Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Gallic Acid from Terminalia Bellirica Fruit Exerts Antidepressant-like Activity

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Terminalia bellirica(Gaertn.) Roxb., Combretaceae, fruits are used in Indian system of medicine for multiple therapeutic applications. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of gallic acid extract from T. bellirica fruits on chronic mild stress-induced depression-like activity in mice model. The results showed that administration of T. bellirica ameliorated chronic mild stress-induced depression-like behavior by increased sucrose preference and decreased immobility time. Further, T. bellirica treatment has significantly regulated hyperactivity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by decreasing serum corticosterone and acetylcholinesterase. In addition, T. bellirica treatment has significantly modulated monoaminergic system by elevating neurotransmitters and inhibiting monoamino oxidases. Terminalia bellirica treatment has effectively antagonized the chronic mild stress-induced oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death as evidenced by mRNA or protein expression studies. Thus, the study concluded that T. bellirica produces an antidepressant-like activity by regulating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, monoaminergic systems, and apoptotic cell death.

Graphical abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adiyaman P, Kanchana S, Usharani T, Ilaiyaraja N, Kalaiselvan A, Anilakumar KR (2016) Identification and quantification of polyphenolic compounds in underutilized fruits (Star fruit and Egg fruit) using HPLC. Indian J Tradit Know 15:487–493

  • Asnis GM, Henderson MA (2014) EMSAM (deprenyl patch): how a promising antidepressant was underutilized. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 10:1911–1923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Auriacombe M, Reneric JP, Le Moal M (1997) Animal models of anhedonia. Psychopharmacol 134:337–338

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bortolato M, Chen K, Shih JC (2008) Monoamine oxidase inactivation: from pathophysiology to therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 60:1527–1533

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chandrasekhar Y, Ramya EM, Navya K, Phani Kumar G, Anilakumar KR (2017) Antidepressant like effects of hydrolysable tannins of Terminalia catappa leaf extract via modulation of hippocampal plasticity and regulation of monoamine neurotransmitters subjected to chronic mild stress (CMS). Biomed Pharmacother 86:414–425

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chandrasekhar Y, Phani Kumar G, Navya K, Ramya EM, Anilakumar KR (2018) Tannins from Terminalia chebula fruits attenuates GABA antagonist-induced anxiety-like behaviour via modulation of neurotransmitters. J Pharm Pharmacol. https://doi.org/10.1111/jphp.13007

  • Chhillar R, Dhingra D (2013) Antidepressant-like activity of gallic acid in mice subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 27:409–418

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dang H, Sun L, Liu X, Peng B, Wang Q, Jia W, Chen Y, Pan A, Xiao P (2009) Preventive action of Kai Xin San aqueous extract on depressive-like symptoms and cognition deficit induced by chronic mild stress. Exp Biol Med 234:785–793

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dhingra D, Goyal PK (2008) Inhibition of MAO and GABA: probable mechanisms for antidepressant-like activity of Nardostachys jatamansi DC. in mice. Indian J Exp Biol 46:212–218

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan J, Johnson S, Ou XM (2012) Monoamine oxidases in major depressive disorder and alcoholism. Drug Discov Ther 6:112–122

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grippo AJ, Francis J, Beltz TG, Felder RB, Johnson AK (2005) Neuroendocrine and cytokine profile of chronic mild stress-induced anhedonia. Physiol Behav 84:697–706

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hardingham GE, Bading H (2002) Coupling of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors to a CREB shut-off pathway is developmentally regulated. Biochim Biophys Acta Protein Proteomics 1600:148–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang EJ, Reichardt LF (2001) Neurotrophins: roles in neuronal development and function. Annu Rev Neurosci 24:677–736

