Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) drugs currently used for the treatment of anxiety and depression have significant drawbacks, low success rates, and negative side effects, and take as long as 4-6 weeks to notice any positive change. Therefore, there is a need for better treatment.
Escitalopram (Cipralex) and Novel Herbal Treatment (NHT) normalized stress-induced anhedonia in a mice model of depression. Which suggests treatment of the anhedonia that accompanies depression without common side effects of Escitalopram such as decreased libido.
NHT consists of four herbs: Crataegus pinnatifida (Shan Zha), Triticum aestivum (Fu Xiao Mai), Lilium brownii (Baihe), and the fruit of Ziziphus jujuba (Da Zao). We showed that Shan-Zha was sufficient to produce an anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effect similar to NHT or Ecitalopram through activation of 5-HT1A receptor and an elevation in BDNF levels in the hippocampus and Pre-frontal cortex (PFC). Chronic treatment with Shan Zha did not alter serotonin transporter levels in the PFC, as opposed to escitalopram treatment, which suggests a different mechanism of operation.
Our hope for the future is that Shan-Zha may serve as an alternative to conventional antidepressants. In addition, the lab is looking for a faster working mechanism to achieve better treatment with a shorter duration for depression. Our research led to the development of a food supplement named NOVELLEXE.