Alpinia zerumbet Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Effects: A Literature Review
Flávia dos Santos Ferreira
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Avenida Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20 551-030, Brazil.
Paula Hosana Fernandes da Silva
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Avenida Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20 551-030, Brazil.
Juliana Lucena Azevedo de Mattos
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Avenida Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20 551-030, Brazil.
Angela de Castro Resende
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Avenida Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20 551-030, Brazil.
Dayane Teixeira Ognibene
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Avenida Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20 551-030, Brazil.
Cristiane Aguiar da Costa
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Avenida Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20 551-030, Brazil.
Guilherme Carneiro Montes
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Avenida Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20 551-030, Brazil.
Fabrícia Lima Fontes-Dantas
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Avenida Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20 551-030, Brazil.
Graziele Freitas de Bem *
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Avenida Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20 551-030, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Studies demonstrated that many elderly individuals suffer from depressive and anxiety disorders. The drugs used to treat these disorders cause adverse effects such as sedation, gastrointestinal discomfort, and locomotor deficits, which are often responsible for treatment abandonment. Literature data also describe that older people may be refractory to pharmacological treatments used to combat depressive and anxiety disorders, which is potentially worrying due to the suicide risk associated with these conditions. Previous research reported the medicinal plant's beneficial potential in psychiatric disease treatment due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic actions. This paper reviews the Alpinia zerumbet actions, a medicinal plant with antidepressant and anxiolytic effects, through increases in noradrenergic neurotransmission and decreases oxidative stress on the central nervous system by increasing antioxidant activity. Moreover, Alpinia zerumbet also causes a reduction in IL-6 and elevates BDNF levels in the hippocampus, contributing to its antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anti-inflammatory actions. The adverse effects reduction, combined with the fact that there is no toxicity when ingested by humans and increased longevity, suggests that this medicinal plant is promising for older individuals treatment who suffer from depression and anxiety.
Keywords: Alpinia zerumbet, polyphenols, depression, anxiety, elderly individuals