title: Monoamine oxidase inhibition by Rhodiola rosea L. roots.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae) is traditionally used in Eastern Europe and Asia to stimulate the nervous system, enhance physical and mental performance, treat fatigue, psychological stress and depression. In order to investigate the influence of Rhodiola rosea L. roots on mood disorders, three extracts were tested against monoamine oxidases (MAOs A and B) in a microtitre plate bioassay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Methanol and water extracts gave the highest inhibitory activity against MAOs. Twelve compounds were then isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation using chromatographic methods. The structures were determined by 1H, 13C NMR and HR-MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The methanol and water extracts exhibited respectively inhibitions of 92.5% and 84.3% on MAO A and 81.8% and 88.9% on MAO B, at a concentration of 100 microg/ml. The most active compound (rosiridin) presented an inhibition over 80% on MAO B at a concentration of 10(-5) M (pIC50=5.38+/-0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present investigation demonstrates that Rhodiola rosea L. roots have potent anti-depressant activity by inhibiting MAO A and may also find application in the control of senile dementia by their inhibition of MAO B.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daphne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Diermen
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marston
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reist
authors.forename: Pierre-Alain
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Carrupt
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hostettmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots; D029771:Rhodiola
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase