Woohwangcheongsimwon Prevents High-Fat Diet-Induced Memory Deficits and Induces SIRT1 in Mice.

Woohwangcheongsimwon (WHC) is a mixture of herbal medicines that is widely prescribed in Korean traditional medicine. SIRT1 is known for its regulatory roles in energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and circadian rhythms. This study was designed to determine whether WHC can increase and mimic the biological reactions of SIRT1 activation.

Preclinical evidence of rapid-onset antidepressant-like effect in Radix Polygalae extract.

Radix Polygalae (the root of Polygala tenuifolia) is a herb widely used in traditional Asian medicine that is thought to exert a variety of neuropsychiatric effects. Radix Polygalae extract can protect against N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) neurotoxicity and induce brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, suggesting modulatory roles at glutamatergic synapses and possible antidepressant action. In accordance with this hypothesis, Radix Polygalae extract demonstrated antidepressant-like effects in 8-week-old male C57Bl/6 mice by decreasing behavioral despair in the forced swim and tail suspension tasks and increasing hedonic-like behavior in the female urine sniffing test 30 minutes after a single oral administration of 0.