A Herbal Mixture of Sesami Semen Nigrum and Longan Arillus Induces Neurite Outgrowth in Cultured Neurons and Shows Anti-Depression in Chronic Mild Stress-Induced Rats

Figure 5

Combined extracts of Sesami Semen Nigrum and Longan Arillus alleviates the depression-like symptoms. The CMS-induced depressive rats were randomly divided into five groups: untreated control, CMS model, herbal mixture at low dose (0.3 g/kg/day), herbal mixture at high dose (3 g/kg/day), and fluoxetine (a positive control at 7.2 mg/kg/day). The preparation of herbal extracts of Sesami Semen Nigrum (SSN) and Longan Arillus (LA) is described as in Figure 3. (a) At the end of CMS procedures, the sucrose preference test (left panel) and forced swimming test (right panel) were carried out, as described in the method session. (b) The amounts of dopamine, norepinephrine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the striatum extracts of depressive rats were determined. Values are expressed in percentage of change against the nonstressed control group, in mean ± SEM, n = 8. Statistical significance was determined against the CMS-model group. () .

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