Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Antidepressant-Like Activities of Hispidol and Decursin in Mice and Analysis of Neurotransmitter Monoamines

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Neurochemical Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The antidepressant activities of hispidol and decursin (both potent monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitors) were evaluated using the forced swimming test (FST) and the tail suspension test (TST) in mice, and thereafter, levels of neurotransmitter monoamines and metabolites in brain tissues were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Hispidol (15 mg/kg) caused less or comparable immobility than fluoxetine (15 mg/kg; the positive control) in immobility time, as determined by FST (9.6 vs 32.0 s) and TST (53.1 vs 48.7 s), respectively, and its effects were dose-dependent and significant. Decursin (15 mg/kg) also produced immobility comparable to that of fluoxetine as determined by FST (47.0 vs 43.4 s) and TST (55.6 vs 63.4 s), and its effects were also dose-dependent and significant. LC–MS/MS analysis after FST showed that hispidol (15 mg/kg) greatly increased dopamine (DA) and serotonin levels dose-dependently in brain tissues as compared with the positive control. Decursin (15 mg/kg) dose-dependently increased DA level after TST. Slight changes in norepinephrine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels were observed after FST and TST in hispidol- or decursin-treated animals. It was observed that hispidol and decursin were effective and comparable to fluoxetine in immobility tests. These immobility and monoamine level results suggest that hispidol and decursin are potential antidepressant agents for the treatment of depression, and that they act mainly through serotonergic and/or dopaminergic systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gold PW, Machado-Vieira R, Pavlatou MG (2015) Clinical and biochemical manifestations of depression: relation to the neurobiology of stress. Neural Plast 2015:581976

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Duman RS, Voleti B (2012) Signaling pathways underlying the pathophysiology and treatment of depression: novel mechanisms for rapid-acting agents. Trends Neurosci 35:47–56

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Kerr CW (1994) The serotonin theory of depression. Jefferson J Psychiatry 12(1):4

    Google Scholar 

  4. Ramachandraih CT, Subramanyam N, Bar KJ, Baker G, Yeragani VK (2011) Antidepressants: from MAOIs to SSRIs and more. Indian J Psychiatry 53:180–182

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Fitzgerald PJ, Watson BO (2019) In vivo electrophysiological recordings of the effects of antidepressant drugs. Exp Brain Res 237:1593–1614

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Fajemiroye JO, da Silva DM, de Oliveira DR, Costa EA (2016) Treatment of anxiety and depression: medicinal plants in retrospect. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 30:198–215

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Martins J, B S (2018) Phytochemistry and pharmacology of anti-depressant medicinal plants: a review. Biomed Pharmacother 104:343–365

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Khan H, Perviz S, Sureda A, Nabavi SM, Tejada S (2018) Current standing of plant derived flavonoids as an antidepressant. Food Chem Toxicol 119:176–188

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Dhiman P, Malik N, Sobarzo-Sánchez E, Uriarte E, Khatkar A (2019) Quercetin and related chromenone derivatives as monoamine oxidase inhibitors: targeting neurological and mental disorders. Molecules 24:E418

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Ramsay RR (2012) Monoamine oxidases: the biochemistry of the proteins as targets in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. Curr Top Med Chem 12:2189–2209

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Kumar B, Gupta VP, Kumar V (2017) A perspective on monoamine oxidase enzyme as drug target: challenges and opportunities. Curr Drug Targets 18:87–97

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Fišar Z (2016) Drugs related to monoamine oxidase activity. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 69:112–124

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Youdim MB, Edmondson D, Tipton KF (2006) The therapeutic potential of monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Nat Rev Neurosci 7:295–309

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ramsay RR, Tipton KF (2017) Assessment of enzyme inhibition: a review with examples from the development of monoamine oxidase and cholinesterase inhibitory drugs. Molecules 22:E1192

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Baek SC, Lee HW, Ryu HW, Kang MG, Park D, Kim SH, Cho ML, Oh SR, Kim H (2018) Selective inhibition of monoamine oxidase A by hispidol. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 28:584–588

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Nenadis N, Sigalas MP (2011) A DFT study on the radical scavenging potential of selected natural 3′,4′-dihydroxy aurones. Food Res Int 44:114–120

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Alsaif G, Almosnid N, Hawkins I, Taylor Z, Knott DLT, Handy S, Altman E, Gao Y (2017) Evaluation of fourteen aurone derivatives as potential anti-cancer agents. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 18:384–390

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Lee HW, Ryu HW, Kang MG, Park D, Lee H, Shin HM, Oh SR, Kim H (2017) Potent inhibition of monoamine oxidase A by decursin from Angelica gigas Nakai and by wogonin from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. Int J Biol Macromol 97:598–605

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Zhang J, Li L, Jiang C, Xing C, Kim SH, Lü J (2012) Anti-cancer and other bioactivities of Korean Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) and its major pyranocoumarin compounds. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 12:1239–1254

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Bae WJ, Ha US, Choi JB, Kim KS, Kim SJ, Cho HJ, Hong SH, Lee JY, Wang Z, Hwang SY, Kim SW (2016) Protective effect of decursin extracted from Angelica gigas in male infertility via Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Oxid Med Cell Longev 2016:5901098

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Cho JH, Kwon JE, Cho Y, Kim I, Kang SC (2015) Anti-inflammatory effect of Angelica gigas via heme oxygenase (HO)-1 expression. Nutrients 7:4862–4874

