Antidepressant-like effect of <i>Peperomia pellucida</i> (L.) Kunth extract: analysis of behavioral and oxidative stress parameters in mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress

OBJECTIVES: (Indonesian name: Suruhan) is a tropical plant easily found throughout Indonesia. This plant is used as a food ingredient and to treat various diseases due to its phytoconstituent content. This study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant effect of the ethanol extract of the Suruhan herb. METHODS: (FST), and locomotor tests. Oxidative stress levels were measured using malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase levels, and the evaluation was complemented by histopathological analysis. The antidepressant effect of the Suruhan extract (ES) was compared with that of normal controls, stress controls, and fluoxetine controls. RESULTS: In the behavioral test, there was no significant difference in immobility time and number of line crossings in the test group compared to the fluoxetine control (p>0.05). ES significantly increased the sucrose preference value of the test group. Oxidative stress parameter analysis showed that the extract reduced MDA levels in mice, no different from the fluoxetine control group (p>0.05), and increased catalase levels, but not as effectively as the standard drug (p<0.05). Histopathological analysis found a significant increase in the thickness of the granular layer in the dentate gyrus of mice treated with ES and fluoxetine compared to the stress group. CONCLUSIONS: Suruhan herb has antidepressant-like effects and has the potential to be used as a functional food and complementary medicine in the treatment of depression.