LAUSR

Abstract In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the prescription Baihe - Zhimu Tang has been using to treat depression for hundreds of years. However, its underlying mechanism is still unclear. Saponin compounds extracted from TCM have been reported to exert antidepressant-like effect. In present study, we investigated the efficacy and mechanism of Saponin extract from Baihe - Zhimu Tang (SBZT) in treating depression. Results confirmed that SBZT can act as an anti-depressant agent in a murine model of depression-like abnormality. SBZT demonstrated significant efficacy in ameliorating depression-like behaviors and the abnormal levels of pathological markers associated with depression. While, based on microarray analysis, we found the mechanisms were related to its inhibition activity on hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal axis hyperactivation, improvement ability in synthesis and transport processes of neurotransmitters and neuroprotection upon inflammation-related neuronal apoptosis. In conclusion, SBZT demonstrated significant efficacy in treating depression, suggesting its clinical potential as an anti-depressant TCM agent.