title: Screening of plants used in Danish folk medicine to treat depression and anxiety for affinity to the serotonin transporter and inhibition of MAO-A.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A number of plant species are used in Danish folk medicine for treatment of depression and anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of 17 plant species were tested for affinity to the serotonin transporter and for inhibition of MAO-A-both targets for antidepressive treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An ethanolic extract of aerial parts of Borago officinalis had affinity to the serotonin transporter. Ten extracts, from eight plants, had IC(50) values below 25μg/ml extract in the MAO-A assay. The most active extracts in the MAO-A assay were the ethanol extract of seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum (IC(50) 4μg/ml); ethanol extract of leaves of Apium graveolens (IC(50) 5μg/ml) and the water extract of aerial parts of Calluna vulgaris (IC(50) 8μg/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Besides Borago officinalis, which toxicity profile excludes it from further development as an herbal drug, none of the plants had potential as serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Several plants had MAO-A inhibitory activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2 Universitetsparken, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark. Electronic address: anna.jager@sund.ku.dk
authors.forename: Anna K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: Bente
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gauguin
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adsersen
authors.forename: Lene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gudiksen
mesh_terms: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy; D003718:Denmark; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase