Potential of novel phytoecdysteroids isolated from Vitex doniana in the treatment depression: Involvement of monoaminergic systems

Abstract

Vitex doniana Sweet (Verbanaceae) is used in traditional African medicine for the treatment of neurological disorders including depression. In our previous studies, three new phytoecdysteroids were isolated from methanol stem bark extract of V. doniana (VD) (11β-hydroxy-20-deoxyshidasterone, 21-hydroxyshidasterone, and 2,3-acetonide-24-hydroxyecdysone) along with known ecdysteroids. This study was designed to investigate antidepressant-like effect of VD and the isolated phytoecdysteroids in behavioral models of despair, forced-swim test (FST) and tail-suspension test (TST) in mice. VD (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) treatment reduced (P < 0.05) the duration of immobility in both tests without affecting the locomotor activity and exploratory behavior as observed in the open field test. Similarly, 21-hydroxyshidasterone, 11β-hydroxy-20-deoxyshidasterone, ajugasterone and 24-hydroxyecdysone acute oral …