The Role of Natural Products in the Management of Depression

Abstract

Depression is a recurrent, common psychiatric illness with several identifiable causes. Even though standard anti-depressant medication can help to alleviate depression symptoms and avoid relapse of the disease, due to the drawbacks of the present treatment, such as side effects, efficacy, drug interactions, delayed onset of action, etc., complementary therapies are necessary. Several studies have looked at adjuvant therapeutic strategies to enhance depression patients' results. The use of therapeutic herbs and phytochemicals is one possible complementary approach. Studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of medical herbs and phytochemicals on depression and its central nervous system mechanism. Here, we outline the specific mechanisms of phytochemicals' therapeutic effects against depression and summarize the state of our understanding of them. Using phytomedicine could be an alternative when modern medications are not suitable for treating depression because of their negative effects, poor efficacy, or inaccessibility. Clinical research must yet verify the effectiveness and safety of these phytomedicine depression treatments.