Therapeutic Potential of Natural Phytocompounds and Plant Extracts for Depression. A Comprehensive Review

Authors

  • Aman Ullah Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Hafiz Muhammad Irfan Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Sargodha Pakistan
  • Summer Siddiqui Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA
  • Irfan Khan University at Albany

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55627/ppc.002.01.0043

Keywords:

Depression, phytocompounds, serotonin, norepinephrine, medicinal plants, antidepressants

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a social condition that has a substantial financial impact on society. MDD has an unclear origin; that’s why it has been proposed to have complex pathophysiology. Depressive disorders occur due to many factors, i.e., somatic genetic and environmental factors and anomalies in hypothalamic function. Current medicines used for depression are Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and Atypical antidepressants; there are many side effects reported with these medicines like hyponatremia, erectile dysfunction, and addiction are significant problems with these. There is a need to find effective agents which have high efficacy and low adverse effects. Because of encouraging experimental results, many emphases have been focused on phytocompounds such as flavonoids and green tea catechins in recent times. This review has compiled phytocompounds and plant extracts that have shown substantial efficacy against antidepression targets. These compounds and plant extract attenuate depression by several mechanisms like increasing the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), decreasing oxidative stress markers, and attenuating dysfunctions in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis), neurogenesis, and by several more pathways.

Author Biography

  • Irfan Khan, University at Albany

    OMB No. 0925-0001 and 0925-0002 (Rev. 10/2021 Approved Through 09/30/2024)

    BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

    Provide the following information for the Senior/key personnel and other significant contributors.

    Follow this format for each person. DO NOT EXCEED FIVE PAGES.

    NAME: Khan, Irfan

    eRA COMMONS USER NAME (credential, e.g., agency login):

    POSITION TITLE: Molecular Scientist/Director of Molecular Genomics

    EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, including postdoctoral training and residency training if applicable. Add/delete rows as necessary.)

    INSTITUTION AND LOCATION

    DEGREE
    (if applicable)

    END DATE
    MM/YYYY

    FIELD OF STUDY

    Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Sindh

    AS

    12/2000

    Medical Laboratory Technology

    University of Karachi, Karachi, Sindh

    BS

    07/2005

    Microbiology

    University of Karachi, Karachi, Sindh

    PHD

    07/2012

    Molecular Microbiology/Virology

    A. Personal Statement

    Currently, I am working as Research Scientist with University at Albany, SUNY from Jan 2018 – Present. I am serving as an external reviewer for my Ph.D. thesis of students, Paraphrase, Edit, and Writing articles. As the most senior external member of Professor Royzen's lab, I am providing hands-on training and supervise undergraduate and graduate students for experiment design, project execution, and data analysis. My work has been exceptionally well-received at international conferences, such as Gordon Conference on RNA Nanotechnology. This outstanding work received great attention in the press, as the magnetic nano-vehicle-based therapeutics are an encouraging inventive method for targeted delivery of anticancer therapeutics for breast cancer. Our hard work and excellent research skills have led to eight peer-reviewed journal articles published in the top teach chemical journals such as Chemical Communications, ACS Central Science, Chemical Science and Nanoscale.

    I was working as Research Investigator at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. I worked on two major projects focused on investigating the mechanisms involved in i) regulating HIV latency and ii) HIV-associated neurological disorder (HAND). His data from the HIV latency project was included in the recently funded NIH R15 grant. Additionally, his work on the HAND project resulted in a first author publication in the Journal of Neurovirology, published in February 2022. This reflects very highly on my scientific productivity in the HIV research lab.

    I earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Karachi University in collaboration with Aga Khan University Karachi, Pakistan in 2012, followed by Post-Doctoral training in Molecular Virology from Albany Medical College and University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.

    I have more than 18 publications in well reputed international journals including the Journal of Virology, ACS chemical sciences, and RCS biological chemistry with a cumulative impact factor of more than 75. I have also authored a book entitled “Fluoroquinolones inhibit HCV by targeting its helicase.” I am also a scientific reviewer for different international journals.

