Antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of Garcinia indica fruit rind via monoaminergic pathway

Abstract

Depression and anxiety are the most crippling neuropsychiatric disorders of this modern era. These mostly occur as anxiety followed by depression or in mixed state. Therefore, there is an urgent need of a safe and effective treatment, which proves its worth in this ailment. What else than a conventional food would be a better choice for a convenient therapy. Therefore, Garcinia indica, commonly known as Kokam, fruit rind has been used in the present study to investigate its antidepressant and anti-anxiety potential using forced swim test, tail suspension test, and reserpine-induced hypothermia; and elevated plus maze, hole-board test, and light dark model, respectively. Garcinia indica fruit rind given to mice with food for consecutive 14 days at 0.5, 1, and 2% w/w significantly (p < 0.05) reduced despair behavior in forced swim test, immobility duration in tail suspension test, and also switched the hypothermia (reserpine induced) to normal temperature significantly (p < 0.05). Garcinia indica significantly (p < 0.05) raised the time elapsed and count of entries in open arms of elevated plus maze, enhanced incidence of head dipping in holes of hole board along with duration of expending time in lit compartment of light dark model, exhibiting its anti-anxiety effect. Garcinia indica significantly reduced monoamine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels providing support to neuroprotective potential of fruit rind. The mechanistic study showed the participation of G. indica at α₁-adrenoceptor and D₂-dopamine receptor, by attenuating prazosin and sulpiride-induced increase in immobility duration. Garcinia indica fruit rind showed a significant antidepressant and anxiolytic effect while no effect on locomotor activity, i.e., no psycho-stimulation.

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Garcinia indica; Malondialdehyde; Monoamine oxidase-A and B; Rind.

Fig. 1

Effect of Garcinia indica on a time spent in lit box of light–dark model, b number of head dips in hole-board test. Values are in Mean ± SEM (n = 6), DZ Diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.), GI Garcinia indica (0.5, 1 and 2% w/w, administered along with diet for 14 days), ^a p < 0.01 as compared to control group, ^b p < 0.05 as compared to control group; analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s t test

Fig. 2

Effect of Garcinia indica on a open arm entries of Garcinia indica, b time spent in open arm using elevated plus maze. Values are in Mean ± SEM (n = 6), DZ Diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.), GI Garcinia indica (0.5, 1 and 2% w/w, administered along with diet for 14 days), ^a p < 0.01 as compared to control group, ^b p < 0.05 as compared to control group; analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test

Fig. 3

Effect of Garcinia indica on a despair behavior of mice in forced swim test, b immobility duration in tail suspension test. Values are in Mean ± SEM (n = 6), GI Garcinia indica (0.5, 1, and 2% w/w, administered along with diet for 14 days), IMN Imipramine (15 mg/kg, p.o.), FLX Fluoxetine (20 mg/kg, p.o.), ^a p < 0.01 as compared to control group; ^b p < 0.05 as compared to control group; analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test

Fig. 4

Effect of Garcinia indica on reserpine-induced hypothermia. Values are in Mean ± SEM (n = 6); GI Garcinia indica (0.5, 1, and 2% w/w, administered along with diet for 8 days); imipramine (15 mg/kg, p.o.); reserpine: 2 mg/kg, s.c.; ^a p < 0.01 as compared to control group, ^b p < 0.05 as compared to control group; analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test

Fig. 5

Effect of Garcinia indica on a brain MAO-A, b MAO-B activity in mice, and c brain MDA levels in mice. Values are in Mean ± SEM (n = 6), FLX Fluoxetine (20 mg/kg, p.o.); GI Garcinia indica (0.5, 1 and 2% w/w, administered along with diet for 14 days); ^a p < 0.01 as compared to control group; ^b p < 0.05 as compared to control group. Analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test

Fig. 6

Effect of Garcinia indica on locomotor activity of mice. Values are in Mean ± SEM (n = 6); GI Garcinia indica (0.5, 1, and 2% w/w, administered along with diet for 14 days); ^a p < 0.01 as compared to control group; ^b p < 0.05 as compared to control group; analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test

Fig. 7

Effect of combination of Garcinia indica with p-CPA/prazosin/sulpiride. Values are in Mean ± SEM (n = 6); GI Garcinia indica (1% w/w, administered along with diet for 14 days); p-CPA para-chlorophenylalanine (100 mg/kg, i.p.); PRZ prazosin (62.5 μg/kg, i.p.); SULP sulpiride (50 mg/kg, i.p.); ^a p < 0.01 as compared to control; ^b p < 0.05 as compared to control; *p < 0.05 as compared to p-CPA/prazosin/sulpiride; analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test