A REVIEW ON FLAVONOIDS AS POTENTIAL ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS

Depression being a state of sadness characterized by mental and functional activity, sadness, reduction in activity, difficulty in thinking, loss of concentration, perturbations in appetite, hopelessness and generation of suicidal tendencies. Flavonoids are phenolic compounds which found commonly in plants that protect them against the negative effects of environmental insults. Flavonoids are secondary metabolites that explore their potential therapeutic effects in the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system, including anxiety and depression. The present review discusses about some flavonoids as potential antidepressant agents. We describe their behavioural, physiological, and neurochemical effects and mechanism of action of their preclinical antidepressant-like effects. Natural flavonoids produce antidepressant-like effects in validated behavioural models of depression. The mechanism of action of these effects includes the activation of serotonergic, dopaminergic, noradrenergic neurotransmitter systems and an increase in the production of neural factors, including brain- derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor. In conclusion, preclinical research that supports the potential antidepressant effects of some natural flavonoids, which gives new possibilities of evaluating these substances to develop complementary therapeutic alternatives that could ameliorate symptoms of depressive disorders in humans.

Keywords: Antidepressants, Depression, Flavonoids, Norepinephrine, Serotonin.