Antidepressant-like effect of extract from Polygala paniculata: involvement of the monoaminergic systems.

Context: Polygala paniculata Linnaeus (Polygalaceae) has shown neuroprotective effects, but there is no report about its antidepressant potential.

Objective: The antidepressant-like effect of the hydroalcoholic extract from P. paniculata and some of the possible mechanisms involved in this effect were investigated in forced swimming test (FST).

Antifungal activity of five species of Polygala.

Crude extracts and fractions of five species of Polygala - P. campestris, P. cyparissias, P.

Vasorelaxant and hypotensive effects of the extract and the isolated flavonoid rutin obtained from Polygala paniculata L.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the in-vitro and in-vivo cardiovascular effects of the crude hydroalcoholic extract from Polygala paniculata (HEPP) in rats.

Methods: The procedures were performed on aortic rings and on normotensive anaesthetized rats.

Key Findings: When tested in endothelium-intact aorta rings, HEPP (30-1000 µg/ml) produced a significant non-concentration-dependent relaxing effect (∼40%), which was completely prevented by incubation with L-NAME (nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), ODQ (soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor) and partially inhibited by tetraethylammonium (TEA; a non-selective potassium channel blocker) and charybdotoxin (a large- and intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel blocker).

Antinociceptive properties of the hydroalcoholic extract and the flavonoid rutin obtained from Polygala paniculata L. in mice.

The present study examined the antinociceptive effects of a hydroalcoholic extract of Polygala paniculata in chemical and thermal behavioural models of pain in mice. The antinociceptive effects of hydroalcoholic extract was evaluated in chemical (acetic-acid, formalin, capsaicin, cinnamaldehyde and glutamate tests) and thermal (tail-flick and hot-plate test) models of pain or by biting behaviour following intratecal administration of both ionotropic and metabotropic agonists of excitatory amino acids receptors glutamate and cytokines such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in mice. When given orally, hydroalcoholic extract (0.

Gastroprotective activity of the chloroform extract of the roots from Arctium lappa L.

Arctium lappa L. is used in folk medicine as a diuretic, depurative and digestive stimulant and in dermatological conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect and the possible mechanisms involved in the gastroprotective effects of a chloroform extract (CE) of the roots from A.

Myricitrin as a substrate and inhibitor of myeloperoxidase: implications for the pharmacological effects of flavonoids.

Flavonoids are increasingly being ingested by the general population as chemotherapeutic and anti-inflammatory agents. They are potentially toxic because of their conversion to free radicals and reactive quinones by peroxidases. Little detailed information is available on how flavonoids interact with myeloperoxidase, which is the predominant peroxidase present at sites of inflammation.

Mercurial-induced hydrogen peroxide generation in mouse brain mitochondria: protective effects of quercetin.

Plants of the genus Polygala have been shown to possess protective effects against neuronal death and cognitive impairments in neurodegenerative disorders related to excitotoxicity. Moreover, previous reports from our group have shown the neuroprotective effects of the plant Polygala paniculata against methylmercury (MeHg)-induced neurotoxicity. In this work, we have examined the potential protective effects of three compounds (7-prenyloxy-6-methoxycoumarin, quercetin, and 1,5-dihidroxi-2,3-dimethoxy xanthone) from Polygala species against MeHg- and mercuric chloride (HgCl2)-induced disruption of mitochondrial function under in vitro conditions using mitochondrial-enriched fractions from mouse brain.

Gastroprotective activity of the hydroalcoholic extract obtained from Polygala paniculata L. in rats.

The possible gastroprotective effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of Polygala paniculata in rats have been evaluated. We have investigated the effects of this hydroalcoholic extract on acute lesions induced by ethanol (70%, p.o.

Involvement of p38MAPK on the antinociceptive action of myricitrin in mice.

Previous studies from our group investigated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of the flavonoid myricitrin. Here, we demonstrated the role of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) on the antinociceptive action of myricitrin. The nociceptive response was evaluated by monitoring biting behaviour following intratecal (i.

Antinociceptive action of myricitrin: involvement of the K+ and Ca2+ channels.

The present study was designed to investigate the mechanisms involved in the antinociception afforded by myricitrin in chemical models of nociception in mice. Myricitrin given by intrathecal (i.t.

Anti-allodynic property of flavonoid myricitrin in models of persistent inflammatory and neuropathic pain in mice.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of myricitrin, a flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive action, upon persistent neuropathic and inflammatory pain. The neuropathic pain was caused by a partial ligation (2/3) of the sciatic nerve and the inflammatory pain was induced by an intraplantar (i.pl.

Protective effects of Polygala paniculata extract against methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity in mice.

We have examined the possible protective effects of Polygala paniculata extract against methylmercury (MeHg)-induced neurotoxicity in adult mice. MeHg was diluted in drinking water (40 mg L(-1), freely available) and the hydroalcoholic Polygala extract was diluted in a 150 mM NaCl solution and administered by gavage (100 mg kg(-1) b.w.