Scholarlink

<p>Depression is a prevalent neuropsychiatric disorder that poses a significant global health burden. However, current pharmacotherapies are limited by adverse effects and substantial interindividual variability in efficacy. Medicine food homology (MFH), characterized by high safety and suitability for long-term use, has emerged as a promising complementary approach for depression management. This review summarizes the nutritional and functional properties of MFH, with emphasis on the antidepressant potential of MFH. Major bioactive constituents, including saponins, polysaccharides, alkaloids, polyphenols, and flavonoids, are discussed in relation to their regulatory effects on depressive symptoms. Representative MFH materials, such as <i>lily</i>, <i>rehmannia</i>, <i>ginseng</i>, <i>saffron</i>, <i>panax notoginseng</i>, and <i>suanzaoren</i>, are highlighted based on extensive experimental and emerging clinical evidence. However, there are still several challenges in the research on the antidepressant effects of MFH. These include unclear mechanisms of action, insufficient identification of active compounds, lack of standardized quality control, and limited large-scale clinical validation. Overall, MFH represents a safe and promising therapeutic strategy for depression. It also holds considerable potential to support the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine and to improve public mental health.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Ameliorated potential and possible mechanisms of medicine food homology for depression

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月30日

查看全文
  • Chunyan Huo,
  • Qiang Li,
  • Ning Cai,
  • Chao Teng,
  • Jie Kou

摘要

Depression is a prevalent neuropsychiatric disorder that poses a significant global health burden. However, current pharmacotherapies are limited by adverse effects and substantial interindividual variability in efficacy. Medicine food homology (MFH), characterized by high safety and suitability for long-term use, has emerged as a promising complementary approach for depression management. This review summarizes the nutritional and functional properties of MFH, with emphasis on the antidepressant potential of MFH. Major bioactive constituents, including saponins, polysaccharides, alkaloids, polyphenols, and flavonoids, are discussed in relation to their regulatory effects on depressive symptoms. Representative MFH materials, such as lily, rehmannia, ginseng, saffron, panax notoginseng, and suanzaoren, are highlighted based on extensive experimental and emerging clinical evidence. However, there are still several challenges in the research on the antidepressant effects of MFH. These include unclear mechanisms of action, insufficient identification of active compounds, lack of standardized quality control, and limited large-scale clinical validation. Overall, MFH represents a safe and promising therapeutic strategy for depression. It also holds considerable potential to support the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine and to improve public mental health.