Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Apr;105(4):707-720.
doi: 10.1113/EP088254. Epub 2020 Feb 21.

Melissa officinalis L. hydro-alcoholic extract inhibits anxiety and depression through prevention of central oxidative stress and apoptosis

Javid Ghazizadeh  1   2 , Sanaz Hamedeyazdan  3 , Mohammadali Torbati  4 , Fereshteh Farajdokht  1 , Ali Fakhari  5 , Javad Mahmoudi  1 , Mostafa Araj-Khodaei  2   6 , Saeed Sadigh-Eteghad  1
Affiliations
Free article

Melissa officinalis L. hydro-alcoholic extract inhibits anxiety and depression through prevention of central oxidative stress and apoptosis

Javid Ghazizadeh et al. Exp Physiol. 2020 Apr.
Free article

Abstract

New findings: What is the central question of this study? How does an extract of Melissa officinalis L. ameliorate anxiety- and depressive-like behaviour of mice? What is the main finding and its importance? An extract of Melissa officinalis L. possessed anxiolytic and anti-depressant effects, which could mainly be mediated through its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties.

Abstract: This study evaluated the effects of a hydro-alcoholic extract of Melissa officinalis (HAEMO) on anxiety- and depressive-like behaviours, oxidative stress and apoptosis markers in restraint stress-exposed mice. In order to induce a depression-like model, mice were subjected to restraint stress (3 h day-1 for 14 days) and received normal saline or HAEMO (50, 75 and 150 mg kg-1 day-1 ) for 14 days. The administered doses of HAEMO were designated based on the concentration of one of the main phenolic compounds present in the extract, rosmarinic acid (2.55 mg kg-1 at lowest dose); other phytochemical analyses including assays for antioxidant activity, total phenols and flavonoids were also carried out. The behavioural changes in an open field task, elevated plus maze, tail suspension and forced swimming tests were evaluated. Also, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity were assessed in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Moreover, levels of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase 3 in the brain as well as serum concentration of corticosterone were evaluated. HAEMO (75 and 150 mg kg-1 ) significantly reversed anxiety- and depressive-like behaviours. Also, HAEMO reduced MDA levels, enhanced enzymatic antioxidant activities and restored serum levels of corticosterone. An immunoblotting analysis also demonstrated that HAEMO decreased levels of pro-apoptotic markers and increased anti-apoptotic protein levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of restraint stress-exposed mice. Our findings suggested that HAEMO reduced inflammation and had anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in mice.

Keywords: Melissa officinalis; anxiety; apoptosis; depression; oxidative stress; restraint stress.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Alizadeh Behbahani, B., & Shahidi, F. (2019). Melissa officinalis essential oil: Chemical compositions, antioxidant potential, total phenolic content and antimicrobial activity. Nutrition and Food Sciences Research, 6(1), 17-25.
    1. Asghari, B., Mafakheri, S., Zarrabi, M. M., Erdem, S. A., Orhan, I. E., & Bahadori, M. B. (2019). Therapeutic target enzymes inhibitory potential, antioxidant activity, and rosmarinic acid content of Echium amoenum. South African Journal of Botany, 120, 191-197.
    1. Atif, F., Yousuf, S., & Agrawal, S. K. (2008). Restraint stress-induced oxidative damage and its amelioration with selenium. European Journal of Pharmacology, 600(1-3), 59-63.
    1. Awad, R., Muhammad, A., Durst, T., Trudeau, V. L., & Arnason, J. T. (2009). Bioassay-guided fractionation of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) using an in vitro measure of GABA transaminase activity. Phytotherapy Research, 23(8), 1075-1081.
    1. Bayat, M., Tameh, A. A., Ghahremani, M. H., Akbari, M., Mehr, S. E., Khanavi, M., & Hassanzadeh, G. (2012). Neuroprotective properties of Melissa officinalis after hypoxic-ischemic injury both in vitro and in vivo. DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 20(1), 42.

Publication types

MeSH terms