Evaluation of Anti Depressant Activity of Selected Traditional Medicinal Flowers from Marathwada Region

Abstract

The present study reports the extraction of Bombax ceiba L., Butea monosperma Lam., Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand, Cestrum nocturnum L., Delonix regia (Hook) Raf., Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L., Madhuca indica J., Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L., Plumeria alba L., Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers. and Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz flower using water, methanol, chloroform and hexane solvents. Among the solvents tested water and methanol were the best solvents for extracting bioactive compounds from all plants tested since it resulted in the highest extraction yield and highest content of phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids. The antioxidant and in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of the extracts were also investigated. Compared with other extracts, methanolic extract of Madhuca indica flower exhibited the highest antioxidant and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. newlineRecent research has shown that Madhuca indica flowers and other tested plant may act as potential alternative remedies against cell toxicity. Madhuca indica extract can be used as an effective ingredient in medicinal recipes. Further investigation is carried out to identify the active compound behind the cytotoxic activity of the plant. newlineThis study suggests that water extract of Bombax ceiba and methanol extract of Madhuca indica shown mediated antidepressant activity by modifying the central neurochemical and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in response to TST-induced stress. Therefore, Bombax ceiba and Madhuca indica extracts can be used as valuable plant supplements to treat depression disorders. These results suggest that water and methanol are the best solvents for extracting bioactive compounds from the flowers of all selected plants, and water and methanolic extracts are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant and non-cytotoxic agents for the nutritional and pharmaceutical industries. This study is intended to be extended to others to find out biomolecules that are responsible for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antidep