Mustard Leaf Extract Suppresses Psychological Stress in Chronic Restraint Stress-Subjected Mice by Regulation of Stress Hormone, Neurotransmitters, and Apoptosis

oleh: Kyung-A. Hwang, Hye-Jeong Hwang, Yu Jin Hwang, Young Jun Kim

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-11-01

Deskripsi

Mustard leaf (<i>Brassica juncea</i> var. <i>crispifolia</i> L. H. <i>Bailey</i>) has been reported to have psychological properties such as anti-depressant activities. However, studies on chronic stress and depression caused by restraint have not been conducted. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of a mustard leaf (ML) extract on chronic restraint stress (CRS) in mice. Male mice were subjected to a CRS protocol for a period of four weeks to induce stress. The results showed that the ML extract (100 and 500 mg/kg/perorally administered for four weeks) significantly decreased corticosterone levels and increased neurotransmitters levels in stressed mice. Apoptosis by CRS exposure was induced by <i>Bcl-2</i> and <i>Bax</i> expression regulation and was suppressed by reducing <i>caspase-3</i> and <i>poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase</i> expression after treatment with the ML extract. Our results confirmed that apoptosis was regulated by increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (<i>BDNF</i>). Additionally, cytokine levels were regulated by the ML extract. In conclusion, our results showed that the ML extract relieved stress effects by regulating hormones and neurotransmitters in CRS mice, <i>BDNF</i> expression, and apoptosis in the brain. Thus, it can be suggested that the studied ML extract is an agonist that can help relieve stress and depression.