PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTIDEPRESSANT AND IMMUNOMODULATORY EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF CISTUS LADANIFER L. FROM MOROCCO

 ABSTRACT

Cistus ladanifer L. (CL) is a medicinal plant known for its therapeutic properties in Moroccan traditional medicine. The leaves with non-woody branches aqueous extract (AE) of CL showed both immunomdulatory and antidepressant activities: (i) immunosuppressive effect at dose range used intraperitoneally (i.p) (150,175 and 200 mg/kg of body weight “b.w.”); (ii) AE, when administered (i.p) to the rats from 150 to 200 mg/kg b.w., were able to elicit dose-dependent relation of immobility reduction in the forced swimming test in rat “FST”. The antidepressant-like effect of the extract at the dose of 200 mg/kg, b.w., was more potent than that of reference antidepressant sertralin. Our results revealed in vivo a mediane lethal dose 50_% "LD50" equal to 450 mg/kg, b.w. Phytochemical studies were also undertaken and preliminary analysis of the AE of CL revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins and tannins compounds. The presence of flavonoids in the aqueous extract of CL is 24, 91 mg of quercetin “QE” equivalent per gram of dry weight “DW”. These data demonstrated that the AE of C. ladanifer L. had specifically antidepressant-like effects and cheap trx canada for sale significant immunosuppressive properties in vivo and may support the use of this plant in treating various psychiatric disturbances (depression) and diseases associated with immune response.

Key words: Cistus ladanifer L., Acute toxicity, Phytochemical studies, Antidepressant-like effect, Immunomodulatory effect, Forced swimming test.