    I have more than 17 years experience in Molecular Biology and Infectious disease research at, Aga Khan University and Albany Medical College, University at Albany, and GE Global Research Centre. I have been awarded twice with BEP Pre-Doctoral Training Research Grant Award 2010-2011by U.S. Department of State's Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) and Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) and the BEP Pre-Doctoral Training Travel Award 2009 by U.S. Department of State's Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) and Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF).

    I have also been awarded 1 Pre-Doctoral National Research Service Award 2007-2010 from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. I have reviewed more than 10 MPhil and PhD theses as an external examiner in different universities in Pakistan. I have received several competitive travel grants/scholarships from various international funding bodies to present my research work at more than 15 different international forums including American Society for Microbiology (ASM) General Meeting, ASM Microbe, GRC RNA Nanotechnology meeting and Annual Clinical Cytometry Meeting.

    1. Khan IA, Worrad AH, Singh MV, Maggirwar SB, Singh VB. Human immunodeficiency virus-1 Tat exerts its neurotoxic effects by downregulating Sonic hedgehog signaling. J Neurovirol. 2022 Feb 18; PubMed PMID: 35181862.
    2. Khan I, Seebald LM, Robertson NM, Yigit MV, Royzen M. Controlled in-cell activation of RNA therapeutics using bond-cleaving bio-orthogonal chemistry. Chem Sci. 2017 Aug 1;8(8):5705-5712. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5621156.
    3. Khan I, Agris PF, Yigit MV, Royzen M. In situ activation of a doxorubicin prodrug using imaging-capable nanoparticles. Chem Commun (Camb). 2016 May 4;52(36):6174-7. PubMed PMID: 27076271.
    4. Khan I, Katikaneni DS, Han Q, Sanchez-Felipe L, Hanada K, Ambrose RL, Mackenzie JM, Konan KV. Modulation of hepatitis C virus genome replication by glycosphingolipids and four-phosphate adaptor protein 2. J Virol. 2014 Nov;88(21):12276-95. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4248901.
    B. Positions, Scientific Appointments and Honors

    Positions and Scientific Appointments

    2021 -

    Molecular Scientist/Director Molecular Genomics, Suretox Laboratory, Elmwood Park, NJ

    2019 - 2021

    Research Investigator , Albany College f Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Albany, NY

    2018 -

    Volunteer Research Scientist , University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY

    2018 - 2019

    Research Scientist , GE Global Research Center, Niskayuna, NY

    2014 - 2018

    Research Scientist, University at Albany, Albany, NY

    2012 - 2014

    Post-Doc Research Fellow, Albany Medical College , Alabany, NY

    Honors

    2019 - 2019

    RNA Nanotechnology Travel Award , Gordon Research Conferences

    2010 - 2011

    Pre-Doctoral training Research Grant Award 2010-2011, U.S. Department of State's Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) and Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF)

    2007 - 2010

    Pre-Doctoral National Research Service Award 2007-2010 , Higher Education Commission of Pakistan

    2009

    Pre-Doctoral Training Travel Award 2009 , U.S. Department of State's Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) and Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF)

