Neurobiology of Chinese Herbal Medicine on Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder, or depression, becomes a serious public health problem globally. As current mainstream conventional antidepressants have limitations in unsatisfied response and remission rate, late onset of efficacy and side effects, increasing attention has been drawn to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in which mixture of herbs is commonly prescribed after the clinicians make pattern identification for diagnosis. Here, the principle of herbal formulation for TCM (Chinese herbal medicine, CHM) on depression as well as some clinical outcome research is briefly introduced. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying antidepressant effects of CHM, including enhancement of monoamine, dehyperactivation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neuroimmune response, and neurotrophic factors are discussed. Additionally, the results from emerging research into rapid antidepressant efficacy using CHM formula Yueju, as well as the associated neuroplastical mechanisms, are summarized. The in-depth study of the antidepressant efficacy, and underlying chemical substrates, as well as the molecular and systems neurobiological mechanisms may shed new lights for better understanding the mechanisms of CHM and improving the therapy.