Aishatu Shehu
Mohammed Garba Magaji
Jamilu Yau
Abubakar Ahmed

Introduction: Hausa people of north-western Nigeria were reported to utilize the plant Adansonia digitata for the management of depressive illnesses in an ethnobotanical survey. Thus, this study aimed to establish the mechanism(s) via which methanol stem bark extract of A. digitata (MEAD) exhibits antidepressant activity in mice. Methods: Antidepressant activity of MEAD was evaluated using tail suspension test (TST) at doses of ۲۵۰, ۵۰۰ and ۱۰۰۰ mg/kg. For the mechanistic studies, mice were pre-treated with sulpiride (۵۰ mg/kg), prazosin (۱ mg/kg), yohimbine (۱ mg/kg), metergoline (۱ mg/kg), cyproheptadine (۳ mg/kg), L-arginine (۵۰ mg/kg), N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA; ۵۰ mg/kg), atropine (۱ mg/kg) and naloxone (۲ mg/kg) ۱۵ minutes prior to MEAD (۱۰۰۰ mg/kg) administration, then antidepressant activity was assessed using TST one hour later. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test. Results: The extract (at doses of ۲۵۰, ۵۰۰ and ۱۰۰۰ mg/kg) significantly (P < ۰.۰۵) and dose-dependently decreased the duration of immobility in the TST. Sulpiride (D۲ receptor antagonist), prazosin and yohimbine (α۱ and α۲ receptor antagonists, respectively), metergoline and cyproheptadine (۵-HT۱ and ۵-HT۲ receptor antagonists, respectively) significantly (P < ۰.۰۵) reversed the antidepressant effect of MEAD. On the other hand, L-NNA (NOS inhibitor) augmented the antidepressant effect of MEAD while L-arginine (nitric oxide substrate) had no effect on MEAD. However, atropine (muscarinic receptor antagonist) significantly (P < ۰.۰۱) augmented the antidepressant effect of MEAD. Conclusion: The antidepressant activity of methanol stem bark extract of A. digitata was established to be via the monoaminergic, nitric oxide and cholinergic pathways.