Published online Nov 28, 2022. doi: 10.5497/wjp.v11.i3.27
Peer-review started: April 18, 2022
First decision: May 31, 2022
Revised: June 5, 2022
Accepted: October 19, 2022
Article in press: October 19, 2022
Published online: November 28, 2022
Processing time: 223 Days and 22.1 Hours
Currently, there is increasing advocacy for the use of diet, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies in depression management.
To determine the antidepressant effects of standardized silymarin (SILY) extract either as a sole agent or as an adjunct in depression therapy.
Adult mice were assigned into three main groups based on the neurobehavioural models; and each main group had ten treatment groups of 10 mice each. Tr
SILY (alone) increased body weight, open field locomotor activity, rearing, and grooming; it also enhanced spatial working memory while decreasing anxiety-related behaviours and behavioural despair. SILY also improved antioxidant status while decreasing lipid peroxidation, acetylcholinesterase activity, and inflammatory markers. Neuronal integrity of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus was preserved. Overall, when administered alone or with SERT, SILY counteracted DEX-induced behavioural and biochemical changes while preserving neuromorphological integrity.
In conclusion, SILY is beneficial in mitigating DEX-induced central nervous system and other related changes in mice.
Core Tip: Depression is a neuropsychiatric disorder that has in recent times become a leading cause of disability and a major contributor to global disease burden and suicide. In recent times there has been increasing advocacy for the use of dietary supplements and herbal remedies in depression management. While antidepressant effects of extracts of silybum marianum seeds have been reported, there is a dearth of scientific information on the possible effect of its standardized silymarin extract either as a sole agent or as an adjunct in depression therapy.