Background: In Iranian and other traditional medicines, an antidepressant effect has been indicated for Melissa officinalis (Lamiaceae). However, studies showing its antidepressant effect are lacking. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine whether the aqueous extract and essential oil from leaves of Melissa officinalis have an antidepressant like activity in mice.Materials and Methods: The effect of sub chronic administration of different doses of the aqueous extract (25, 75, 150, 300 mg/kg or water; n=9-10) and the essential oil (10, 25, 75, 150, 300 mg/kg or almond oil; n=9-10) on immobility, climbing, and SWIMMING behaviors were evaluated in the FORCED SWIMMING TEST. Fluoxetine (20mg/kg) and imipramine (15 mg/kg) were used as reference drugs. Additionally, the effect of both plant preparations on spontaneous activity was examined.Results: All doses of the aqueous extract, used in this study, produced a significant reduction in immobility along with an increase in climbing behavior which is similar to those which have been observed with imipramine. Essential oil caused a dose-dependent reduction in immobility and an increase in climbing at all studied doses, compared to control group. Only the highest dose (300mg/kg) of essential oil showed a significant increase in SWIMMING behavior. The aqueous extract, but not the essential oil, decreased spontaneous activity in a dose dependent manner.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the Melissa officinalis possess an antidepressant-like activity similar to imipramine which may have a potential clinical value for treatment of depression.

Fatigue is a complex phenomenon that is explained as difficulty starting or keeping voluntary physical or mental activity leading to negative impacts on life and work performance. This study aimed to investigate the anti-fatigue effects of Viola odorata L. in an animal model. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of V. odorata were prepared and total phenolics content was determined. Then, the anti-fatigue activity of the extracts was evaluated via a weight-loaded FORCED SWIMMING TEST in the rat. To this end, 48 male Wistar rats were randomly classified into 6 groups. The control group using distilled water and other groups with ethanol (EVO,50, 100, 200 mg/kg) and aqueous extracts of V. odorata (WVO,50, 100mg/kg) were gavaged once daily for four weeks. Then, the FORCED SWIMMING was conducted and SWIMMING time, as a fatigue factor was measured. In addition, to validate the effect of V. odorata on the endurance capacity of the rats, biochemical factors including glucose (Glc), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were examined in the serum. Hepatotoxicity was also assessed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Our Data indicated that the FORCED SWIMMING time of the EVO-100, EVO-200, and WVO-100 groups was significantly increased. The serum Glucose in the group which received EVO-200 was increased significantly, while serum LDH levels in all treated groups were significantly decreased. Also, the serum level of TNF-α in the groups which received EVO-100 or 200 was increased significantly. However, there was no considerable difference in serum TNF-α level and no hepatotoxicity within aqueous extract groups. Pathology results showed fewer effects of the aqueous extract rather than ethanol extract on the liver. The results provide evidence for the development and use of V. odorata aqueous extract as an anti-fatigue supplement.

Objective: Rosa damascena mill L (R. damascena) is a medicinal plant mostly known in the world for its perfume. It also has beneficial effects on stress, tension and depression. In this experiment antidepressant effect of ethanolic extract ofR. damascena by FORCED SWIMMING TEST (FST) was evaluated.Material and Methods: Animals received ethanolic extract (15, 60 and 90 mg/kg, i.p), imipramine (15mg/kg, i.p; positive control), or saline (negative control). Thirty min post- injection, immobility and SWIMMING times were measured and compared in the different studied groups.Results: Intraperitoneal injection of lower concentration of extract (15 mg/kg) did not change SWIMMING and immobility times compared to the control group. The higher concentrations of extract (60 and 90 mg/kg) significantly increased immobility time and decreased SWIMMING time. Therefore ethanolic extract at TESTed doses had no antidepressant effect in this study.Conclusion: Although ethanolic extract did not have antidepressant effect, we cannot rule out this effect altogether. In our opinion, antidepressant effect is masked by CNS depression effect of ethanolic extract ofR. damascena.

Introduction: Depression is one of the most frequent psychiatric disorders in the world with occurs with higher incidence in women. In the present study, the effect of water-alcoholic extract of Papaver rhoeas L. on FORCED SWIMMING TEST (FST) in Swiss-Webster mice were examined.Methods: We used Swiss-Webster mice (20-25 g) to execute FST on them. The plant extract (1, 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg) was injected to the animals 30 minutes before each session. Fluoxetine (20 mg/kg) was used as standard antidepressant drug. In another group of animals, 30 minutes after extract administration, blood samples were taken from retro-orbital sinus for corticosterone assay. Yet in third group, the drugs were injected to the animals and 30 minutes later, their activities were TESTed in an open field apparatus.Results: Our experiments showed that the extract efficiently reduced FST time both in male and female mice dose-dependently. This effect was comparable with fluoxetine. In addition, corticosterone assay indicated that plasma corticosterone in animals which received extract was higher than those amounts in fluoxetine and saline controls. Moreover, the animals did not show any motor activity deficit in all doses of the extract and fluoxetine compared to saline control.Conclusion: The extract of Papaver rhoeas can reduce immobility time which is comparable to the effect of fluoxetine. Also the effect of the extract is contrary to its effects on plasma corticosterone level and or animals’ activity.

Moclobemide is a selective and reversible monoamine oxidase-A inhibitor, which is used as an antidepressant. Three moclobemide analogues were synthesized by replacing moclobemide phenyl ring with substituted imidazoles, So, N-[(4-morpholinyl) ethyl)]-I-benzyl-2-(alkylthio)- IH-imidazole-5-carboxamides (7a-c) were synthesized and studied for the antidepressant activityusing FORCED SWIMMING TEST in mice. Analogues 7a-c were found to be more potent than moclobemide. Minimum effective doses for moclobemide and analogues 7a-c were found to be 20, 2.5, 1.25 and 2.5 mg/kg i.p. respectively. 

Schizophrenia is a neurodegenerative disease that causes the positive symptoms such as hallucinations and negative symptoms such as social withdrawal and depression. Depression is an important co-occurring syndrome in schizophrenia. One of the progressions of the disease, the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant system. Quercetin, as a neutral antioxidant found in many plants, is widely distributed in edible fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this study was evaluated to protective effect of quercetin and quercetin nanocrystal on depression and activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes in ketamine model of schizophrenia. In this study, 49 male mice were divided into seven groups: control, vehicle, disease group that received 10mg/kg/day ketamine for 10 days and other four groups that received 10 and 25 mg/kg/day of quercetin and quercetin nanocrystal orally after injection of ketamine. Depression disorders using with FORCED SWIMMING TEST and the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase were evaluated. This study shows that injection of ketamine increased immobility and decreased catalase and superoxide dismutase activates (P≤ 0. 001). Treatment with quercetin and it nanocrystal increased significantly mobility time and also increase the activities of these enzymes in in an animal model of schizophrenia (P≤ 0. 001). The results of this study showed that consumption of quercetin nanocrystal decreases depressant disorders and oxidative stress induced by ketamine in model of schizophrenia.