Portulaca oleracea is an edible flowering plant that belongs to the Portulacaceae family of plants. Portulaca oleracea is used in traditional Chinese medicine for its medicinal effects. Internally the plant is used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, and externally for the treatment of skin conditions, suggesting it has significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In addition, Portulaca oleracea may have mood elevating effects due to the unique composition of phytochemicals it contains, particularly flavonoids, monoterpenes and neurotransmitters. The mental health effects of Portulaca oleracea were investigated in mice, and a significant anti-anxiety effect observed. Mice were administered extracts of Portulaca oleracea and then exposed to experimental stress. The extracts were significantly able to reduce anxious behaviour in the mice, an effect that was blocked by the GABA antagonist flumazenil. The anxiolytic effects were therefore likely orchestrated through the GABA neurotransmitter system.
Portulaca oleracea contains a number of phytochemicals that may explain its mental health effects. These include flavonoids, coumarins, monoterpene glycoside, several nitrogenous compounds including N-trans-feruloyltyramine, dopamine, dopa, norepinephrine, as well as a number of alkaloidal compounds. Image from: By ZooFari – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https:// commons.wikimedia.org/ w/ index.php?curid=8986945.
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