title: New antidepressant drug candidate: Hypericum montbretti extract.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate possible antidepressant-like effects of the extract prepared from the flowers of Hypericum montbretti Spach. (Guttiferae, Clusiaceae). Phytochemical constituents of the methanolic extract were analysed by HPLC method. The main flavonoid component was detected as rutin, and another highly concentrated phenolic compound was quercitrin. Antidepressant activity of the extract was examined by tail suspension and modified forced swimming tests, whereas the motor coordination of the animals was tested by the Rota-Rod apparatus. Reboxetine at a dose of 20  mg kg⁻¹ was used as a reference drug. Dose-dependent antidepressant activity was observed in both tests following the administration of extract at 100 and 250 mg kg⁻¹ doses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the antidepressant activity of H. montbretti extract. Additionally, the results of this work support previous papers reporting the antidepressant activity of rutin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, 26470 Eskisehir, Turkey. ozgurdt@anadolu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ozgür Devrim
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Can
authors.forename: Ismail Bilal
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oztürk
authors.forename: Nilgün
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oztürk
authors.forename: Ismühan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Potoğlu-Erkara
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sagratini
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ricciutelli
authors.forename: Sauro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vittori
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maggi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020902:Hypericum / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045442:Rotarod Performance Test; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts