanol extract of C.rotundus significantly shortened immobility time in swimming test and the tail suspension test.The ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions from the ethanol extract of C.rotundus markedly increased the content of 5-HT and DA with no action of NE.Conclusion: The ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions from the ethanol extract of C.rotundus can produce an antidepressant effect,the mechanism of which may be related to affecting the 5-HT and DA nervous system.They may be the active part of C.rotundus.

Liu Yong-hui

Papers

Study on Antidepressant Effect and Mechanism by Cyperus rotundus Extracts