Study on Relationship between Myristicae Semen and Depression

Duola, Shuangmei, Aruhan*, Weiwei LI

1. Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, China; 2. Inner Mongolia International Mongolian Hospital, Hohhot 010010, China; 3. Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China

Abstract Through searching the literature of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, VIP Database, etc., the research data of Mongolian medicine Myristicae Semen were collected, and it is found that Myristicae Semen has clinical significance in the treatment of depression.

Key words Mongolian medicine, Myristicae Semen, Depression, Analysis results

1 Introduction

Myristicae Semen, also called Roukou, Rouguo, Yuguo, Dingtourou, and Jiajule, is the mature seed ofMyristicafragransHoutt, a tall tree plant in the genusMyristica. It is mainly produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, and also cultivated in Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and some regions of China[1]. At present, Myristicae Semen is a widely applied medicine in traditional Chinese medicine, Korean, Dai, Uygur, Tibetan, and Mongolian medicines. In Mongolian medicine, it is called Zadi, Jihuhan-Saina, and Nama. Myristicae Semen is acrid in taste, warm, slimy, heavy, and soft in nature. It has functions of inhibiting Heyi disease (an emotional disease, Heyi is a name in Mongolian language), regulating the stomach fire, promoting digestion and appetite[2]. In Dai medicine,M.fragransis called Majian and Lujian, its seeds are used to treat flusteredness, palpitation, fatigue, nausea and vomiting[3]. In recent years, studies have shown that the chemical components of Myristicae Semen have pharmacological effects of resisting depression. Through searching the research literature on Myristicae Semen at home and abroad since 2000, we summarized and analyzed the relationship between the Myristicae Semen and depression, to provide a reference for development of new drugs using Myristicae Semen for the depression treatment.

2 Data and methods

2.1 Data sourcesTaking Roudoukou (Chinese name of Myristicae Semen) and depression as subject words, we searched papers related to Myristicae Semen and depression published from January 2000 to June 2019 in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Platform, PubMed Database.

2.2 Literature inclusion criteria(i) The experiment was a randomized controlled experiment; (ii) the experiment used a rat depression model, with a control group and a blank group; (iii) the publication period was 2000-2019. Finally, four papers were included.

2.3 Literature exclusion criteriaReview literature, literature without control group, and other literature that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded.

2.4 Statistical methodsWith the aid of Stata 14 software, we processed the relevant data. After extracting the data, we carried out Meta analysis, and used the random effects model and fixed effects model for analysis. We calculated the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% CI of the confidence interval, and drew the forest plot.

3 Results and analysis

3.1 Literature summaryThrough screening, we included a total of four papers, including two Chinese and two English papers. Using GC-MS method, Wang Ruietal.[4]detected the chemical components of Myristicae Semen volatile oil β-CD clathrate compound, and analyzed biological samples of rat serum and brain in the chronic mild unpredictable stress depression model administration group. Through a behavioral despair experiment in mice, Sun Tingtingetal.[5]observed the effects of Myristicae Semen volatile oil on the depression behavior of mice, and explored its antidepressant mechanism by measuring the content of neurotransmitter in the mouse brain: observed the effects of Myristicae Semen volatile oil on depression in rats through the experiment of chronic agnostic response model in rats; explored the antidepressant mechanism by measuring the content of nerve selection and the activity of monogel oxidase in the rat brain, suggesting that the antidepressant effect of Myristicae Semen volatile oil is the result of the comprehensive effect of multiple chemical components. Moinuddinetal.[6]carried out a forced swimming test and a tail suspension test to study the effects of n-hexane extract of Myristicae Semen on the depression in mice. The antidepressant effect of this extract was regulated by the interaction with the adrenergic, dopaminergic and serotonin systems. The data extracted in this study are shown in Table 1.

3.2 Result analysisAs shown in Table 2, we took the animal behavior as the research indicator. There is no significant difference in the number of horizontal movements, the number of vertical movements and the tail suspension time of rats (P>0.05). The difference in the swimming immobility time of rats is statistically significant (P<0.05), and the bias diagram is shown in Fig.1.

Table 1 Sample size, mean value and standard deviation (SD) of experimental group and control group for the effect of Myristicae Semen on depression in mice

Table 2 Swimming immobility time for the effect of Myristicae Semen on depression in mice

Fig.1 Bias diagram for the effect of Myristicae Semen on depression in mice

4 Discussion

Depression is one of the most common, debilitating, life-threatening diseases, and the most serious mental disorder. The most obvious symptoms of depression patients include long-term depression and unwillingness to communicate with others. At the same time, they also experience poor sleep quality, decreased appetite, and lack of concentration. It interferes with a person’s thoughts, behavior, and feelings, and destroys their quality of life. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is one of the fourth leading causes of disability. In the whole world, the prevalence rate of the general population is about 5%. Without treatment, it can lead to suicide, and it brings about 850 000 deaths every year[8]. According to the theory of Mongolian medicine, the main cause of depression is the loss of the balance of the three roots in the body, which invades the heart and white vein system, leading to a series of symptoms with prominent and persistent depression, lack of interest, and loss of pleasure[9]. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, it is called depression, characterized by a depressed mood with feelings of despair or uneasiness. Depression is caused by injury of seven emotions (a collective term for joy, anger, thought, anxiety, sorrow, fear and fright, taken as endogenous factors causing diseases if in excess). Liver loses free coursing, spleen loses transportation and transformation, heart loses the nourishment, and five viscera (a collective term for the heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney) lose harmony, then gradually, blood and qi of five viscera and six bowels (a collective term for the gallbladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, urinary bladder and triple energizers) get disharmony[10]. It is difficult to completely cure the depression and its recurrence rate is high.

A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies. Meta-analysis can be performed when there are multiple scientific studies addressing the same question, with each individual study reporting measurements that are expected to have some degree of error. Meta-analysis can be used to obtain a comprehensive analysis result closer to the actual situation[11]. Although the amount of literature in this study is limited, the research results reflect to some extent that Myristicae Semen has clinical significance in the treatment of depression.

In summary, Myristicae Semen has the following characteristics in treating depression. (i) The pathogenesis of depression is complicated. Traditional Chinese and Mongolian medicine theories have different understandings, and have not yet formed a consistent theoretical concept. (ii) The components of Myristicae Semen are complex, and it has antidepressant active substances after analysis of its chemical components.

In future, it is recommended to make further research in the following aspects. (i) Strengthening the research on the main antidepressant components of Myristicae Semen on the basis of the current experimental research results of Myristicae Semen. (ii) With the reference to the treatment of depression, the active components of Myristicae Semen can also be used to try to develop new drugs. With the deepening of people’s knowledge and understanding of Myristicae Semen, people pay more attention to using Myristicae Semen to treat depression. The research on Myristicae Semen is still going on, and there will be more in-depth and direct evidences for the treatment of depression by Myristicae Semen to benefit the human beings.