The grape can he fight the depression related to stress ?

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Published the 03.02.2018 at 16: 35

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Known for its antioxidant properties and its protective effect against cardiovascular disease, the grapes could also be a bulwark against depression. Here are the conclusions of a study published 2 February in the journal Nature Communications. Researchers from the school of medicine Icahn Mount Sinai hospital (New York, Usa) have carried out an in-depth analysis of the effects of acid dihydrocaféique and malvidin, two compounds of the grape are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Their research indicates that these two natural compounds can help relieve the depression by targeting the mechanisms underlying newly discovered disease.

Previous research has shown that the polyphenol, a plant compound present in the skin and seeds of grapes, exhibited some efficacy in the modulation of aspects of the depression. However, the precise mechanisms of protection remain to this day largely unknown. The researchers of this new study led by professor of neurology Giulio Maria Pasinetti, however, have found that a combination of grape juice mixed with grape seed extract and trans-resveratrol (a molecule of the light-sensitive end of the grape) could foster resilience against depression, stress-related.

“Our approach of using a combined treatment of AGHD and Malgluc to inhibit simultaneously the ignition device and modulate the synaptic plasticity in the brain, acts in a synergistic way to maximise the resilience against depression induced by chronic stress”, said Dr. Pasinetti.

A track for an alternative treatment ?

The authors emphasize the importance of testing and to identify new compounds targeting the pathological mechanisms alternative such as inflammation and inappropriate synaptic, in order to propose new avenues of therapeutic alternatives for patients who are resistant to conventional treatment. “The discovery of these new compounds are polyphenols derived from grapes natural targeting cellular and molecular pathways associated with inflammation, can constitute a means effective to treat a subset of people with depression and anxiety,” says Dr. Pasinetti.

If the experiment has only been conducted on mice, these new data suggest that the combination of these two natural derivatives of grape may 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 the DNA.

The limited effect of antidepressants

Depression is associated with a variety of pathological processes including inflammation of the peripheral immune system, which disrupts the functioning of the brain. However, the antidepressants currently available are largely limited to target the systems that regulate serotonin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters related to them. These treatments do not specifically target the inflammation in the peripheral immune system responsible for the depression.

In a press release dated march 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines depression as the first factor in global morbidity and disability in the world. Always according to WHO, the number of people suffering from depression in the world has increased by 18% between 2005 and 2015 and now stands at 300 million. In France, it is estimated that nearly one person in five has suffered or will suffer from depression during his life.