Is the use of medicinal plants effective for the control of depressive symptoms in adults?: An integrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i1.24520Keywords:
Medicinal plants; Depression; Adults.Abstract
This study aims to contribute to the identification and synthesis of evidence from randomized controlled trials on the effects of the use of medicinal plants for the control of depressive symptoms in adults. This is an integrative review, with a search carried out in databases, using the following terms: (medicinal plants OR herbal plants), (depressive disorder OR depression), and (adults OR adult population). Randomized controlled trials; published in original articles available in full; in English or Portuguese, and performed with adults aged 18 to 59 years were included. Duplicate articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded. The search resulted in a total of 354 studies, with 9 studies included for analysis. Crocus sativus (saffron) was the most used medicinal plant, administered through capsules in a period between 4 and 12 weeks. The use of medicinal plants has shown positive effects in reducing the intensity of depression symptoms, improving memory and mood performance, and improving sleep quality. However, this result should be interpreted with moderation, due to the number of studies and methodological quality.
References
Akobeng, A. K. (2005). Understanding randomised controlled trials. Archives of disease in childhood, 90(8), 840-844.
Almeida, C. D. O. (2019). Relatórios de Estágio e Monografia intitulada" Plantas Medicinais no Alívio da Depressão" (Doctoral dissertation, Universidade de Coimbra).
Anushiravani, M., Manteghi, A. A., Taghipur, A., & Eslami, M. (2019). Comparing effectiveness of a combined herbal drug based on Echium amoenum with Citalopram in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder. Current drug discovery technologies, 16(2), 232-238.
Araj-Khodaei, (n/a) et al (2020). A double-blind, randomized pilot study for comparison of Melissa officinalis L. and Lavandula angustifolia Mill. with Fluoxetine for the treatment of depression. BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 20(1), 1-9.
Balbino, E. E., & Dias, M. F. (2010). Farmacovigilância: um passo em direção ao uso racional de plantas medicinais e fitoterápicos. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia, 20, 992-1000.
Bueno-Notivol, J. (n/a) et al (2021). Prevalence of depression during the COVID-19 outbreak: A meta-analysis of community-based studies. International journal of clinical and health psychology, 21(1), 100196.
Bruning, M. C. R., Mosegui, G. B. G. & Vianna, C. M. D. M. (2012). A utilização da fitoterapia e de plantas medicinais em unidades básicas de saúde nos municípios de Cascavel e Foz do Iguaçu-Paraná: a visão dos profissionais de saúde. Ciência & saúde coletiva, 17, 2675-2685.
Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., & Rubin, G. J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. The lancet, 395(10227), 912-920.
Cleare, A., (n/a) et al (2015). Evidence-based guidelines for treating depressive disorders with antidepressants: a revision of the 2008 British Association for Psychopharmacology guidelines. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 29(5), 459-525.
Fleck, M.P.D.A., Lafer, B., Sougey, E.B., Del Porto, J.A., Brasil, M.A., & Juruena, M.F. (2003). Diretrizes da Associação Médica Brasileira para o tratamento da depressão (versão integral). Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 25, 114-122.
Galvão, M.C.B. & Ricarte, I. L. M. (2019). Revisão sistemática da literatura: conceituação, produção e publicação. Logeion: Filosofia da informação, 6(1), 57-73.
Johnson, J., Weissman, M. M., & Klerman, G. L. (1992). Service utilization and social morbidity associated with depressive symptoms in the community. Jama, 267(11), 1478-1483.
Kessler, R. C., Foster, C. L., Saunders, W. B., & Stang, P. E. (1995). Social consequences of psychiatric disorders, I: Educational attainment. American journal of psychiatry, 152(7), 1026-1032.
Kolouri, S., Firoozabadi, A., Salehi, A., Zarshenas, M. M., Dastgheib, S. A., Heydari, M., & Rezaeizadeh, H. (2016). Nepeta menthoides Boiss. & Buhse freeze-dried aqueous extract versus sertraline in the treatment of major depression: A double blind randomized controlled trial. Complementary therapies in medicine, 26, 164-170.
Kyrou, I., Christou, A., Panagiotakos, D., Stefanaki, C., Skenderi, K., Katsana, K., & Tsigos, C. (2017). Effects of a hops (Humulus lupulus L.) dry extract supplement on self-reported depression, anxiety and stress levels in apparently healthy young adults: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover pilot study. Hormones, 16(2), 171-180.
Luo, Y., (n/a) et al (2018). Evidence synthesis, practice guidelines and real-world prescriptions of new generation antidepressants in the treatment of depression: a protocol for cumulative network meta-analyses and meta-epidemiological study. BMJ open, 8(12), e023222.
Mazidi, M., (n/a) et al (2016). A double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in the treatment of anxiety and depression. Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, 13(2), 195-199.
Moseley, A. M., Elkins, M. R., Van der Wees, P. J., & Pinheiro, M. B. (2020). Using research to guide practice: the physiotherapy evidence database (PEDro). Brazilian journal of physical therapy, 24(5), 384-391.
Nematolahi, P., Mehrabani, M., Karami-Mohajeri, S., & Dabaghzadeh, F. (2018). Effects of Rosmarinus officinalis L. on memory performance, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in university students: A randomized clinical trial. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 30, 24-28.
Panahi, Y., Badeli, R., Karami, G. R., Badeli, Z., & Sahebkar, A. (2015). A randomized controlled trial of 6-week Chlorella vulgaris supplementation in patients with major depressive disorder. Complementary therapies in medicine, 23(4), 598-602.
Sahraian, A., Jelodar, S., Javid, Z., Mowla, A., & Ahmadzadeh, L. (2016). Study the effects of saffron on depression and lipid profiles: A double blind comparative study. Asian journal of psychiatry, 22, 174-176.
Shiwa, S. R., Costa, L.O.P., Moser, A.D.D.L., Aguiar, I.D.C., & Oliveira, L. V. F. D. (2011). PEDro: a base de dados de evidências em fisioterapia. Fisioterapia em Movimento, 24, 523-533.
Talaei, A., Moghadam, M. H., Tabassi, S. A. S., & Mohajeri, S. A. (2015). Crocin, the main active saffron constituent, as an adjunctive treatment in major depressive disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot clinical trial. Journal of affective disorders, 174, 51-56.
Whittemore, R., & Knafl, K. (2005). The integrative review: updated methodology. Journal of advanced nursing, 52(5), 546-553.
World Health Organization. (2013). WHO traditional medicine strategy: 2014-2023. World Health Organization.
Depression, W. H. O. (2017). Other common mental disorders: global health estimates. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1-24.
World Health Organization. (2019). Global status report on alcohol and health 2018. World Health Organization.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Laiane Silva dos Santos; Lucivania Cordeiro Silva; Martone Moreira Conceição; Rosana Souza do Nascimento; Gisele Lopes de Oliveira; Maria Luiza Caires Comper
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.