Antidepressant-like effect of riparin II from Aniba riparia in mice: evidence for the involvement of the monoaminergic system

In a previous study conducted by our group, riparin II (ripII) isolated from the green fruit of Aniba riparia presented antianxiety effects in mice. This study investigates a possible antidepressant activity of rip II using two predictive tests for antidepressant activity in rodents: the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Additionally, the mechanisms involved in the antidepressant-like effect in mice were also assessed. Rip II was acute administered by intraperitoneal (i.p.) and oral (p.o) routes to male mice at doses of 25 and 50mg/kg. Results showed that ripII at both tested doses and administration routes produced a significant decrease of immobility time in FST and TST. The pretreatment of mice with prazosin (1mg/kg, i.p., an 1-adrenoceptor antagonist), SCH23390 (15g/kg, i.p., a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist), sulpiride (50mg/kg, i.p., a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist), p-chlorophenylalanine (100mg/kg, an inhibitor of serotonin synthesis), or NAN-190 (0.5mg/kg, a serotonin 5-HT1A receptor antagonist) completely blocked the anti-immobility effects elicited by riparin II (50mg/kg, p.o.) in the FST. This study indicates that riparin II produces significant antidepressant-like activity in the forced swimming and TSTs, and this effect seems to be dependent on its interaction with noradrenergic, dopaminergic, and serotonergic systems.