Antidepressant effects of Yuanzhi (Polygalae Radix) extract on chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression in rats: modulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB pathway

Objective To investigate the antidepressant effects of Yuanzhi(Polygalae Radix;PR)aqueous extract on chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)-induced depression rat models and the underlying mechanisms.Methods A total of 40 male Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into control;model;low dose of PR(PR-L;0.5 g/kg);high dose of PR(PR-H;1 g/kg);and fluoxetine(10 mg/kg)groups;with 8 rats in each group.Except for the rats in control group;those in the other four groups underwent CUMS-induced depression modeling.PR and fluoxetine were administered intragastrically once daily;30 min prior to the CUMS procedure;for 14 consecu-tive days until the behavioral tests were performed.After CUMS modeling;the sucrose prefer-ence test(SPT);open field test(OFT);novelty-suppressed feeding test(NSFT);forced swim test(FST);and tail suspension test(TST)were employed to assess the pharmacological ef-fects of PR on the mitigation of depressive-like behaviors in rat models.Additionally;the en-zyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was utilized to quantify the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α;interleukin(IL)-6;and IL-1βin the rats.Western blot analysis was al-so conducted to evaluate the protein expression levels of nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB);in-ducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS);cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2);nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain(NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3);apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing caspase recruitment domain(ASC);and caspase-1 in the hippocampal tissues of the rats.Immunofluorescence staining was per-formed to observe the morphological changes in ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 positive(Iba-1+)cells in the dentate gyrus(DG)of rats with CUMS-induced depression.Results(i)Treatment with PR-H and fluoxetine resulted in significant enhancements in both the total distance and time the rats moved during tests(P<0.01 and P<0.05;respectively).Post-administration of PR-H and fluoxetine also led to statistically significant increase in su-crose preference among rats(P<0.05).Besides;PR-L;PR-H;and fluoxetine treatment markedly decreased the latency of ingestion(P<0.05;P<0.05;and P<0.01;respectively).As observed from the FST;PR-L;PR-H;and fluoxetine presented antidepressant effects on rats with CUMS-induced depression;leading to the reduction in time of their immobility(P<0.05;P<0.01;and P<0.01;respectively).The results of TST indicated reduced immobility time in rats receiving PR-H and fluoxetine treatment as well(P<0.01).(ii)Rats in model group showed an increase in the levels of Iba-1+microglia in their left and right brains in compari-son with control group(P<0.01).However;such increase was negated post PR treatment(P<0.01).Treatment with PR-L;PR-H;and fluoxetine considerably reduced the levels of inflam-matory factors(TNF-α;IL-1β;and IL-6;P<0.01).In addition;treatment of PR-L and PR-H ef-fectively counteracted the elevated levels of NLRP3;ASC;and caspase-1;and markedly down-regulated the expression levels of phosphorylated p65(p-p65);COX-2;and iNOS in rats’hip-pocampus(P<0.01).Conclusion Collectively;these findings indicate that PR exerts an antidepressant effect on rats with CUMS-induced depression partially through the modulation of the NLRP3 and NF-κB signaling pathways.

工业色谱法纯化山银花中绿原酸的工艺研究

目的探索工业色谱法纯化山银花中绿原酸的最优工艺参数。方法以绿原酸的转移率为评价指标,以山银花水提液过大孔树脂后的20%乙醇洗脱液为原料液,采用单因素及响应面设计试验,对采用工业色谱纯化山银花中绿原酸工艺中的原料液浓缩程度、固定相类型、流动相乙醇浓度、乙醇流速、进样量等主要工艺参数进行优化,确定了最优工业色谱纯化山银花中绿原酸的工艺条件。结果工业色谱纯化山银花中绿原酸的最优工艺条件:以60℃,-0.1 MPa为浓缩条件,将原料液浓缩至原体积的0.166 7(1/6),工业色谱UV检测波长为230 nm,以PIPO-02色谱填料为固定相,以18.54%乙醇作为流动相,流速为14.57 m L·min^(-1),进样量为13.15 mg。该工艺绿原酸的平均转移率为95.49%,RSD=1.91%,绿原酸产品纯度为97.45%,RSD=3.30%。结论经过工艺优化与验证,创立了一条工业色谱纯化山银花中绿原酸工艺路线,该工艺制备的绿原酸产品纯度>97%,绿原酸转移率高,工艺简单、无毒,溶剂易于回收,适合于山银花中绿原酸纯化的工业化生产。