In vivo antidepressant-like effect of ethanolic bark extract of Swietenia macrophylla in sprague dawley mice

Swietenia macrophylla, an abundant tree in tropical regions, China, Malaysia and Philippines was found to have high levels of polyphenols present on its bank. Polyphenols were known to have enhanced anti-oxidant effect which can be used to treat depression. In current trends, it is around 350 million people suffer from depression and also it is the third leading of death worldwide. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the potential antidepressent-like effect of the S. macrophylla bark ethanolic extract, which then the researchers have used to behavioral models forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) that is widely used methods for antidepressant studies. Three doses of ethanolic extract of S. macrophylla from 700 mg/mL, 850 mg/mL and 1000 mg/mL was used against the standard (fluoxetine) and evaluated the antidepressant-like effect from the decrease of immobility duration, because higher activity of mice could mean higher brain activity and shows lesser sigh of depression. The doses 700 mg/mL and 1000 mg/mL showed the greatest decrease in immobility in FST and 850 mg/mL being the highest immobility duration, giving an inverted U-shaped trend. While in TST, 850 mg/mL was shown to give the best antidepressant-like effect to the mice, but then gives a U-shaped trend