Attitudes Toward Psychological Disorders and Alternative Medicine in Saudi Participants

Biomolecular Screening of Pimpinella anisum L. for Antioxidant and Anticholinesterase Activity in Mice Brain

Hundreds of the plants have been explored and evaluated for antioxidant and anti-amnesic activities, so far. This study was designed to report the biomolecules of Pimpinella anisum L. for the said activities. The aqueous extract of dried P. anisum seeds was fractionated via column chromatography and the fractions so obtained were assessed for the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) via in vitro analysis. The fraction which best inhibited AChE was so named as the P. anisum active fraction (P.aAF). The P.aAF was then chemically analyzed via GCMS, which indicated that oxadiazole compounds were present in it. The P.aAF was then administered to albino mice to conduct the in vivo (behavioral and biochemical) studies. The results of the behavioral studies indicated the significant (p < 0.001) increase in inflexion ratio, by the number of hole-pokings through holes and time spent in a dark area by P.aAF treated mice. Biochemical studies demonstrated that the oxadiazole present in P.aAF on one hand presented a noteworthy reduction in MDA and the AChE level and on the other hand promoted the levels of CAT, SOD and GSH in mice brain. The LD₅₀ for P.aAF was calculated as 95 mg/Kg/p.o. The findings thus supported that the antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of P. anisum are due to its oxadiazole compounds.

Antidepressant-Like Effect of Traditional Medicinal Plant Carthamus Tinctorius in Mice Model through Neuro-Behavioral Tests and Transcriptomic Approach

Major depression disorder (MDD) has become a common life-threatening disorder. Despite the number of studies and the introduced antidepressants, MDD remains a major global health issue. Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) is traditionally used for food and medical purposes. This study investigated the chemical profile and the antidepressant-like effect of the Carthamus tincto-rius hot water extract in male mice and its mechanism using a transcriptomic analysis. The antidepressant effect of hot water extract (50 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg) was investigated in mice versus the untreated group (saline) and positive control group (fluoxetine 10 mg/kg). Hippocampus transcriptome changes were investigated to understand the Carthamus tinctorius mechanism of action. The GC-MS analysis of Carthamus tinctorius showed that hot water extract yielded the highest amount of oleamide as the most active ingredient. Neuro-behavioral tests demonstrated that the safflower treatment significantly reduced immobility time in TST and FST and improved performance in the YMSAT compared to the control group. RNA-seq analysis revealed a significant differential gene expression pattern in several genes such as Ube2j2, Ncor1, Tuba1c, Grik1, Msmo1, and Casp9 related to MDD regulation in 50 mg/kg safflower treatment as compared to untreated and fluoxetine-treated groups. Our findings demonstrated the antidepressant-like effect of safflower hot water extract and its bioactive ingredient oleamide on mice, validated by a significantly shortened immobility time in TST and FST and an increase in the percentage of spontaneous alternation.

The Use of Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) in Treating Depression and Anxiety

Objective

In the era of evidence-based medicine, research in the area of herbal psychopharmacology has increased dramatically in recent decades. To date, however, there is no comprehensive review of safflower as an herbal antidepressant and anxiolytic with details on its psychopharmacology and applications in depression and anxiety.

Methods

This research is a review and qualitative research through an electronic survey among the Saudi population, thus assessing their knowledge about using safflower in treating depression and anxiety. The survey was distributed in Saudi Arabia in December 2021 and the results were finalized in January 2022.

Results

A total of 1074 Saudi participants were included in the study; 1002 (93.3%) participants reported knowing safflower very well while 72 (6.7%) had never heard of it. Some participants had used safflower infusions to treat anxiety and depression; 446 (44.4%) participants had never used it, but the remaining 558 (55.6%) had used it to varying degrees to treat anxiety and depression. Among the 752 participants who previously tried safflower, 279 (37.1%) reported that safflower was very effective, 389 (51.73%) reported some improvement, and 93 (12.36%) reported no improvement.

Conclusion

Emerging medical evidence is guiding herbal treatments. This research illustrates that more than 75% of the Saudi population are using Safflower to treat psychological stress. It elaborates that more than half of the population are already using safflower off the label to treat depression and anxiety and that they find it useful. A well-constructed clinical trial is thus critical to prove the evidence-based benefits of safflower in treating depression and anxiety. More studies on possible side effects are required to guarantee its safety. Nature has previously provided remarkable remedies, and more work will illustrate the value of safflower.