Antidepressant-Like Effects of Sanggenon G, Isolated from the Root Bark of Morus alba, in Rats: Involvement of the Serotonergic System

Biol Pharm Bull. 2015;38(11):1772-8. doi: 10.1248/bpb.b15-00471. Epub 2015 Aug 19.

Abstract

The root bark of Morus alba is commonly used as an alternative medicine due to its numerous health benefits in humans. However, the antidepressant effects of various active components from M. alba have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we aimed to determine whether sanggenon G, an active compound isolated from the root bark of M. alba, exhibited antidepressant-like activity in rats subjected to forced swim test (FST)-induced depression. Acute treatment of rats with sanggenon G (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)) significantly reduced immobility time and increased swimming time without any significant change in climbing. Rats treated with sanggenon G also exhibited a decrease in the limbic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to the FST, as indicated by attenuation of the corticosterone response and decreased c-Fos immunoreactivity in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). In addition, the antidepressant-like effects of sanggenon G were significantly inhibited by WAY100635 (1 mg/kg, i.p.; a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine1A (5-HT1A) receptor antagonist), but not SCH23390 (0.05 mg/kg, i.p.; a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist). Our findings suggested that the antidepressant-like effects of sanggenon G were mediated by an interaction with the serotonergic system. Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential of sanggenon G as an alternative therapeutic approach for the treatment of depression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antidepressive Agents / pharmacology
  • Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Benzofurans / pharmacology
  • Benzofurans / therapeutic use*
  • Chromones / pharmacology
  • Chromones / therapeutic use*
  • Corticosterone / metabolism
  • Depression / drug therapy*
  • Depression / metabolism
  • Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / drug effects
  • Male
  • Morus / chemistry*
  • Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / metabolism
  • Phytotherapy*
  • Pituitary-Adrenal System / drug effects
  • Plant Bark / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use*
  • Plant Roots / chemistry
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / metabolism
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Serotonin Agents / pharmacology
  • Serotonin Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Swimming

Substances

  • Antidepressive Agents
  • Benzofurans
  • Chromones
  • Plant Extracts
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos
  • Serotonin Agents
  • sanggenon G
  • Corticosterone