Amin Bahareh, Nakhsaz Alireza, Hosseinzadeh Hossein
Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.
Pharmaceutical Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad Iran.
Avicenna J Phytomed. 2015 Sep-Oct;5(5):458-68.
The present study was designed to investigate the putative antidepressant effects of crocin and crocetin, two major active ingredients of Crocus sativus L. (saffron) using mice in two different regimens of acute and sub-acute administration.
In acute treatment, antidepressant-like activities of crocin and crocetin (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) were evaluated using forced swim test (FST). In sub-acute study (21 times with 24-h intervals), antidepressant-like effects of oral administration of drugs were examined using FST and tail suspension test (TST). Locomotor activity and motor coordination were studied using open field and rotarod tests, respectively.
Acute treatment with crocin (40 mg/kg) and crocetin (20 and 40 mg/kg) produced antidepressant-like effect in FST without affecting the baseline locomotion in mice. Sub-acute oral administration of crocin significantly decreased immobility time only at the highest dose (100 mg/kg). Crocetin (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg) was able to decrease immobility time in FST and TST. Locomotor activity and coordination of mice were not affected by crocin or crocetin.
Since higher doses of crocin was required to show antidepressant effects, more efficacy of crocetin may be concluded. This observation provides further support for metabolism of crocin to crocetin following oral administration.
本研究旨在使用小鼠，通过急性和亚急性两种不同给药方案，研究藏红花的两种主要活性成分西红花苷和西红花酸假定的抗抑郁作用。
在急性治疗中，使用强迫游泳试验（FST）评估西红花苷和西红花酸（10、20和40mg/kg，腹腔注射）的抗抑郁样活性。在亚急性研究中（间隔24小时给药21次），使用FST和悬尾试验（TST）检测口服药物的抗抑郁样作用。分别使用旷场试验和转棒试验研究运动活性和运动协调性。
西红花苷（40mg/kg）和西红花酸（20和40mg/kg）急性给药在FST中产生抗抑郁样作用，且不影响小鼠的基础运动。西红花苷亚急性口服给药仅在最高剂量（100mg/kg）时显著减少不动时间。西红花酸（12.5、25和50mg/kg）能够减少FST和TST中的不动时间。西红花苷或西红花酸不影响小鼠的运动活性和协调性。
由于需要更高剂量的西红花苷才能显示出抗抑郁作用，因此可以得出西红花酸更有效的结论。该观察结果为口服给药后西红花苷代谢为西红花酸提供了进一步支持。
