RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Involvement of serotonergic and dopaminergic systems in Aloysia gratissima var. gratissima : antidepressant-like effect, UPLC-DAD-MS chemical characterization, and computational evidence
A1 Campuzano Bublitz, Miguel Ángel
A1 Burgos Edwards, Alberto Javier
A1 Gayozo Melgarejo, Elvio
A1 Acosta, Adelian Alejandra
A1 Paredes López, Rodrigo Sebastián
A1 Campuzano Kennedy, Alex Daniel
A1 Galeano Ruiz Díaz, Antonia Karina
A1 González Villalba, Yenny Patricia
A1 Alvarenga Sosa, Nelson Luis
A1 Taboada Jara, Teresa Dejesus
A1 Kennedy Rolón, María Luisa
AB Background/Objectives: As the prevalence of depression and the use of antidepressants have risen steadily in the last decade, new treatment options are needed. Aloysia gratissima var. gratissima ethanol extract has previously shown antidepressant-like activity, and the present study was conducted to identify the active fraction and clarify the possible mechanisms of action. Methods: Tail suspension (TST) and forced swimming (FST) behavioral tests were performed, and possible mechanisms of action were elucidated using serotonergic, dopaminergic, adrenergic, and GABAergic system antagonists. UPLC-DAD-MS analyses were performed to identify compounds in active fractions, and molecular docking studies were carried out to determine the binding affinities of these compounds to serotonergic and dopaminergic receptors (5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT3, and D2R). Results: Ethyl acetate and butanol fractions were found to decrease immobility time in FST. The reduction in immobility time during the FST caused by the ethyl acetate fraction was reversed by pretreating mice with WAY100635 (5-HT1A antagonist), ketanserin (a 5-HT2A antagonist, ondansetron (5-HT3 antagonist), or haloperidol (D2 antagonist). UPLC-DAD-MS analysis revealed a similar composition for the ethyl acetate and butanol fractions of A. gratissima var. gratissima. Pharmacokinetic predictions suggest that only a few of the identified compounds have the potential to permeate the blood–brain barrier, and molecular docking simulations showed that compounds such as 13-oxooctadecadienoic acid, ferulic acid, and coumaric acid have binding affinities to the druggable site of serotonergic and dopaminergic receptors. Conclusions: These results suggest that the Agg ethyl acetate fraction possesses antidepressant-like activities, altering dopaminergic and serotonergic system functions. Computational simulations also suggest that some of the identified compounds have binding affinities to the 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT3, and D2R receptors.
PB Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
YR 2026
FD 2026-02-17
LK http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14066/4755
UL http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14066/4755
LA eng
NO Campuzano-Bublitz, M. A., Burgos-Edwards, A., Gayozo, E., Acosta, A. A., Paredes, R. S., Campuzano-Kennedy, A. D., Galeano, A. K., González, Y. P., Alvarenga, N. L., Taboada-Jara, T., & Kennedy, M. L. (2026). Involvement of Serotonergic and Dopaminergic Systems in Aloysia gratissima var. gratissima: Antidepressant-like Effect, UPLC-DAD-MS Chemical Characterization, and Computational Evidence. Pharmaceuticals, 19(2), 329. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19020329
NO Correspondence: lukenrol@qui.una.py or mkennedy.rolon@gmail.com.
NO This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuropharmacology of Plant Extracts and Their Active Compounds (Second Edition).
NO Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
DS MINDS@UW
RD 04-sep-2026