Multiple applications of liquid chromatography methods for improving antidepressant bioactivity of extract from Passiflora edulis fo. flavicarpa leaves
Passifloraceae; antidepressants; isoorientin; flavonoids; chromatography; chemical marker
Antioxidants compounds are increasingly attracting attention of the neuropharmacology studies, due to the properties of preventing brain damages caused by depressive disorders. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the supposed enhancement of antidepressant potentiality of a flavonoid rich extract (FRE) and determine the new antidepressants compounds from Passiflora edulis fo. flavicarpa leaves. For this purpose, the new methodologies of extraction, isolation and quali-quantitative analyzes of the leaves were developed. In order, the quantitative analyses by RP-UHPLC-UV-DAD and extract yields were utilized on experimental design to obtain FRE. The total flavonoids content (11.42 mg/g), isoorientin (luteolin-6-C-β-D-glucoside) (5.21 mg/g) and LC-ESI-IT-MS/MS profile of FRE were determined. In addition, isoorientin compound (45 mg) was purified using HPLC-UV-DAD-Prep method. The antidepressant-like effects of FRE extract (50–100 mg/kg, p.o.) and isoorientin (1–10 mg/kg, p.o.) were investigated in the male mouse forced swimming test, and similar to nortriptyline antidepressant drug, both displayed reduction of immobility time. Thus, quali-quantitative flavonoids results linked to the bioactivity assessments providing to increase at 10-fold the extract antidepressant potency. Furthermore, this work was the first to demonstrate isoorientin as the new antidepressant compound, suggesting a new chemical marker of the leaves of this plant species.