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Pharmaceuticals
Special Issues
Neuropharmacology of Plant Extracts and Their Active Compounds
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Neuropharmacology of Plant Extracts and Their Active Compounds

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 6988

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Angel Josabad Alonso-Castro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Farmacia, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Interests: pharmacology; medicinal plant; ethnobotany; pharmacy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Approximately 13% of the world's population, around 970 million people, lives with mental disorders that affect emotional regulation, as well as physical and social functions. The number of cases of anxiety and depression due to the pandemic situation has increased dramatically. A small percentage of people with a mental disorder will look for medical advice. In rural areas, it is difficult to access pharmacological treatments. The use of medicinal plants among the general population for treating mental disorders has increased during the last three years. Many of these plant species and their active compounds remain to be studied. This Special Issue will be focused on medicinal plants used for mental disorders on the following topics: (i) ethnobotanical studies using quantitative tools, (ii) survey-based studies about self-medication/use of herbal products, (iii) preclinical and clinical studies about neuropharmacological action of plant extracts and/or their active compounds, (v) legislation and regulation of herbal products used for mental disorders, (vi) herb–drug combinations, and (vii) herb–drug-based treatments for preventing neurodegenerative diseases.

The journal Pharmaceuticals invites experts to contribute to this Special Issue with reviews and original research articles focusing on the pharmacology, toxicology, analytical chemistry, pharmacy, and ethnobotany of medicinal plants with neuropharmacological effects.

Dr. Angel Josabad Alonso-Castro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • medicinal plant
  • mental disorder
  • preclinical
  • clinical

