Identification of the Chemical Constituents in Aqueous Extract of Zhi-Qiao and Evaluation of Its Antidepressant Effect

Molecules

Ming Wu¹  Hongwu Zhang²  Chao Zhou²  Hongmei Jia²  Zhuo Ma¹  Zhongmei Zou² 

[1] Department of Food and Pharmaceutical, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China; E-Mail:;Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China; E-Mails:

关键词: Citrus aurantium;    UPLC-Q-TOF/MS;    antidepressant;    PC12 cells;   

DOI  :  10.3390/molecules20046925

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The immature fruit of Citrus aurantium L. (Zhi-Qiao, ZQ) has been used as a traditional medicine in China. Our previous study has shown that ZQ decoction may contribute to the antidepressant-like action of Chaihu-Shu-Gan-San. However, there are no reports on the chemical constituents of ZQ aqueous extract or its anti-depression effects. Firstly, this research reported the on-line identification of the chemical constituents in the aqueous extract of ZQ by coupling ultra-performance liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). A total of 31 chemical constituents were identified in ZQ aqueous extract, including one tannic acid, five flavones, 13 flavanones, one limonoid, three coumarins, three cyclic peptides, and five polymethoxylated flavonoids. The antidepressant effect of ZQ aqueous extract was evaluated in vivo and the results indicated that the mice immobility time during the forced swimming test and the tail suspension test were significantly reduced with ZQ treatment. MTT assays showed both ZQ aqueous extract and its major constituents (naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, and nobiletin) had neuroprotective effect on corticosterone-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells. The in vivo and in vitro results suggest that ZQ has an antidepressant effect.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.