Evaluation of the antidepressant potential of bavachinin in male mice

Abstract

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent and disabling psychiatric condition, and current pharmacotherapies are often limited by delayed onset of action and adverse effects. Natural compounds with antidepressant potential, such as bavachinin, a flavanone derived from Psoralea corylifolia, may represent promising alternatives.

Objective: This study evaluated the antidepressant-like effects of bavachinin in a mouse model of depression.

Methods: Thirty-five adult male mice were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 7): standard control, imipramine vehicle, bavachinin vehicle, imipramine (15 mg/kg), and bavachinin (15 mg/kg). Treatments were administered intraperitoneally for 14 days. Antidepressant activity was assessed using the forced swimming test (FST), and immobility time was compared across groups using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test.

Results: Bavachinin (15 mg/kg) significantly reduced immobility time compared to the normal control group (p = 0.0356), indicating an antidepressant-like effect. The reduction in immobility was comparable to that observed with the standard antidepressant imipramine (15 mg/kg), with no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.6770).

Novelty of study: This study is one of the first experimental investigations to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of bavachinin, a bioactive compound from Psoralea corylifolia, in an animal model of depression. By directly comparing bavachinin with the standard antidepressant imipramine in the forced swimming test, it provides evidence that bavachinin exerts a comparable reduction in immobility time. This highlights bavachinin as a promising natural candidate for antidepressant therapy, addressing the gap in safe and effective alternatives to synthetic drugs.

Conclusion: Bavachinin demonstrated significant antidepressant-like activity in mice, comparable to imipramine. The potential mechanisms may involve monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition and/or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) activation. These findings suggest that bavachinin may serve as a promising natural candidate for future antidepressant development. Further research with extended protocols and mechanistic evaluations is warranted.

Keywords: Bavachinin; Antidepressant-like effects; Forced swim test; Male mice; Monoamine oxidase inhibition; PPAR activation; Flavanone compound; Immobility time.