Novel Therapeutic Targets in Depression and Anxiety: Antioxidants as a Candidate Treatment

Abstract

There is growing evidence that the imbalance between oxidative stress and the antioxidant defense system may be associated with the development neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Major depression and anxiety are presently correlated with a lowered total antioxidant state and by an activated oxidative stress (OS) pathway. The classical antidepressants may produce therapeutic effects other than regulation of monoamines by increasing the antioxidant levels and normalizing the damage caused by OS processes. This chapter provides an overview of recent work on oxidative stress markers in the animal models of depression and anxiety, as well as patients with the aforementioned mood disorders. It is well documented that antioxidants can remove the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) through scavenging radicals and suppressing the OS pathway, which further protect against neuronal damage caused oxidative or nitrosative stress sources in the brain, hopefully resulting in remission of depression or anxiety symptoms. The functional understanding of the relationship between oxidative stress and depression and anxiety may pave the way for discovery of novel targets for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Antidepressant and Antiamnesic Potential of Foeniculum vulgare

“…It has been noted recently that depressive disorders are related to oxidative stress and inflammation as patients of depression show increased levels of cytokines and other inflammatory markers in blood which reach brain and effect regions related to depression [32]. Extensive research has been done to find the link between psychiatric illness and oxidative stress and free radicals are found to be a key factor in development of depression [33,34]. Hazardous effect of oxidative stress in these disorders could be due to neuro-inflammation, neuroplastic deterioration and deficit in signalling [35,36].…”

An Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants With Antianxiety and Antidepressant Effects in Shahrekord

“…In fact, development of anxiety or depression is associated with a decrease in antioxidant status and increase in oxidative stress. Depression therapy, even with conventional drugs is also associated with increase in antioxidant levels and reduction in damages induced by oxidative stress [37].…”

Antidepressant‐like effect of anacardic acid in mice via the L‐arginine–nitric oxide–serotonergic system

“…Depression may be associated with oxidative stress, and antioxidant therapy may regulate monoamine levels and normalize oxidative damage. In animal models, it is possible to emphasize the markers of oxidative stress and protection of neuronal damages from ROS and RNS (Xu, Wang, Klabnik, & O'Donnell, ). Oxidative stress can arise from transformation of L‐arginine into NO through activation of NOS and, consequently, initiates the formation of NO (Dhir & Kulkarni, ), which can trigger neurodegeneration processes, causing anxiety and depression (Sakhaee et al, ).…”

“…Antidepressants restore the noradrenergic and serotonergic neurotransmitter systems. A recent publication by Xu et al () demonstrated that symptoms of depression improved at lower levels of lipid peroxidation. As has been mentioned of possible mechanisms of action via NO L‐arginine, AA may also be involved in stress caused by nitrite radicals and may inhibit these pathways of reactive species.…”