Ethnopharmacological communicationScreening of plants used in Danish folk medicine to treat depression and anxiety for affinity to the serotonin transporter and inhibition of MAO-A

Ethnopharmacological relevanceA number of plant species are used in Danish folk medicine for treatment of depression and anxiety.Materials and methodsAqueous and ethanolic extracts of 17 plant species were tested for affinity to the serotonin transporter and for inhibition of MAO-A-both targets for antidepressive treatment.ResultsAn ethanolic extract of aerial parts of Borago officinalis had affinity to the serotonin transporter. Ten extracts, from eight plants, had IC50 values below 25 μg/ml extract in the MAO-A assay. The most active extracts in the MAO-A assay were the ethanol extract of seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum (IC50 4 μg/ml); ethanol extract of leaves of Apium graveolens (IC50 5 μg/ml) and the water extract of aerial parts of Calluna vulgaris (IC50 8 μg/ml).ConclusionsBesides Borago officinalis, which toxicity profile excludes it from further development as an herbal drug, none of the plants had potential as serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Several plants had MAO-A inhibitory activity.

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