Work

Association of rosemary leaves and day lily flowers: evaluation of its antidepressant-like effects in mice

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background R. officinalis has been used as a nervous tonic and cognitive stimulant. H. fulva has been employed to relieve anxiety, insomnia, and depressive symptoms. Here, we evaluated the effects of an herbal formulation containing rosemary leaves and day lily flowers in a dexamethasone-induced mouse model. Materials and methods C57BL/6 isogenic mice were randomly assigned to four groups. G1 was the untreated control. G2, G3 and G4 received 64 µg/kg of dexamethasone to induce depression-like alterations. G3 received 30 mg/kg of herbal formulation, whereas G4 received 15 mg/kg of fluoxetine. Treatments were administered by gavage for seven days. Behavioral effects were assessed using the Forced Swim and Tail Suspension Tests. Hepatic oxidative stress-related parameters, including lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, and non-protein thiols were also evaluated. Results In the forced swim test, G3 differed from G2 ( P = 0.0188). Protein analysis showed differences between G1 and G2 ( p = 0.014) and between G1 and G4 ( p < 0.001), whereas G3 remained comparable to G1. Lipid peroxidation was not detected. Nitric oxide levels were significantly lower in G4 compared to G1 ( P = 0.0002). G4 also differed from G1 (0.0028) and G2 (0.0357) in non-protein thiol levels. Animals treated with the herbal formulation exhibited nitric oxide and non-protein thiol levels comparable to the control group. Conclusion The rosemary and day lily formulation reduced immobility time in the Forced Swim Test and was associated with the maintenance of selected hepatic redox-related parameters under the experimental conditions employed. These findings warrant further investigation of this herbal formulation. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

Source: Clinical Phytoscience

DOI: 10.1186/s40816-026-00435-3