Herbal Treatment of Major Depression Scientific Basis and Practical Use

This unique volume presents new understandings of the neurochemical nature of major depression, and how herbs and their constituent flavonoids and terpenes appear to address some of the mechanisms now thought to be involved. It explores how recent studies of the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine inform neuroscientists about deep intracellular mechanisms of antidepressant action that have little to do with simple enhancement of monoaminergic activity. These mechanisms include actions on PI3K, Akt, mTOR, GSK3, BDNF, and other intracellular pathways. New theories of the pathophysiology underlying major depression, such as oxidative damage, inflammation, stress and insulin resistance are then explored.Key Features:Focuses on oxidative damage, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome. Explains that a significant percentage of people treated for major depression obtain little if any relief from standard antidepressant medications. These facts lead to discussion of herbs that can be used to treat major depression, as well as consideration of the scientific basis for how these herbs act. The antidepressant properties of 66 herbs are discussed, along with dosing and safety information.

Table of Contents1 Major Depressive Disorder: A brief history of Western medical treatment2 How antidepressants work, but often do not3 Clues revealed by ketamine4 New understanding of the nature and causes of Major Depressive Disorder4.1 Oxidative and nitrosative damage4.2 Inflammation4.3 Chronic Stress 4.4 Insulin resistance4.5 Metabolic Syndrome4.6 Summary5 Phytochemicals: Some basics5.1 Carbohydrates5.2 Lipids5.3 Terpenes5.4 Phenolics5.41 Flavonoids5.42 Non-flavonoid phenolics5.5 Alkaloids5.6 Summary6 Models and paradigms for assessment of antidepressant effects6.1 Antioxidant Effects6.2 Anti-inflammatory Effects6.3 Antidiabetic/Anti-Metabolic Syndrome Effects6.4 Preclinical antidepressant-like effects6.4.1 Forced Swim Test6.4.2 Tail suspension Test6.4.3 Sucrose Consumption Test6.4.4 Test Conditions7 Herbs with antidepressant effects7.1 Allium sativum (Garlic)7.2 Angelica sinensis7.3 Apium graveolens (celery)7.4 Astragalus membranaceus7.5 Atractylodes macrocephala7.6 Avena sativa (common oat)7.7 Bacopa monnieri7.8 Borage officinalis (European Borage)7.9 Bupleurum chinense7.10 Camellia sinensis (Tea)7.11 Cannabis7.12 Cecropia7.13 Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola)7.14 Chrysactinia Mexicana7.15 Cimicifuga racemosa (Black cohosh)7.16 Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon)7.17 Coffea arabica (Coffee)7.18 Coriandrum sativum (Coriander)7.19 Corydalis yanhusuo7.20 Crocus sativa (Saffron)7.21 Curcuma longa (Turmeric)7.22 Cyperus rotundus7.23 Echium amoenum7.24 Eleutherococcus senticoccus (Siberian Ginseng)7.25 Epimedium brevicornum (Horny goat weed)7.26 Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel)7.27 Ginkgo biloba7.28 Glycyrrhiza (licorice)7.29 Hedyosmum Brasiliense7.30 Hemerocallis citrina (Daylily)7.31 Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane)7.32 Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Hibiscus)7.33 Humulus lupulus (Hops)7.34 Huperzia serrata7.35 Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort)7.36 Ilex paraguariensis (Yerba mate)7.37 Lavandula (Lavender)7.38 Ligusticum chuanxiong7.39 Magnolia officinalis7.40 Matricaria recutita (Chamomile)7.41 Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm)7.42 Mimosa pudica7.43 Ocimum basilicum (Sweet Basil)7.44 Origanum vulgare (Oregano)7.46 Panax ginseng (Ginseng)45 Paeonia lactiflora (Peony)7.47 Passifloraceae incarnata (Passionflower)7.48 Piper methysticum (Kava)7.49 Piper nigrum (Black Pepper)7.50 Polygala tenuifolia7.51 Poria cocos7.52 Psoralea corylifolia7.53 Rhodiola rosea7.54 Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)7.55 