Effects of troxerutin on anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors induced by chronic mild stress in adult male rats.

OBJECTIVES

Chronic stress has been linked to the pathophysiology of mood disorders including anxiety and depression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of troxerutin (TRX), as a flavonol, on stress-induced anxiety and depression.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

56 animals were randomly divided into seven groups (n=8 per group) as follows: control, saline, TRX 50, TRX 150, TRX 300, Diazepam, and Imipramine. Chronic mild stress (CMS) was induced by restraining animals in Plexiglas cylinders for 1 hr each day for 25 consecutive days. Different doses (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg, oral gavage) of troxerutin was gavaged for 14 consecutive days. At the end of treatments, anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors were tested using elevated plus-maze (EPM), open field test (OFT), and forced swimming test (FST).

RESULTS

CMS significantly increased immobility (P<0.05) and decreased swimming (P<0.01) time in FST. However, different doses of troxerutin significantly decreased immobility (P<0.01) and increased swimming (P<0.001) time. CMS also significantly (P<0.01) decreased the percentage of open arm entrance (%OAE), whereas troxerutin significantly increased both %OAE and percentage of open arm time (%OAT) in the EPM. Moreover, CMS significantly decreased time spent in the center (P<0.001) and the number of center entrances (P<0.01) in the OFT. However, troxerutin significantly increased time spent in the center and number of the entrances crossing. Furthermore, CMS significantly increased serum cortisol levels and troxerutin decreased it.

CONCLUSION

Troxerutin demonstrated anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like activities in rodents, which supports the use of herbal medicine in the mood disorders.