Antidepressant-like effects of essential oil and asarone, a major essential oil component from the rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii.
BACKGROUND
Depression is one of the most common psychiatric diseases. Acorus tatarinowii Schott (Araceae) has shown many bioactivities in treatment of senile dementia and epilepsy. However, there is no report on antidepressant-like effects of the essential oil (EO) and its major components on animals under standardized experimental procedures.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate the antidepressant properties of EO and asarones from the rhizomes of A. tatarinowii.


METHODS
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to determine the composition of EO. The forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and open-field test (OFT) were used to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of EO and asarones. EO [30, 60, 120 or 240 mg/kg, per os (p.o.)], asarones (α-asarone and β-asarone) [5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)] and imipramine (15 mg/kg, i.p.) were administered at 1 h, 30 min and 30 min before the test, respectively.


RESULTS
From the results of GC/MS, it was found that the main components of the EO were α-asarone (9.18%) and β-asarone (68.9%). From the results of FST and TST, the immobility time can be reduced to 166 ± 17 s (p < 0.01) and 146 ± 15 s (p < 0.05) by EO at the dose of 120 mg/kg. Moreover, significant antidepressant-like effects were shown by α-asarone with the immobility time of 178 ± 15 s (p < 0.05) and 159 ± 17 s (p < 0.01) in FST, or 147 ± 12 (p < 0.05) and 134 ± 12 s (p < 0.01) in TST at the dose of 10 and 20 mg/kg. β-Asarone also displayed antidepressant-like effects with an immobility time of 179 ± 18 s (p < 0.05) in FST or 142 ± 14 (p < 0.05) in TST at 20 mg/kg. However, no change in ambulation was observed in the OFT.


CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained indicate that the EO and asarones from the rhizomes of A. tatarinowii can be considered as a new therapeutic agent for curing depression.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan Military Region, PLA, Jinan, PR China.
Ping
P
Han
Ting
T
Han
Wei
W
Peng
Xiao-Ru
XR
Wang
D029023:Acorus / Q000737:chemistry*; D000081248:Allylbenzene Derivatives; D000818:Animals; D000840:Anisoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension; D007099:Imipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D027343:Rhizome; D013550:Swimming; D013997:Time Factors
D000081248:Allylbenzene Derivatives; D000840:Anisoles; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile; C012195:asarone; D007099:Imipramine