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kadian R, Parle M (2015) Evaluation of Terminalia bellerica for its antipsychotic potential. Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res 30:247–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Shou J, Abera S, Ziff EB (2018) Sucrose withdrawal induces depression and anxiety-like behavior by Kir2.1 upregulation in the nucleus accumbens. Neuropharmacol 130:10–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar GP, Anilakumar KR, Naveen S (2014) Phytochemicals having neuroprotective properties from dietary sources and medicinal herbs. Pharm J 7:1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanfumey L, Mongeau R, Cohen-Salmon C, Hamon M (2008) Corticosteroid-serotonin interactions in the neurobiological mechanisms of stress-related disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 32:1174–1184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leonard BE (2010) The concept of depression as a dysfunction of the immune system. Curr Immunol Rev 6(3):205–212

  • Liu T, Zhong S, Liao X, Chen J, He T, Lai S, Jia Y (2015) A meta-analysis of oxidative stress markers in depression. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0138904

  • Mao QQ, Huang Z, Ip SP, Xian YF, Che CT (2012) Peony glycosides reverse the effects of corticosterone on behavior and brain BDNF expression in rats. Behav Brain Res 227:305–309

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mao QQ, Ip SP, Ko KM, Tsai SH, Che CT (2009) Peony glycosides produce antidepressant-like action in mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress: effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Prog Neuro-Psychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 33:1211–1216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Messay B, Lim A, Marsland AL (2012) Current understanding of the bi-directional relationship of major depression with inflammation. Biol Mood Anxiety Disord 2:1–4. https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-5380-2-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naughton M, Mulrooney JB, Leonard BE (2000) A review of the role of serotonin receptors in psychiatric disorders. Hum Psychopharmacol 15:397–415

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Numakawa T, Adachi N, Richards M, Chiba S, Kunugi H (2013) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glucocorticoids : reciprocal influence on the central nervous system. Neuroscience 239:157–172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Piñeyro G, Blier P (1999) Autoregulation of serotonin neurons: role in antidepressant drug action. Pharmacol Rev 51:533–591

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Popova NK, Naumenko VS (2019) Neuronal and behavioral plasticity: the role of serotonin and BDNF systems tandem. Expert Opin Ther Targets 23:227–239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roozendaal B (2002) Stress and memory: opposing effects of glucocorticoids on memory consolidation and memory retrieval. Neurobiol Learn Mem 78:578–595

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shang X, Shang Y, Fu J, Zhang T (2017) Nicotine significantly improves chronic stress-induced impairments of cognition and synaptic plasticity in mice. Mol Neurobiol 54:4644–4658

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Trivedi VP, Nesamany N, Sharma VK (1979) A clinical study of the anti-tussive and anti-asthmatic effects of Vibhitakphal Churna (Terminalia bellerica Roxb.) in the cases of Kasa-Swasa. J Res Ayurveda Siddha 3:1–8

  • Wang JM, Yang LH, Zhang YY, Niu CL, Cui Y, Feng WS, Wang GF (2015) BDNF and COX-2 participate in anti-depressive mechanisms of catalpol in rats undergoing chronic unpredictable mild stress. Physiol Behav 15:360–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Director Dr. Anil Dutt Semwal, DFRL (DRDO), for providing the experimental facilities.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition, Biochemistry and Toxicology Division, Defence Food Research Laboratory, Siddhartha Nagar, Mysore, Karanataka, India

    Chandrasekhar Yadavalli, Phani Kumar Garlapati & Anilakumar Kandangath Raghavan

Authors
  1. Chandrasekhar Yadavalli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Phani Kumar Garlapati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anilakumar Kandangath Raghavan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Phani Kumar Garlapati.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Protection of Human and Animal Subjects

The authors declare that the procedures followed were in accordance with the regulations of the relevant clinical research ethics committee and with those of the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki).

Confidentiality of Data

The authors declare that they have followed the protocols of their work center on the publication of patient data.

Right to Privacy and Informed Consent

The authors declare that no patient data appear in this article.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(PPTX 480 kb).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yadavalli, C., Garlapati, P.K. & Raghavan, A.K. Gallic Acid from Terminalia Bellirica Fruit Exerts Antidepressant-like Activity. Rev. Bras. Farmacogn. 30, 357–366 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-020-00020-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-020-00020-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation