Antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of amentoflavone isolated from Cnestis ferruginea in mice.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Preclinical animal behavioral study
PubMed 22944105 · doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2012.08.017
What was done
Researchers evaluated the antidepressant and anxiolytic properties of amentoflavone (CF-2) and crude root extract from *Cnestis ferruginea* in mice. Antidepressant-like activity was measured using the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST), including antagonist challenge assays (metergoline, prazosin, yohimbine, sulpiride, cyproheptadine, and atropine) before amentoflavone (50 mg/kg p.o.). Anxiolytic-like activity was measured via hole-board, elevated plus maze (EPM), and light/dark tests, including flumazenil pretreatment before amentoflavone (25 mg/kg p.o.) in the EPM.
What was found
Acute treatment with extract and amentoflavone significantly reduced immobility time in the FST and TST (p < 0.001), with peak effects at 100 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, respectively. Antidepressant-like effects were higher than imipramine in the FST (p < 0.05) and comparable to fluoxetine in the TST. Pretreatment with metergoline, prazosin, and yohimbine, but not sulpiride, cyproheptadine, or atropine, significantly prevented anti-immobility effects in the FST. The extract and amentoflavone significantly increased head-dips, open-arm time in the EPM, and light-chamber exploration (p < 0.05). Flumazenil significantly reduced open-arm time in the EPM. Specific numerical values, group sizes, and confidence intervals were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
The findings identify amentoflavone as an active compound supporting traditional uses of *C. ferruginea* for psychiatric indications, operating via dual monoaminergic and GABAergic pathways in animal models.
Limits
The study is restricted entirely to acute rodent behavioral tests and provides no human clinical data on safety, dosing, pharmacokinetics, or efficacy. Animal sample sizes per group are not reported in the abstract, and potential confounding effects such as alterations in general locomotor activity were not described.
Cited by
- partial Amentoflavone reduces anxiety.