Machado_2012_J.Ethnopharmacol_143_158

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Rosemary Rosmarinus of fi cinalis L has several therapeutic applications in folk medicine for the treatment of a wide range of diseases including depression AIM OF THE STUDY To evaluate the ability of Rosmarinus of fi cinalis hydroalcoholic extract ROHE as compared to the positive control fluoxetine to reverse behavioral hyperactivity anhedonic behavior and learning deficit in water maze and biochemical alterations serum glucose level and acetylcholinesterase AChE activity induced by an animal model of depression the olfactory bulbectomy OB in mice MATERIALS AND METHODS Locomotor and exploratory behavior was assessed in the open-field novel object and novel cage tests anhedonic behavior was assessed in the splash test cognitive deficits were evaluated in the water maze task For the first set of experiments ROHE 10-300 mg/kg or fluoxetine 10mg/kg was administered once daily p.o for 14 days after OB and the behavioral tests were performed For the second set of experiments serum glucose and hippocampal and cerebrocortical AChE activity were determined in OB and SHAM-operated mice treated orally with ROHE 10mg/kg fluoxetine 10mg/kg or vehicle RESULTS ROHE 10-300 mg/kg similar to fluoxetine reversed OB-induced hyperactivity increased exploratory and anhedonic behavior OB needed significantly more trials in the training session to acquire the spatial information but they displayed a similar profile to that of SHAM mice in the test session 24h later demonstrating a selective deficit in spatial learning which was not reversed by ROHE or fluoxetine A reduced serum glucose level and an increased hippocampal AChE activity were observed in bulbectomized mice only the latter effect was reversed by fluoxetine while both effects were reversed by ROHE CONCLUSIONS ROHE exerted an antidepressant-like effect in bulbectomized mice and was able to abolish AchE alterations and hypoglycemia but not spatial learning deficit induced by OB Overall results suggest the potential of Rosmarinus officinalis for the treatment of depression validating the traditional use of this plant.