Antidepressant Effects of Oligosaccharides and Polysaccharides in Chinese Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Depression is a common psychiatric disease that seriously affects the physical and mental health and quality of life of patients， and has become one of the major global disease burdens. The etiology of depression is intricate， and despite extensive research， its pathogenesis remains inconclusive， resulting in various hypotheses of its onset mechanisms. Presently， the primary approach for clinically treating depression involves the utilization of selective inhibitors targeting the reuptake of monoamine neurotransmitters within the central nervous system. However， these drugs are generally characterized by delayed onset of action， limited efficacy and obvious resistance. Recently， researchers have gradually turned their attention to the development of antidepressant drugs with novel mechanisms. Notably， as a category of abundantly available active ingredients in Chinese medicine， numerous pharmacological studies have demonstrated that oligosaccharides and polysaccharides possess promising antidepressant properties， such as Morindae Officinalis Radix oligosaccharides， Polygalae Radix oligosaccharide esters， Poria polysaccharides and Astragali Radix polysaccharides. Their pharmacological mechanisms are various， including enhancing the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in the brain， inhibiting the hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis（HPA axis）， increasing the expression of neurotrophic factors（NTF）， regulating immune-inflammatory responses and modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Therefore， oligosaccharides and polysaccharides from Chinese medicine have become a vital source of safe and effective novel antidepressant candidates due to the potential to improve depression through integrated regulatory effects. This article aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of recent progress to contribute to the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides derived from Chinese medicine.