Erythrina variegata is a plant that belongs to the Fabaceae or legume family. Erythrina variegata is a deciduous tree that is commonly referred to as tiger’s claw or the Indian coral tree. The plant is native to parts of Asia including India and China, and is also found in Africa and Australia. Erythrina variegata is known to possess central nervous system effects including anti-convulsant effects, and this may suggest that it is able to interact with the GABA system in the brain. As GABA is involved in mood, this may suggest that Erythrina variegata is able to modulate mood. Researchers have investigated the mood elevating effects of Erythrina variegata on laboratory animals. In one study, researchers administered bark extracts of Erythrina variegata to mice and then exposed the mice to stress. The results showed that the bark extracts of Erythrina variegata were significantly able to reduce the depressive-like activity in the mice, and were also able to inhibit monoamine oxidase A and B activity, in a similar way to antidepressant drugs.
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Martins, J. and Brijesh, S. 2020. Antidepressant activity of Erythrina variegata bark extract and regulation of monoamine oxidase activities in mice. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 248: 112280
