Abstract
Depression is a syndrome characterized by deep sadness and the inhibition of psychic
functions, sometimes accompanied by neurovegetative disorders, with symptoms of anxiety
almost always present. The disease produces alterations in a variety of neural networks
and neurotransmission systems, along with a dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
axis, which leads to concomitant alterations in the immunological response. Generally,
there is a parallel increase in proinflammatory mediators as well as oxidative and
nitrosative damage caused by a reduction of antioxidant defenses. In a previous review,
we compiled and examined studies of medicinal plants that had been evaluated in preclinical
assays, including existing data on 155 species studied and reported as antidepressants
or as sources of active principles for treating this condition. This review will thus
limit its focus to the 95 clinical trials found in PubMed among the 670 articles on
antidepressant-like
medicinal plants. To this end, we have reviewed the publications cited in the
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed, and the Science Citation Index from
2000 to 2020. Our review emphasizes those species that have demonstrated the greatest
pharmacological potential when studied for their antidepressant properties in humans
through clinical trials. Saffron, turmeric, St. Johnʼs wort, ginkgo, kava, and golden
root are the most relevant plants that have provided important evidence for the treatment
of depression in clinical trials.
Key words
antidepressant - medicinal plants - clinical trials - natural products - curcumin
- saffron