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2448 KiB  
Article
Methyleugenol Has an Antidepressant Effect in a Neuroendocrine Model: In Silico and In Vivo Evidence
by Mayara Cecile Nascimento Oliveira, Ikla Lima Cavalcante, Alana Natalícia de Araújo, Aline Matilde Ferreira dos Santos, Renata Priscila Barros de Menezes, Chonny Herrera-Acevedo, Natália Ferreira de Sousa, Jailane de Souza Aquino, José Maria Barbosa-Filho, Ricardo Dias de Castro, Reinaldo Nóbrega Almeida, Luciana Scotti, Marcus Tullius Scotti and Mirian Graciela Da Silva Stiebbe Salvadori
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(10), 1408; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16101408 - 04 Oct 2023
Viewed by 814
Abstract
Major depressive disorder is a severe mood disorder characterized by different emotions and feelings. This study investigated the antidepressant activity of the phenylpropanoid methyleugenol (ME) in adult female mice exposed to a stress model induced by dexamethasone. The animals were randomly divided into [...] Read more.
Major depressive disorder is a severe mood disorder characterized by different emotions and feelings. This study investigated the antidepressant activity of the phenylpropanoid methyleugenol (ME) in adult female mice exposed to a stress model induced by dexamethasone. The animals were randomly divided into groups containing eight animals and were pre-administered with dexamethasone (64 μg/kg subcutaneously). After 165 and 180 min, they were treated with ME (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg intraperitoneally) or imipramine (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally) after 45 min and 30 min, respectively; they were then submitted to tests which were filmed. The videos were analyzed blindly. In the tail suspension test, ME (50 mg/kg) increased latency and reduced immobility time. In the splash test, ME (50 mg/kg) decreased grooming latency and increased grooming time. In the open field, there was no statistical difference for the ME groups regarding the number of crosses, and ME (50 mg/kg) increased the number of rearing and time spent in the center. Regarding in silico studies, ME interacted with dopaminergic D1 and α1 adrenergic pathway receptors and with tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor. In the in vivo evaluation of the pathways of action, the antidepressant potential of ME (50 mg/kg) was reversed by SCH23390 (4 mg/kg intraperitoneally) dopaminergic D1 receptor, Prazosin (1 mg/kg intraperitoneally) α1 adrenergic receptor, and PCPA (4 mg/kg intraperitoneally) tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor. Our findings indicate that ME did not alter with the locomotor activity of the animals and shows antidepressant activity in female mice with the participation of the D1, α1 and serotonergic systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropharmacology of Plant Extracts and Their Active Compounds)
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20 pages, 3697 KiB  
Article
Neuropharmacological Effects of the Dichloromethane Extract from the Stems of Argemone ochroleuca Sweet (Papaveraceae) and Its Active Compound Dihydrosanguinarine
by Eunice Yáñez-Barrientos, Juan Carlos Barragan-Galvez, Sergio Hidalgo-Figueroa, Alfonso Reyes-Luna, Maria L. Gonzalez-Rivera, David Cruz Cruz, Mario Alberto Isiordia-Espinoza, Martha Alicia Deveze-Álvarez, Clarisa Villegas Gómez and Angel Josabad Alonso-Castro
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(8), 1175; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16081175 - 18 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1070
Abstract
Argemone ochroleuca Sweet (Papaveraceae) is used in folk medicine as a sedative and hypnotic agent. This study aimed to evaluate the anxiolytic-like, sedative, antidepressant-like, and anticonvulsant activities of a dichloromethane extract of A. ochroleuca stems (AOE), chemically standardized using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), [...] Read more.
Argemone ochroleuca Sweet (Papaveraceae) is used in folk medicine as a sedative and hypnotic agent. This study aimed to evaluate the anxiolytic-like, sedative, antidepressant-like, and anticonvulsant activities of a dichloromethane extract of A. ochroleuca stems (AOE), chemically standardized using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and its active compound dihydrosanguinarine (DHS). The anxiolytic-like, sedative, antidepressant-like, and anticonvulsant activities of the AOE (0.1–50 mg/kg p.o.) and DHS (0.1–10 mg/kg p.o.) were evaluated using murine models. A possible mechanism for the neurological actions induced by the AOE or DHS was assessed using inhibitors of neurotransmission pathways and molecular docking. Effective dose 50 (ED50) values were calculated by a linear regression analysis. The AOE showed anxiolytic-like activity in the cylinder exploratory test (ED50 = 33 mg/kg), and antidepressant-like effects in the forced swimming test (ED50 = 3 mg/kg) and the tail suspension test (ED50 = 23 mg/kg), whereas DHS showed anxiolytic-like activity (ED50 = 2 mg/kg) in the hole board test. The AOE (1–50 mg/kg) showed no locomotive affectations or sedation in mice. A docking study revealed the affinity of DHS for α2-adrenoreceptors and GABAA receptors. The anxiolytic-like and anticonvulsant effects of the AOE are due to GABAergic participation, whereas the antidepressant-like effects of the AOE are due to the noradrenergic system. The noradrenergic and GABAergic systems are involved in the anxiolytic-like actions of DHS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropharmacology of Plant Extracts and Their Active Compounds)
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12 pages, 2987 KiB  
Article
Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction Ameliorates the Aluminium Chloride-Induced Neurovascular Dysfunction-Associated Vascular Dementia in Rats
by Sohrab A. Shaikh and Arunachalam Muthuraman
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(6), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16060828 - 01 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1322
Abstract
Neurovascular dysfunction leads to the second most common type of dementia, i.e., vascular dementia (VaD). Toxic metals, such as aluminium, increase the risk of neurovascular dysfunction-associated VaD. Hence, we hypothesized that a natural antioxidant derived from palm oil, i.e., tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), can [...] Read more.
Neurovascular dysfunction leads to the second most common type of dementia, i.e., vascular dementia (VaD). Toxic metals, such as aluminium, increase the risk of neurovascular dysfunction-associated VaD. Hence, we hypothesized that a natural antioxidant derived from palm oil, i.e., tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), can attenuate the aluminium chloride (AlCl3)-induced VaD in rats. Rats were induced with AlCl3 (150 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for seven days followed by TRF treatment for twenty-one days. The elevated plus maze test was performed for memory assessment. Serum nitrite and plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were measured as biomarkers for endothelial dysfunction and small vessel disease determination. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) was determined as brain oxidative stress marker. Platelet-derived growth factor-C (PDGF-C) expression in the hippocampus was identified using immunohistochemistry for detecting the neovascularisation process. AlCl3 showed a significant decrease in memory and serum nitrite levels, while MPO and TBARS levels were increased; moreover, PDGF-C was not expressed in the hippocampus. However, TRF treatment significantly improved memory, increased serum nitrite, decreased MPO and TBARS, and expressed PDGF-C in hippocampus. Thus, the results imply that TRF reduces brain oxidative stress, improves endothelial function, facilitates hippocampus PDGF-C expression for neovascularisation process, protects neurons, and improves memory in neurovascular dysfunction-associated VaD rats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropharmacology of Plant Extracts and Their Active Compounds)
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Review

