Sutude Fazilat
1,2 
, Fateme Tahmasbi
3,4, Mohammad Reza Mirzaei
2, Sarvin Sanaie
5, Zahra Yousefi
6, Solmaz Asnaashari
7, Shadi Yaqoubi
8, Ahad Banagozar Mohammadi
2 , Mostafa Araj-khodaei
5 1 Research Center for Integrative Medicine in Aging, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 Department of Persian Medicine, Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Management and Safety Promotion Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
4 Research Center for Evidence-based Medicine Iranian EBM Centre: A Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Center of Excellence, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5 Neurosciences Research Center, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
6 Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
7 Biotechnology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
8 Faculty of pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: The use of medicinal plants in the management of depression, also known as phytotherapy or herbal medicine for depression, is an area of growing interest in the field of mental health and complementary medicine.
Methods: This study used a systematic assessment of pertinent literature to assess the effectiveness of medicinal herbs in treating mild to severe depression. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported data on the intervention, control group, adverse events, outcome measurements, and main findings. A summary and analysis were done on the included research data.
Results: We included 23 RCTs investigating the efficacy of herbal medicines, including Crocus sativus, Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, and Echium amoenum, in treating depression. In general, saffron showed encouraging outcomes when used to treat mild to severe depression. With no discernible variations in the reported adverse effects, it proved to be equally efficacious as well-known antidepressants like imipramine and fluoxetine. However, it is noteworthy that not all trials yielded favorable results.
Conclusion: More investigation is required to fully understand the mechanisms of action, ideal dosage schedules, long-term effects, and relative efficacy of medicinal plants in depressive treatment.