Our results suggest that the acute administration of the HELSm in the scototaxis and NTDT tests in a zebrafish model (Danio rerio) produced anxiolytic and antidepressant effects, devoid of hypnotic and sedative actions by immersion, and this action was improved when administered by oral via. Possibly, the presence of isoquercitrin in the leaves of Spondias mombin participates in the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects.

Medicinal plants such as Aloysia polystachya are often used in the treatment of psychiatric diseases, including anxiety- and depression-related humor disturbances. In folk medicine, A. polystachya is used to treat digestive and respiratory tract disturbances, as a sedative and antidepressant agent, and as a tonic for the nerves. This study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant and anxiolytic effect from the hydroethanolic extract from the leaves of Aloysia polystachya (HELAp) in zebrafish. The extract was analyzed through ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS) and the main compound detected was acteoside. HELAp was administered orally (10 mg/kg) and through immersion (mg/L). The anxiolytic activity was evaluated through the scototaxis (light–dark) test using caffeine as an anxiogenic agent and buspirone as a positive control. The parameters assessed were: period spent in the white compartment (s), latency (s), alternations (n), erratic swims (n), period of freezing (s), thigmotaxis (s), and risk evaluation (n). The antidepressant effect was evaluated through the novel tank diving test using 1% ethanol, unpredictable chronic stress, and social isolation as depressors; fluoxetine was used as a positive control. The parameters assessed were: period spent at the top of the tank, latency, quadrants crossed, erratic swim, period of freezing, and distance of swam. The main chemical compound of HELAp was acteoside. The administration of the extract on zebrafish managed to revert the anxiogenic effect of caffeine without impairing their locomotion. Additionally, the treatment exerted antidepressant activity similarly to fluoxetine. Overall, the results suggest a significant anxiolytic and antidepressant activity to the extract, which is probably due to the presence of the major compound, acteoside.

Some significant compounds present in annatto are geranylgeraniol and tocotrienols. These compounds have beneficial effects against hyperlipidemia and chronic diseases, where oxidative stress and inflammation are present, but the exact mechanism of action of such activities is still a subject of research. This study aimed to evaluate possible mechanisms of action that could be underlying the activities of these molecules. For this, in silico approaches such as ligand topology (PASS and SEA servers) and molecular docking with the software GOLD were used. Additionally, we screened some pharmacokinetic and toxicological parameters using the servers PreADMET, SwissADME, and ProTox-II. The results corroborate the antidyslipidemia and anti-inflammatory activities of geranylgeraniol and tocotrienols. Notably, some new mechanisms of action were predicted to be potentially underlying the activities of these compounds, including inhibition of squalene monooxygenase, lanosterol synthase, and phospholipase A2. These results give new insight into new mechanisms of action involved in these molecules from annatto and Chronic®.

No abstract

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of co-treatment with purified annatto oil (PAO) or its granules (GRA, Chronic®) with that of testosterone on the orchiectomy-induced osteoporosis in Wistar rats. After surgery, rats were treated from day 7 until day 45 with testosterone only (TES, 7 mg/kg, IM) or TES + PAO or GRA (200 mg/kg, p.o.). The following parameters were evaluated: food/water intake, weight, HDL, LDL, glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), alkaline phosphatase levels, blood phosphorus and calcium contents, femur weight, structure (through scanning electron microscopy), and calcium content (through atomic absorption spectrophotometry). Our results show that orchiectomy could significantly change the blood lipid profile and decrease bone integrity parameters. Testosterone reposition alone could improve some endpoints, including LDL, TC, bone weight, and bone calcium concentration. However, other parameters were not significantly improved. Co-treatment with PAO or GRA improved the blood lipid profile and bone integrity more significantly and improved some endpoints not affected by testosterone reposition alone (such as TG levels and trabeculae sizes). The results suggest that co-treatment with annatto products improved the blood lipid profile and the anti-osteoporosis effects of testosterone. Overall, GRA had better results than PAO.