American researchers have tested a treatment based on natural compounds derived from grapes in order to study the mechanisms of resilience in stress-related depression.
Known for its antioxidant properties and its protective effect against cardiovascular disease, grapes could also constitute an effective bulwark against depression. Here are the conclusions of a study published on February 2 in the journal Nature Communications. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai (New York, USA) conducted an in-depth analysis of the effects of dihydrocaffeic acid and malvidin, two compounds in grapes known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Their research indicates that these two natural compounds may alleviate depression by targeting the newly discovered underlying mechanisms of the disease.
Previous research has shown that polyphenol, a plant compound found in the skin and seeds of grapes, has some efficacy in modulating aspects of depression. But the precise mechanisms of protection have remained largely unknown to this day. Researchers in this new study led by neurology professor Giulio Maria Pasinetti, however, discovered that a combination of grape juice mixed with grape seed extract and trans-resveratrol (a photosensitive molecule made from grapes) could promote resilience against stress-related depression.
“Our approach of using a combined treatment of DHCA and Malgluc to simultaneously inhibit peripheral inflammation and modulate synaptic plasticity in the brain, acts synergistically to optimize resilience against chronic stress-induced depression,” explained Dr. Pasinetti.
A lead for an alternative treatment?
The authors underline the importance of testing and identifying new compounds targeting alternative pathological mechanisms such as inflammation and synaptic maladjustment, in order to offer new alternative therapeutic avenues to patients who resist conventional treatments. “The discovery of these novel polyphenol compounds derived from natural grapes targeting cellular and molecular pathways associated with inflammation may be an effective way to treat a subset of people with depression and anxiety,” concludes Dr. Pasinetti.
If the experiment was only conducted on mice, these new data indeed suggest that the combination of these two natural grape derivatives can promote resilience against depressive symptoms generated by stress. This study is therefore the first to provide preclinical evidence supporting the targeting of several key mechanisms of depressive and anxiety disorders through epigenetic modification of DNA.
The limited effect of antidepressants
Depression is associated with a multitude of pathological processes, including inflammation of the peripheral immune system, which disrupts the functioning of the brain. However, currently available antidepressants are largely limited to targeting systems that regulate serotonin, dopamine, and other related neurotransmitters. These treatments do not specifically target the inflammation of the peripheral immune system responsible for depression.
In a press release dated March 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines depression as the world’s leading contributor to morbidity and disability. Also according to the WHO, the number of people suffering from depression in the world increased by 18% between 2005 and 2015 and now stands at 300 million. In France, it is estimated that nearly one in five people have suffered or will suffer from depression in their lifetime.
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