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Wang X, Zheng T, Kang JH, Li H, Cho H, Jeon R, Ryu JH, Yim M (2016) Decursin from Angelica gigas suppresses RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and bone loss. Eur J Pharmacol 774:34–42

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Porsolt RD, Anton G, Blavet N, Jalfre M (1978) Behavioural despair in rats: a new model sensitive to antidepressant treatments. Eur J Pharmacol 47:379–391

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Steru L, Chermat R, Thierry B, Simon P (1985) The tail suspension test: a new method for screening antidepressants in mice. Psychopharmacology 85:367–370

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Xian YF, Fan D, Ip SP, Mao QQ, Lin ZX (2017) Antidepressant-like effect of isorhynchophylline in mice. Neurochem Res 42:678–685

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Xiao D, Liu L, Li Y, Ruan J, Wang H (2019) Licorisoflavan A exerts antidepressant-like effect in mice: involvement of BDNF-TrkB pathway and AMPA receptors. Neurochem Res 44:2044–2056

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Cryan JF, Mombereau C, Vassout A (2005) The tail suspension test as a model for assessing antidepressant activity: review of pharmacological and genetic studies in mice. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 29:571–625

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Petit-Demouliere B, Chenu F, Bourin M (2005) Forced swimming test in mice: a review of antidepressant activity. Psychopharmacology 177:245–255

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Lee SA, Hong SS, Han XH, Hwang JS, Oh GJ, Lee KS, Lee MK, Hwang BY, Ro JS (2005) Piperine from the fruits of Piper longum with inhibitory effect on monoamine oxidase and antidepressant-like activity. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 53:832–835

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Nguyen L, Scandinaro AL, Matsumoto RR (2017) Deuterated (d6)-dextromethorphan elicits antidepressant-like effects in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 161:30–37

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Guan LP, Tang LM, Pan CY, Zhao SL, Wang SH (2014) Evaluation of potential antidepressant-like activity of chalcone-1203 in various murine experimental depressant models. Neurochem Res 39:313–320

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Moreno LCGEAI, Rolim HML, Freitas RM, Santos-Magalhães NS (2016) Antidepressant-like activity of liposomal formulation containing nimodipine treatment in the tail suspension test, forced swim test and MAOB activity in mice. Brain Res 1646:235–240

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Wang C, Lin H, Yang N, Wang H, Zhao Y, Li P, Liu J, Wang F (2019) Effects of Platycodins folium on depression in mice based on a UPLC-Q/TOF-MS serum assay and hippocampus metabolomics. Molecules 24:E1712

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Wang W, Hu X, Zhao Z, Liu P, Hu Y, Zhou J, Zhou D, Wang Z, Guo D, Guo H (2008) Antidepressant-like effects of liquiritin and isoliquiritin from Glycyrrhiza uralensis in the forced swimming test and tail suspension test in mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 32:1179–1184

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Wang D, Wang H, Gu L (2017) The Antidepressant and cognitive improvement activities of the traditional Chinese herb Cistanche. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2017:3925903

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  36. Zhang D, Zhu HY, Bian XB, Zhao Y, Zang P, Gao YG, Zhang LX (2018) The antidepressant effect of 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol 2-naphthoate through monoaminergic, GABAergic system and BDNF signaling pathway. Nat Prod Res 436:1–4

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Chen WC, Lai YS, Lin SH, Lu KH, Lin YE, Panyod S, Ho CT, Sheen LY (2016) Anti-depressant effects of Gastrodia elata Blume and its compounds gastrodin and 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, via the monoaminergic system and neuronal cytoskeletal remodeling. J Ethnopharmacol 182:190–199

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Liu L, Liu C, Wang Y, Wang P, Li Y, Li B (2015) Herbal medicine for anxiety, depression and insomnia. Curr Neuropharmacol 13:481–493

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  39. Ahn KS, Sim WS, Kim IH (1996) Decursin: a cytotoxic agent and protein kinase C activator from the root of Angelica gigas. Planta Med 62:7–9

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Uesawa Y, Sakagami H, Ikezoe N, Takao K, Kagaya H, Sugita Y (2017) Quantitative structure-cytotoxicity relationship of aurones. Anticancer Res 37:6169–6176

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Roussaki M, Costa Lima S, Kypreou AM, Kefalas P, Cordeiro da Silva A, Detsi A (2012) Aurones: a promising heterocyclic scaffold for the development of potent antileishmanial agents. Int J Med Chem 2012:196921

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the "Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development (#PJ01319104)" of the Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, and Research Institute of Life Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, 57922, Republic of Korea

    Jong Min Oh, Hyeon-Seong Lee, Seung Cheol Baek, Jae Pil Lee, Geum Seok Jeong, Man-Jeong Paik & Hoon Kim

Authors
  1. Jong Min Oh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hyeon-Seong Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Seung Cheol Baek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jae Pil Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Geum Seok Jeong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Man-Jeong Paik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hoon Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hoon Kim.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Electronic supplementary material 1 (DOCX 34 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Oh, J.M., Lee, HS., Baek, S.C. et al. Antidepressant-Like Activities of Hispidol and Decursin in Mice and Analysis of Neurotransmitter Monoamines. Neurochem Res 45, 1930–1940 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-020-03057-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-020-03057-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation