Antidepressant Effects of Hypericum Perforatum Extracts in the Behavioral Despair Animal Models of Depression

Aim To assess the antidepressant effect of Hypericum perforatum extracts (HPE) that contains 0.35% hypericin.Methods By using the mouse tail suspension test and rat forced swimming test models of depression, the antidepressant effects of HPE were observed.Results HPE significantly shortened motionless time of the mouse tail suspension test from 112.4±18.8 to 87.0±15.8,77.8±24.7,73.6±24.0s(P0.01) at the doses of 0.18,0.72 and 1.44g·kg -1 in a dosedependent manner.HPE also significantly shortened motionless time of the rat forced swimming test from 140.4±14.3 to 117.0±13.5,105.6±10.3,97.2±38.5s(P0.01) at the doses of 0.128 6,0.514 3 and 1.028 6g·kg -1 in a dosedependent manner.Conclusion HPE possessed obviously antidepressant effect in the behavioral despair animal models of depression.