Evaluation of Hypericum androsaemum L. red fruit effects in a mouse model of post-stroke depression

Stroke is one of the most important cerebrovascular diseases, and is classified into two categories, hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, with the latter causing infarction and brain injury during which alteration of antioxidant defenses and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause neuronal dysfunction and death.1 Oxidative stress thus plays a pivotal role for the development of major depressive disorder (MDD). Indeed, depression is an important and frequent neuropsychiatric disorder occurring in stroke patients.2 Searching for medicinal plants endowed with antidepressant and antioxidant properties, thus potentially useful in the treatment of post-stroke depression, we focused our attention on Hypericum androsaemum L., an evergreen shrub growing in thermophilous woods and considered one of the most used traditional remedies in the genus Hypericum throughout the Mediterranean area.3,4 In particular, we assumed that the antioxidant potential of H. androsaemum berry-like fruits, previously demonstrated,3,4 may be helpful in treating the symptoms of post-stroke depression. For the purpose, a mouse model of post-stroke depression was used. Ischemic stroke was induced in mice by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion and the antidepressive-like effects of two aqueous extracts of H. androsaemum red fruits at two doses (15 and 30 mg/kg bw i.p.) were evaluated by despair swimming test (DST) and tail suspension test (TST). Furthermore, the oxidative stress in mice brain was examined by measuring the TBARS, SOD, Cat and GSH levels. Finally, the content of ten bioactive compounds in the H. androsaemum red berry extracts was measured by HPLC-DAD analysis. Results showed that H. androsaemum red berry aqueous extracts reduced the overall symptoms of post-stroke depression, restoring near-normal behavior. Correlation between pharmacological results and the presence in the fruit extract of some bioactive compounds was discussed.