Experimental Study on the Antidepressant Effect of Ginseng Radix Alba and Cyperi Rhizoma

인삼(人蔘)과 향부자(香附子)의 항우울효과(抗憂鬱效果)에 관한 실험적 연구

Ginseng Radix Alba and Cyperi Rhizoma were investigated for their anti-depressant effects. For this purpose, forced-swimming test, tail suspension test, hot plate test, reserpine-induced hypothermia, aggressive behavior test were performed. In addition, the brain content of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(a metabolite of serotonin), the monoamine oxidase activity, anticonvulsant effect, sleep enhancement effect were determined. The results are as follows: In the forced swimming test, Ginseng Radix diminished the duration of immobility by 45.5% compared to the control group, while Cyperi Rhizoma showed weaker effect (12.4% reduction) at 2g/kg. In the tail suspension test, the effect of Ginseng Radix(43.7% reduction) are also better than that of Cyperi Rhizoma(15.6% reduction) at 2g/kg. In the hot plate test, Ginseng Radix showed no difference as compared to control, while Cyperi Rhizoma increased the jump latency time by about 25% after administration for 10 days. In the reserpine-induced hypothermia test, both drugs slowly dropped the body temperature compared to the control group, especially the rate of hypothermia of Ginseng Radix was 24.0% at 1g/kg. In the aggressive behavior test, both drugs delayed the onset time, decreased the duration and frequency, of which effects were better in Cyperi Rhizoma. The content of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in mice brain was slightly increased in Ginseng Radix, while Cyperi Rhizoma increased its level almost to the control group. Both drugs inhibited the monoamine oxidase activity in a dose-dependent manner, but the effect(51.2%) of Cyperi Rhizoma was more potent than the effect(11.8%) of Ginseng Radix. In the pentobarbital-induced sleep test, Cyperi Rhizoma exhibited no significant difference against the control group, while Ginseng Radix showed about two-fold enhancement at 2g/kg. The anticonvulsant effect of both drugs delayed the onset time, shortened the duration of convulsion and diminished the lethality, but Ginseng Radix were better than Cyperi Rhizoma.