Abstract
Castilleja tenuiflora has been used for the treatment of several Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases. Herein we report the antidepressant activity of the methanol extract from the leaves of this medicinal plant. The oral administration of MeOH extract (500 mg/kg) induced a significant (p < 0.05) decrement of the immobility parameter on Forced Swimming Test (FST) and an increment in the latency and duration of the hypnosis, induced by administration of sodium pentobarbital (Pbi, 40 mg/kg, i.p.). Chemical analysis of this antidepressant extract allowed the isolation of (+)-piperitol-4-O-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)-O-glucopyranoside. This new furofuran lignan diglycoside was named tenuifloroside (1) and its complete chemical structure elucidation on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra analysis of the natural compound 1 and its peracetylated derivative 1a is described. This compound was found together with two flavones—apigenin and luteolin 5-methyl ether—a phenylethanoid—verbascoside—and three iridoids—geniposide, caryoptoside and aucubin. All these compounds were purified by successive normal and reverse phase column chromatography. Tenuifloroside, caryoptoside and luteolin 5-methyl ether were isolated from Castilleja genus for the first time. These findings demonstrate that C. tenuiflora methanol extract has beneficial effect on depressive behaviors, and the knowledge of its chemical constitution allows us to propose a new standardized treatment for future investigations of this species in depressive illness.
Highlights
Castilleja tenuiflora Benth is a small perennial shrub belonging to the Orobanchaceae family and is distributed in mountainous areas the Southern United States and Mexico [1]
The methanol extraction of 1.2 kg of dry plant material produced 187.2 g of extract (15.6%). This whole extract was used for biological activity and chemical analysis and its study allowed the identification of a new furofuran lignan 1
The known compounds apigenin, luteolin 5-methyl ether, verbascoside, geniposide, caryoptoside and aucubin were identified in this extract
Summary
Castilleja tenuiflora Benth is a small perennial shrub belonging to the Orobanchaceae family and is distributed in mountainous areas the Southern United States and Mexico [1] This plant is one of the 220 species comprised in the Castilleja genus and is commonly known as “garañona”, “cola de borrego” or “hierba del cancer” and used in Mexican Traditional Medicine for the treatment of conditions associated with cancer symptomatology as well as for the treatment of coughs, dysentery, nausea, vomiting, hepatic, gastrointestinal and nervous disorders [2,3,4,5]. Considering that C. tenuiflora has been used for the treatment of nervous disorders, this work was focused in demonstrating the antidepressant and sedative effects of C. tenuiflora Chemical analysis of this plant allowed the isolation of a new furofuran lignan diglycoside whose structural elucidation is described. Other secondary metabolites isolated from this antidepressant extract were two flavones, a phenylethanoid and three iridoids
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