title: Screening of antidepressant activity and estimation of quercetin from Coccinia indica using TLC densitometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coccinia indica Naud (Cucurbitaceae) has been traditionally used for the treatment of depression but these claims have not been validated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to investigate antidepressant activity of various extracts and fractions of C. indica aerial parts, and to estimate content of quercetin in the plant using TLC densitometry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Coccinia indica aerial parts were successively extracted using solvents in increasing order of polarity, namely n-hexane, chloroform, methanol, and water. Various extracts were evaluated for antidepressant activity at doses of 200 or 400 mg/kg, p.o., upon acute administration in mice using the forced swim test (FST). The bioactive extract was partitioned successively using solvents in increasing order of polarity, namely n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. All fractions were also screened for antidepressant activity at doses of 25 or 50 mg/kg, p.o., upon acute administration in mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The methanol extract significantly reduced the duration of immobility in FST at dose of 400 mg/kg without affecting locomotor activity in open field test, thus, confirmed its antidepressant activity, which was statistically equivalent to the standard drug (imipramine, 15 mg/kg, i.p.). Ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) exhibited antidepressant activity at 50 mg/kg. Comparative TLC fingerprint studies confirmed the presence of quercetin in methanol extract and EAF. Quercetin was used as a chemical marker to standardize C. indica aerial parts using the validated TLC densitometric method, and the content of quercetin was found to be 0.00172% w/w.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present studies scientifically validated traditional claims of C. indica for antidepressant activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University , Patiala, Punjab , India.
authors.forename: Kudrat
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Randhawa
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Anupam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jamwal
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer / Q000379:methods; D019662:Cucurbitaceae; D003720:Densitometry / Q000379:methods*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011794:Quercetin / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011794:Quercetin
keywords: Cucurbitaceae; flavonoid; forced swim test; imipramine; ivy gourd