Salvia divinorum7.56 Sceletium tortuosum7.57 Schisandra chinensis7.58 Scutellaria lateriflora (Skullcap)7.59 Silybum marianum (Milk Thistle)7.60 Theobroma cacao (Chocolate)7.61 Tilia (Linden)7.62 Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek)7.63 Valeriana officinalis (Valerian)7.64 Verbena officinalis (Vervain)7.65 Vitex agnus-castus (Chaste tree)7.66 Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha)8 The antidepressant effects of Yueue, and the herbs of Traditional Chinese Medicine8.1 Fundamental considerations8.2 Yueju8.3 Xiao yao san8.4 Chai hu shu gan8.5 Gan mai da zao8.6 Gui pi 8.7 Shi wei wen dan tang 8.8 Ban xia hou pu 8.9 Chai hu jia long gu mu li8.10 Tiao qi8.11 Yi pi8.12 Tang shen kang8.13 Kai xin san8.14 Shu gan jie yu8.15 Si ni san8.16 Wu ling8.17 Other TCM herbs used in the treatment of MDD8.18 A medical, "Theory of Everything."9 Flavonoids with preclinical antidepressant-like effects9.1 Amentoflavone9.2 Apigenin9.3 Astilbin9.4 Baicalein and Baicalin9.5 Chrysin9.6 7,8,Dihydroxyflavone9.7 Fisetin9.8 Heptomethoxyflavone9.9 Hesperidin and hesperitin9.10 Hyperoside9.11 Icariin9.12 Isosakurentin-5-O-rutinoside9.13 Kaempferol9.14 Liquiritin and Isoliquirtin9.15 Luteolin9.16 Miquelianin9.17 Myricetin9.18 Naringenin and naringin9.19 Nobiletin9.20 Orientin9.21 Quercetin9.22 Vitexin9.23 Wogonin and wogonoside9.24 Synthetic flavonoids9.25 Mechanisms of flavonoid antidepressant action10 Preclinical antidepressant-like effects of terpenes, polyphenolics, and other non-flavonoid phytochemcials10.1 Amyrins10.2 Bacopasides10.3 Berberine10.4 3-n-Butylphthalide10.5 Caffeic Acid10.6 ß-Carotene10.7 Carvacrol10.8 ß-Caryophyllene10.9 Chlorogenic acid10.10 Crocin10.11 Curcumin10.12 3,6'-Disinapoyl sucrose10.13 Ellagic acid10.14 Eugenol10.15 Ferulic acid10.16 Gallic acid10.17 Gastrodin10.18 Genipin10.19 Ginsenoside Rg110.20 Glycyrrhizin10.21 4-Hydroxyisoleucine10.22 Hyperfoliatin10.23 Linalool10.24 Macranthol10.25 Methyl jasmonate10.26 Mitragynine10.27 Oleanolic acid10.28 Orcinol10.29 Paeoniflorin10.30 Paeonol10.31 Palmatine10.32 Plumbagin10.33 Podoandin10.34 Punarnavine10.35 Resveratrol10.36 Riparin10.37 Rosmarinic acid10.38 Safranal10.39 Salidroside10.40 Sarsasapogenin10.41 Scopoletin10.42 Sulphoraphane10.43 Tetrandrine10.44 L-theanine10.45 Uliginosin B10.46 Ursolic acid10.47 Vanillin 11 Choosing herbal treatments11.1 Efficacy of herbal treatments of MDD11.2 Herbs for which there is less than compelling evidence of efficacy11.3 Combinations of Herbs11.4 Addressing Comorbidities11.4.1 Anxiety and insomnia11.4.2 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder11.4.3 Premenstrual and perimenopausal symptoms11.4.4 Dementia11.4.5 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome11.4.6 Fatigue, lack of resiliency and General Malaise11.5 Augmentation of standard antidepressant treatment with herbs.11.6 Safety

Currently a practicing psychiatrist in Roseburg, Oregon, the author earned a Ph.D. in Biopsychology at The University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, British Columbia. He then worked for three years as a post-doctoral fellow at The Rockefeller University in the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology under Bruce McEwen, Ph.D. During his doctoral work and as a post-doctoral fellow, he published 24 papers on the subjects of serotonergic and hormonal regulation of sexual behavior, and on the effects of stress on serotonin receptor subtypes in the brain. The author then attended medical school at The University of Illinois, and after graduating in 1996, he did his residency in psychiatry at The University of Virginia. In 2007, Elsevier published his first book, Metabolic Syndrome and Psychiatric Illness: Interactions, pathophysiology, assessment and treatment. In 2009, M. Evans published his second book, Beyond Alzheimer’s: How to avoid the modern epidemic of dementia