    C. Contribution to Science
    1. I have completed two major projects focused at investigating the mechanisms involved in i) regulating HIV latency and ii) HIV-associated neurological disorder (HAND). His data from HIV latency project was included in recently funded NIH R15 grant.
      1. Khan IA, Worrad AH, Singh MV, Maggirwar SB, Singh VB. Human immunodeficiency virus-1 Tat exerts its neurotoxic effects by downregulating Sonic hedgehog signaling. J Neurovirol. 2022 Feb 18; PubMed PMID: 35181862.
    2. Innovation of a novel siRNA based cancer therapeutics delivery system, optimization of an hydrogel based small molecule drugs delivery, discovery of novel characteristic of glycosphingolipid transport protein FAPP2, which plays an important role in HCV replication and set-up of 3 cross-functional collaborations, which lead to $1.5M grant funding.
      1. Khan I, Seebald LM, Robertson NM, Yigit MV, Royzen M. Controlled in-cell activation of RNA therapeutics using bond-cleaving bio-orthogonal chemistry. Chem Sci. 2017 Aug 1;8(8):5705-5712. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5621156.
      2. Mejia Oneto JM, Khan I, Seebald L, Royzen M. In Vivo Bioorthogonal Chemistry Enables Local Hydrogel and Systemic Pro-Drug To Treat Soft Tissue Sarcoma. ACS Cent Sci. 2016 Jul 27;2(7):476-82. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4965853.
      3. Khan I, Agris PF, Yigit MV, Royzen M. In situ activation of a doxorubicin prodrug using imaging-capable nanoparticles. Chem Commun (Camb). 2016 May 4;52(36):6174-7. PubMed PMID: 27076271.
      4. Khan I, Katikaneni DS, Han Q, Sanchez-Felipe L, Hanada K, Ambrose RL, Mackenzie JM, Konan KV. Modulation of hepatitis C virus genome replication by glycosphingolipids and four-phosphate adaptor protein 2. J Virol. 2014 Nov;88(21):12276-95. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4248901.
    3. We have developed new synthetic and imaging tools for RNA research. The interdisciplinary work on these projects involves chemical synthesis of nucleoside analogs, characterization of their photophysical properties, solid phase synthesis of RNA strands containing unnatural nucleosides and live cell imaging. Recently, we developed an in vitro transcription procedure for site-specific fluorescent labeling of RNA strands. In collaboration with Dharmacon, GE, we introduced a bio-orthogonal chemistry protocol for purification of synthetic RNA strands without RP HPLC. Lastly, we are developing fluorescent imaging probes of mRNA in live mammalian cells.
      1. Wu K, He M, Khan I, Asare Okai P, Lin Q, Fuchs G, Royzen M. Bio-orthogonal chemistry-based method for fluorescent labelling of ribosomal RNA in live mammalian cells. Chemical Communications. 2019; 55(70):10456-10459. Available from: http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=C9CC05346H DOI: 10.1039/C9CC05346H
      2. Bio-Orthogonal Chemistry and Reloadable Biomaterial Enable Local Activation of Antibiotic Prodrugs and Enhance Treatments against Staphylococcus aureus Infections. ACS Cent Sci.. 2018 December. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30648146
      3. Robertson N, Yang Y, Khan I, LaMantia V, Royzen M, Yigit M. Single-trigger dual-responsive nanoparticles for controllable and sequential prodrug activation. Nanoscale. 2017; 9(28):10020-10030. Available from: http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=C7NR04138A DOI: 10.1039/C7NR04138A
      4. Agustin E, Asare Okai PN, Khan I, Miller MR, Wang R, Sheng J, Royzen M. A fast click-slow release strategy towards the HPLC-free synthesis of RNA. Chem Commun (Camb). 2016 Jan 25;52(7):1405-8. PubMed PMID: 26619912.
    4. Developed a molecular beacon-based assay for measuring viral helicase activity
      1. Ali II, Khan IA, Munir MK. Frequency of Multi Drug Resistant Nosocomial Pathogens in Intensive Care Units of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi. Annals of King Edward Medical University. 2017 May 02; 23(2). DOI: 10.21649/akemu.v23i2.1543
      2. Khan IA, Ali II, Munir MK, Rasool SA. Current Pattern of Antibiotic Resistance in Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter Baumannii from Intensive Care Units of Tertiary Care Hospital. Annals of King Edward Medical University. 2016 February 01; 22(1). DOI: 10.21649/akemu.v22i1.791
      3. Siddiqui S, Khan I, Zarina S, Ali S. Use of the SYBR Green dye for measuring helicase activity. Enzyme Microb Technol. 2013 Mar 5;52(3):196-8. PubMed PMID: 23410932.
      4. Khan IA, Siddiqui S, Rehmani S, Kazmi SU, Ali SH. Fluoroquinolones inhibit HCV by targeting its helicase. Antivir Ther. 2012;17(3):467-76. PubMed PMID: 22293206.

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Published

2022-06-30

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2022): Phytopharmacological Communications

Section

Review Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Aman Ullah, Hafiz Muhammad Irfan, Summer Siddiqui, Irfan Khan

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Therapeutic Potential of Natural Phytocompounds and Plant Extracts for Depression. A Comprehensive Review. (2022). Phytopharmacological Communications , 2(1), 53-85. https://doi.org/10.55627/ppc.002.01.0043

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