Beneficial Effect of Chronic Treatment with Extracts from Rhodiola Rosea L. and Curcuma Longa L. on the Immunoreactivity of Animals Subjected to a Chronic Mild Stress Model

Abstract

DP. Benefi cial eff ect of chronic treatment with extracts from Rhodiola rosea L. and Curcuma longa L. on the immunoreactivity of animals subjected to a chronic mild stress model. Folia Medica 2017;59(4): 443-53. doi: 10.1515/folmed-2017-0046 Background: Recent studies have suggested increased levels of pro-infl ammatory cytokines in depression. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the eff ect of extracts from Rhodiola and Curcuma on immunoreactivity of animals subjected to a chronic mild stress (CMS) model followed by lipopolysaccharide-induced infl ammation. Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats (n=56) divided in 7 groups were treated orally with: distilled water 10 ml/kg (control and CMS model groups); Rhodiola 250 mg/kg; Rhodiola 500 mg/kg; Curcuma 250 mg/kg; Curcuma 500 mg/kg, Rhodiola 250 mg/kg and Curcuma 250 mg/kg. All groups except the control were stressed daily according to a CMS protocol. Changes in glucose preference, weight gain and locomotor activity were recorded. In the sixth week the animals were challenged with LPS and rats' sera were obtained for ELISA evaluation of TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Results:The animals from the model group decreased their weight gain, glucose preference and locomotor activity compared to controls. The groups exposed to stress and treated with Rhodiola 500 mg/kg, Curcuma 500 mg/kg and their combination increased their locomotor activity compared to the model group. High expression of the pro-infl ammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 were found in all groups exposed to CMS and challenged by LPS. Conclusions: The groups exposed to the stress procedure showed a variety of depression-like behavioral changes. In addition, ELISA tests showed that CMS is aff ecting rats' immunity by increasing the cytokines' levels. These changes could be reversed by administration of Rhodiola and Curcuma in combination suggesting synergic interaction regarding their anti-infl ammatory and anti-stress eff ects. BACKGROUND

Antidepressant-like effect of salidroside and curcumin on the immunoreactivity of rats subjected to a chronic mild stress model

“…In our previous set-up chronic administration of the combination of the standardized extracts from R. rosea and C. longa showed beneficial antidepressant-like effects in rats subjected to the CMS model and influenced the immune response following LPS stimulation (Vasileva et al, 2017). Therefore the present study aimed to further clarify the potential antidepressant-like effects of the pure compounds salidroside, curcumin and their combination on the immunoreactivity of animals subjected to the CMS model followed by a LPS-induced inflammation.…”

“…The administration of LPS induces depressive-like behavior in rodents accompanied with an activation of the innate immune response (Kubera et al, 2013;Ohgi et al, 2013). Therefore it could be suggested that CMS model followed by a LPS-challenge would have greater effect on the immunoreactivity of depressed rats (Elgarf et al, 2014;Vasileva et al, 2017).…”

Potential Antidepressant Effects of Scutellaria baicalensis, Hericium erinaceus and Rhodiola rosea

“…At the same time, saliroside upregulates TrkB/BDNF levels and restores 5-HT and NE levels in the prefrontal cortex of LPS-depressed mice compared with the vehicle group [153]. A recent study also evaluated the effects of both single and combined oral administration of R. rosea (250, 500 mg/kg) and Curcuma longa (250, 500 mg/kg) extracts in a CMS mice model of depression followed by LPS-induced inflammation [154]. The combination of R. rosea 500 mg/kg and Curcuma 500 mg/kg remarkably reverses depression-like behavioral changes while providing synergistic anti-inflammatory effects, namely reduced levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in CMS exposed and LPS-challenged mice [154].…”

“…↑neural stem cell proliferation ↑BrdU-positive cells [121]. R. rosea extract (250 and 500 mg/kg) [154] ↓TNF-α and IL-6 in CMS exposed and LPS-challenged mice [154] Potentiated effects when administered with curcuma longa (500 mg/kg) [154]. [139,140] ↓TLR4 via the HMBG1/NF-kb and PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 pathways [139,140].…”

Immunoregulatory natural compounds in stress-induced depression: An alternative or an adjunct to conventional antidepressant therapy?

“…Plant adaptogens alleviate the negative effects on health from prolonged exposure to stress, and this is at least in part a result of immunomodulation. Our previous studies found that treatment of stressed rats with extracts from Rhodiola rosea L. and Curcuma longa L. as well as their respective marker substances, salidroside and curcumin, attenuate the production of both IL-6 and TNF-α levels in brain tissue and in serum (Vasileva et al, 2017(Vasileva et al, , 2018. Salidroside has been previously reported to inhibit the pro-inflammatory cytokines' production in depression models (Yang et al, 2014;Zhu et al, 2015).…”