Screening of plants used in Danish folk medicine to treat depression and anxiety for affinity to the serotonin transporter and inhibition of MAO-A

TY - JOUR

T1 - Screening of plants used in Danish folk medicine to treat depression and anxiety for affinity to the serotonin transporter and inhibition of MAO-A

AU - Jäger, Anna

AU - Gauguin, Bente

AU - Andersen, Jacob

AU - Adsersen, Anne

AU - Gudiksen, Lene

PY - 2013/2/13

Y1 - 2013/2/13

N2 - 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 IC50 values below 25 μg/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 (IC50 4 μg/ml); ethanol extract of leaves of Apium graveolens (IC50 5 μg/ml) and the water extract of aerial parts of Calluna vulgaris (IC50 8 μg/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.

AB - 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 IC50 values below 25 μg/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 (IC50 4 μg/ml); ethanol extract of leaves of Apium graveolens (IC50 5 μg/ml) and the water extract of aerial parts of Calluna vulgaris (IC50 8 μg/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.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jep.2012.12.021

DO - 10.1016/j.jep.2012.12.021

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 23266274

SN - 0378-8741

VL - 145

SP - 822

EP - 825

JO - Journal of Ethnopharmacology

JF - Journal of Ethnopharmacology

IS - 3

ER -