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33 pages, 2059 KiB  
Review
Hawaiian Plants with Beneficial Effects on Sleep, Anxiety, and Mood, etc.
by Pornphimon Meesakul, Tyler Shea, Shi Xuan Wong, Yutaka Kuroki and Shugeng Cao
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(9), 1228; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16091228 - 30 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2135
Abstract
Diverse chemical messengers are responsible for maintaining homeostasis in the human body, for example, hormones and neurotransmitters. Various Hawaiian plant species produce compounds that exert effects on these messengers and the systems of which they are a part. The main purpose of this [...] Read more.
Diverse chemical messengers are responsible for maintaining homeostasis in the human body, for example, hormones and neurotransmitters. Various Hawaiian plant species produce compounds that exert effects on these messengers and the systems of which they are a part. The main purpose of this review article is to evaluate the potential effects of Hawaiian plants on reducing pain and anxiety and improving sleep and mood. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in SciFinder, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Scientific Information Database between 2019 and 2023 to identify related articles. Results indicate that several Hawaiian plant species, such as M. citrifolia and P. methysticum, have medicinal properties associated with these effects. These plants have been used in traditional Hawaiian cultural practices for centuries, suggesting their potential to benefit human health and well-being. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the available evidence concerning the potential impacts of Hawaiian plants on sleep, anxiety, mood, and pain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropharmacology of Plant Extracts and Their Active Compounds)
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Other

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24 pages, 11517 KiB  
Systematic Review
Neuroendocrine Biomarkers of Herbal Medicine for Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Hye-Bin Seung, Hui-Ju Kwon, Chan-Young Kwon and Sang-Ho Kim
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(8), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16081176 - 18 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1002
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a medical condition involving persistent sadness and loss of interest; however, conventional treatments with antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy have limitations. Based on the pathogenesis of MDD, treatments using herbal medicines (HM) have been identified in animal studies. [...] Read more.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a medical condition involving persistent sadness and loss of interest; however, conventional treatments with antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy have limitations. Based on the pathogenesis of MDD, treatments using herbal medicines (HM) have been identified in animal studies. We conducted a systematic review of clinical studies to identify neurobiological outcomes and evaluate the effectiveness of HM in treating MDD. A meta-analysis was performed by searching nine databases from their inception until 12 September 2022, including 31 randomized controlled trials with 3133 participants, to examine the effects of HM on MDD using neurobiological biomarkers and a depression questionnaire scale. Quality assessment was performed using a risk of bias tool. Compared to antidepressants alone, HM combined with an antidepressant significantly increased concentrations of serotonin (SMD = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.24–2.68, p < 0.00001, I2 = 97%), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (SMD = 1.38, 95% CI: 0.92–1.83, p < 0.00001, I2 = 91%), and nerve growth factors (SMD = 2.38, 95% CI: 0.67–4.10, p = 0.006, I2 = 96%), and decreased cortisol concentrations (SMD = −3.78, 95% CI: −4.71 to −2.86, p < 0.00001, I2 = 87%). Although HM or HM with an antidepressant benefits MDD treatment through improving neuroendocrine factors, these findings should be interpreted with caution because of the low methodological quality and clinical heterogeneity of the included studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropharmacology of Plant Extracts and Their Active Compounds)
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