Development of better antidepressant using Nelumbinis Semen in an animal model of depression

Depression is associated with a dysfunctional 5-HT system. Recently, several lines of evidence have suggested that a very important evoking factor in depression may be a 5-HT deficit in the hippocampus. The present study assessed the antidepression effects of Nelumbinis Semen (NS) through increasing 5-HT concentrations in the hippocampus under chronic mild stress (CMS). NS significantly increased 5-HT in normal conditions and reversed a stress-induced decrease of 5-HT release in the hippocampus under CMS for 8 weeks. These results suggest that NS increases the serotonin levels normally decreased in depression, resulting in an enhancement of central serotonergic transmission and possible therapeutic action for depression.