Abstract

NATURAL DRUGS AS ANTIDEPRESSANT REMEDY: A REVIEW

Vivek Kumar Seth*, Shilpi Mishra and Ashish Mishra

ABSTRACT

Depression, a multifactorial brain disorder, a serious mood disorder, characterized by anhedonia, the reduced ability to experience pleasure, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating, and repetitive thoughts of suicide or death. It is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. Several approaches have been developed to manage symptoms and disorders but the treatments usually associated with various side effects or poor effect. Medicinal plants or herbs are good alternatives due to no or less side effects. There has been an increase, worldwide, in the use of medicinal plants and herbs for developing nutraceuticals for treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders. Medicinal plants in their natural forms are valuable as they are rich in various phytochemical compounds. These phytochemical compounds have pharmacological roles in treating various diseases conditions; apart from being widely available in nature and commercially beneficial. The phytochemical compounds in plants are constantly being explored through various experimental studies to determine the molecular basis of how medicinal plants work in relation to drugs and diseases and to develop neutraceuticals for improving conditions. This review described few medicinal plants have been shown to possess antidepressant activity. This review also highlights the various mechanisms of anti-depressant action.

Keywords: depression, Medicinal plants, Neurochemistry of depression, Antidepressant activity.