Medicinal Plants and Phytochemicals against Depression

Résumé fourni par la source

Depression is a common disease that affects people of almost all ages and is a potentially life-threatening psychiatric disease related to multiple assignable causes. It is a serious heterogeneous mood disorder that mostly occurs due to reduced brain levels of monoamines like serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline. A number of studies have researched adjunctive therapeutic approaches to improve outcomes for depression patients. One potential complementary method to conventional antidepressants involves the use of medicinal herbs and phytochemicals that provide therapeutic benefits. These medicinal herbs are cost-effective and have fewer side effects. A variety of pharmaceutical plants have been used to apply optimal pharmacologic impacts to cure depression in different models. A range of medicinal plants and the medicines derived from them have exhibited antidepressant properties. The active compounds of medicinal plants can be used to treat depression through various pathways and therefore are considered as a new source to make antidepressants. Medicines have the ability to restore decreased levels of monoamines in the brain by preventing monoamine oxidase or by preventing reuptake of neurotransmitters. The use of phytomedicine may be an alternative option for the treatment of depression in cases where conventional drugs are not applicable due to their side effects, low effectiveness, or inaccessibility. However, the efficacy and safety of these phytomedical treatments for depression have to be supported by clinical studies. The main aim of this chapter is to highlight the pharmacologic impacts of some medicinal plants and the plant-based formulations that have antidepressant activity in human and animal studies and are used to cure depression.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.