Philippine E-Journals

The Antidepressant Potential of the Pomelo Peel (Citrus maxima L. Family Rutaceae) Crude Extract

Paul Yvan Joseph Vasquez | Ammiel R. Villanueva | Tiffany Villanueva | Leslie Ann F. Zunco

 

Abstract:

Synthetic antidepressant medications commercially available in the present were proven to be effective in the management of depression, however, they are encumbered with numerous disadvantages considering problematic interactions and adverse reactions. Citrus maxima is one of the commonest species from Rutaceae family found to be possessing neuropharmacological properties. The aim of the present study was to determine the potential antidepressant-like effect of the peel waste obtained from the pomelo fruit in female Swiss albino mice. Lethal dose 50 (LD50) was utilized for acute toxicity testing using pomelo peel crude extract (PPCE) treatment of 5, 50, 300 and 2000mg/kg for the determination of doses relatively safe for animal testing. FST and TST were utilized as standard tests for antidepressant potential. In this experimental study, 15 female mice were randomly divided into 5 groups of 3: Negative and positive control groups received distilled water (10mL/kg) and fluoxetine (20mg/kg) respectively and treatment groups received pomelo peel crude extract with relative doses of 1000, 1500, 2000mg/kg. Immobility and swimming behaviors were recorded during 6-min. The pomelo peel crude extract was found to contain abundant amount of flavonoids, glycosides, and tannins; moderate amount of saponins and traces of triterpenes, alkaloids, and steroids. Furthermore, the flavonoid content was quantified resulting in 189 mg quercetin acid per gram of crude extract which was then presumed to be the compound producing antidepressant potential. On basis of the results from the acute toxicity test, dose not exceeding 2000mg/kg were found to be safe for animal testing for antidepressant potential of the pomelo peel crude extract. All doses of PPCE significantly reduced the duration of immobility time and increased the swimming time in both of two tests (p<0.005). The results obtained fromstandard tests utilized provided sufficient evidence that the pomelo peel crude extract has considerable antidepressant potential in female swiss albino mice. However, further studies are needed to determine the exact mechanism of action of the crude extract.