Abstract

REVIEW ON NATURAL AGENTS USED AS ANTIDEPRESSANT

Christal C., Silvia Navis*, Anusree, Sanitha and Prasobh G. R.

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Abstract

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by a wide range of symptoms that result in psychomotor and cognitive impairments. Depression follows loss of pleasure or interest, feeling of guilt, decreased energy and low self-worth. Chemical and synthetic drugs available to treat depression causes many adverse effects and may lead to complete recovery in only 50% of patients. At the same time, medicinal plants have been reported to exert optimal pharmacological effects in treating depression in different animals. Most medicinal plants exerted antidepressant effects through synaptic regulation of serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine, regulating activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, reinforcing anti-oxidant defense system, and decreasing inflammatory mediators. The medicinal plants and their active compounds can relieve depression through different pathways and hence can act as antidepressants agents.

Keywords: Antidepressant, CNS disorder, Depression, Medicinal plants, Neurotransmitters.