Natural Phytochemicals for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A Mini-Review of Pre- and Clinical Studies.

CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets

Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil.

Published: December 2022

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common mental illness that causes significant disability and declining quality of life. An overlap of multiple factors can be involved in the pathophysiology of this mood disorder, including increased inflammation and oxidative stress, change in neurotransmitters, decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), activation of the hypothalamicpituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis, and changes in the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Although the classic treatment for MDD is safe, it is far from ideal, with delay to start the best clinic, side effects, and a large number of non-responses or partial-responses. Therefore, other alternatives are being studied to improve depressive symptoms, and, among them, the role of phytochemicals in food stands out. This mini-review will discuss the main phytochemicals present in foods with clinical and preclinical studies showing benefits for MDD treatment. In addition, the main mechanisms of action that are being proposed for each of these compounds will be addressed.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570159X20666220329143804DOI Listing

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