ArticleCombinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening2026
Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of the Antidepressant Potential of Crocus sativus SLN Nasal Spray in a Drosophila melanogaster Model.
Article in Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
objectivesTo develop and characterize a Crocus sativus (saffron)-based solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) nasal spray for treating depression by enabling direct nose-to-brain delivery and evaluating its antidepressant potential in a Drosophila melanogaster model. MATERIALS AND
methodsPhytochemical screening, antioxidant assays, and HPLC quantification of picrocrocin were performed on Crocus sativus extract. The SLN-based nasal spray was formulated and characterized for particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index (PDI), drug entrapment efficiency, in vitro drug release, and stability over 4 weeks. The antidepressant efficacy was assessed via a climbing assay in Drosophila melanogaster.
resultsPhytochemical analysis revealed phenolic content (11-36 μg GAE/mg), flavonoid content (43-56 μg QE/mg), and carotenoid content (1.9-30 μg βC/mg). HPLC analysis quantified picrocrocin at 6.3 mg/g, confirming its presence. The SLNs exhibited a particle size of 110-225 nm, a zeta potential of -1 to -0.8 mV, a PDI of 1, and a drug entrapment efficiency of 99.76%. Drug release reached 37% over 270 minutes, and the nasal spray maintained a pH of 5.8, a viscosity of 23.1 cP, and stability over 4 weeks. In vivo, the climbing assay demonstrated improved locomotor activity, indicating significant antidepressant potential. DISCUSSION: The favorable physicochemical characteristics of the nasal spray, along with the observed behavioral improvements in the fly model, suggest that Crocus sativus SLNs effectively cross the nasal-brain barrier and exert antidepressant-like effects. These findings support its potential for non-invasive management of treatment-resistant depression.
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