Amelioration of modified chronic unpredictable stress using Celastrus paniculatus seed oil alone and in combination with fluoxetine.

The various stressors in chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) triggers depressive behavior, impairs learning, and decision-making abilities. The present study investigated the effects of Celastrus paniculatus seed oil (CPSO) alone and in combination with fluoxetine (FLU) in modified CUS (mCUS) induced depression in mice. In this study, adult albino mice were subjected to a modified version of CUS protocol having six different stressors and were applied daily consistently for 15 days. The post-treatment with CPSO (50 and 100 mg/kg) and FLU (10 mg/kg) alone and in combination from day 16th to 36th. Group I: normal control; group II: diseased control (mCUS subjected group); group III: CPSO (50 mg/kg); group IV: CPSO (100 mg/kg); group V: CPSO (50 mg/kg)+FLU (10 mg/kg); group VI: CPSO (100 mg/kg)+FLU (10 mg/kg); group VII: FLU (10 mg/kg); group VIII: FLU (20 mg/kg). During experimentation, various behavioral, biochemical, oxidative stress, inflammatory, and neurotransmitters level were checked. The CUS treated mice exhibited increased escaped latency, decreased number of open arm entries, increased immobility time, decreased percentage of sucrose consumption, and number of the boxes crossed as compared to the normal group. The post-treatment with the CPSO 50 + FLU 10, CPSO 100 + FLU 10, FLU 10 significantly ( p  < 0.05) attenuated behavioral, biochemical, inflammation, corticosteroid, and neurotransmitters level as compared to CPSO 50, CPSO 100, and FLU 20 alone. CPSO along with FLU appreciably achieved anti-depressant effect via lowering stress, inflammation, corticosteroid level, and restoration of neurotransmitters level in mCUS induced depression mice model.