Emerging Role of Flavonoids as the Treatment of Depression

Abstract

Depression is one of the most frequently observed psychological disorders, affecting thoughts, feelings, behavior and a sense of well-being in person. As per the WHO, it is projected to be the primitive cause of various other diseases by 2030. Clinically, depression is treated by various types of synthetic medicines that have several limitations such as side-effects, slow-onset action, poor remission and response rates due to complicated pathophysiology involved with depression. Further, clinically, patients cannot be given the treatment unless it affects adversely the job or family. In addition, synthetic drugs are usually single targeted drugs. Unlike synthetic medicaments, there are many plants that have flavonoids and producing action on multiple molecular targets and exhibit anti-depressant action by affecting multiple neuronal transmissions or pathways such as noradrenergic, serotonergic, GABAnergic and dopaminergic; inhibition of monoamine oxidase and tropomyosin receptor kinase B; simultaneous increase in nerve growth and brain-derived neurotrophic factors. Such herbal drugs with flavonoids are likely to be useful in patients with sub-clinical depression. This review is an attempt to analyze pre-clinical studies, structural activity relationship and characteristics of reported isolated flavonoids, which may be considered for clinical trials for the development of therapeutically useful antidepressant.

Antidepressant-Like Activity of Solvent Fractions of the Root Bark of Carissa spinarum Linn. (Apocynaceae) in Rodents Involves Multiple Signaling Pathways

“…Indeed, several studies have suggested the role of sulpiride in altering the antidepressant-like activity of various plant extracts in rodents 66 , 73 as well as the influence of some flavonoids on the dopaminergic system. 74 , 75 …”

“…Indeed, several studies have suggested the role of sulpiride in altering the antidepressant-like activity of various plant extracts in rodents 66,73 as well as the influence of some flavonoids on the dopaminergic system. 74,75 The cholinergic system plays an important role in the regulation of central functions such as arousal, attention, cognition, and memory. The cholinergic neurons are connected to the hippocampus and the VTA, and are involved in function of the reward system and mood regulation.…”

Natural and Semi-Synthetic Flavonoid Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Agents for the Treatment of Long COVID-19 Disease and Neurodegenerative Disorders of Cognitive Decline

“…Myrecetin [438], kaempferol [439], naringin [440], quercetin [441,442] and luteolin [443] beneficially modulating the colon microbiome. Flavonoids thus have a number of beneficial health promoting properties exerted through the gut-lung, gut-liver and gut-brain axes [444][445][446][447][448][449][450]. Functional screening of metagenome and genome libraries has also been employed to detect flavonoid-modifying enzymes that generate bioactive components from dietary flavonoids [451] and bacterial species that convert dietary flavonoids have been identified [450].…”

Studi Literatur Beberapa Tumbuhan Suku Asteraceae yang Memiliki Efek Antidepresan

“…Dari tabel di atas, dapat diketahui aktivitas antidepresan dari tumbuh-tumbuhan suku Asteraceae mayoritas berasal dari senyawa-senyawa golongan flavonoid, seskuiterpen lakton, dan triterpen pentasiklik. Dalam memberikan aktivitas antidepresannya, selain melalui mekanisme antioksidan, flavonoid diketahui juga mempengaruhi reseptor neurotransmisi, kadar BDNF, meningkatkan pertumbuhan saraf, menghambat aktivitas enzim tertentu, memodulasi saluran ion kalsium dan kalium, serta menjaga plastisitas otak dan mencegas disipasi potensial membran mitokondria (17). Pada penelitian-penelitian terdahulu, seskuiterpen lakton terbukti bertindak sebagai penanda farmakologis yang ditujukan untuk penyakit neurodegeneratif, termasuk efek seperti antidepresan, dengan mekanisme yang mungkin melalui pemblokiran reseptor GABA-A atau efeknya pada sistem glutamatergik (11).…”