Antidepressant and antipsychotic-like activity of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Maytenus macrocarpa

Introduction: Maytenus macrocarpa (Chuchuhuasi) is an Amazonian Peruvian traditional plant, traditionally used as anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antihemorrhagic and antidiarrheic agent. Also, chuchuhuasi is known as a master plant, attributing to it properties in the central nervous system. In addition, depression is a disorder of the mood that cause disability to millions of people around the world. For this reason, the aim of this study was to determinate the antidepressant and antipsychotic-like activity of the ethanolic extract of Maytenus macrocarpa. Methods: It was used the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Maytenus macrocarpa (EELMM) in female mice at the experimental model of the Forced Swim Test described by Porsolt. As control, it was used distillate water, fluoxetine and haloperidol. Results: The immobility time of the groups of EELMM has a mean of 38.26 ± 21.57, 84.32 ± 26.68 and 32.17 ± 25.55 for the doses of 750, 1000 and 1250 mg/Kg respectively; and the immobility time had a median of 7.5 [4.07 - 20.3] and 20.93 ± [17.63 - 23.75] for the doses of 500 mg/Kg and 1500 mg/Kg. It was seen a positive dose-response between the dose of 500 to 1000 mg/Kg (Pearson correlation of r=0.8339 and R=0.6954) and a negative dose-response between the dose of 1000 to 1500 mg/Kg. (Pearson correlation of r= -0.7590 and R= 0.5760). Conclusion: It was demonstrated the antidepressant-like activity of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Maytenus macrocarpa with a dose of 500 mg/kg and an antipsychotic-like activity with a dose of 1000 mg/kg.