Chaihu Shu Gan San (CSGS) exhibits significant antidepressant action in chronic stress-induced depression, mediated through a synergistic blend of its seven constituent herbs.
In terms of methodology, an ethological study and ELISA assay was conducted to assess the depressive phenotypes after stimulation by chronic unpredictable mild stress, and the antidepressant activity of fluoxetine, CSGS and compatible mixtures. The researchers used a process called untargeted Q/TOF MS-based metabolomics, coupled with multivariate statistical analysis, to uncover changes in the metabolic profiles within the serum.
The study found CSGS to have a significant intervention effect on depression induced by chronic stress. Out of 17 potential serum biomarkers identified after conducting multivariate statistical analysis, CSGS was found to regulate 16 of them. The action of CSGS was linked to five significant pathways; additionally, each functional unit within CSGS was found to regulate different metabolites and metabolic pathways to achieve different antidepressant effects. Notably, the efficacy of these individual components fell short of the holistic formula, suggesting a form of powerful synergy between active ingredients in the seven herbs that make up CSGS. This underlines CSGS's strong antidepressant properties.
