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Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) may provide antidepressant activity in anxious, depressed humans: an exploratory study.

ABSTRACT: Anxiety and depression are the most commonly reported psychiatric conditions and frequently occur as comorbid disorders. While the advent of conventional drug therapies has simplified treatment, a large segment of the population goes untreated or declines conventional therapy for financial, cultural, or personal reasons. Therefore, the identification of inexpensive and effective alternative therapies for anxiety and depression is of relevance to public health.The current study explores data from a 2009 clinical chamomile trial in humans to determine if chamomile provides clinically meaningful antidepressant activity versus a placebo.In the 2009 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the research team examined the antianxiety and antidepressant action of oral chamomile (Matricaria recutita) extract in participants with symptoms of comorbid anxiety and depression.In the 2009 study, all of participants' evaluations took place at the Depression Research Unit at the University of Pennsylvania. The study drew participants from patients at the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health's primary care clinic at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.Of the 57 participants in the 2009 trial, 19 had anxiety with comorbid depression; 16 had anxiety with a past history of depression; and 22 had anxiety with no current or past depression.The intervention and placebo groups in the 2009 trial received identically appearing 220-mg capsules containing either pharmaceutical-grade chamomile extract standardized to a content of 1.2% apigenin or a placebo (ie, lactose monohydrate NF), respectively.In the current study, the research team used generalized estimating equations analysis to identify clinically meaningful changes over time in scores from the Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM-D) questionnaire among treatment groups.In the current study, the research team observed a significantly greater reduction over time in total HAM-D scores for chamomile vs placebo in all participants (P < .05). The team also observed a clinically meaningful but nonsignificant trend for a greater reduction in total HAM-D scores for chamomile vs placebo in participants with current comorbid depression (P = .062). When the team examined the HAM-D core mood item scores, it observed a significantly greater reduction over time for chamomile vs placebo in all participants (P < .05) and a clinically meaningful but nonsignificant trend for a greater reduction over time for chamomile vs placebo in participants without current or past depression (P = .06).Chamomile may provide clinically meaningful antidepressant activity that occurs in addition to its previously observed anxiolytic activity.

SUBMITTER: Amsterdam JD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3600408 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep-Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) may provide antidepressant activity in anxious, depressed humans: an exploratory study.

Amsterdam Jay D JD Shults Justine J Soeller Irene I Mao Jun James JJ Rockwell Kenneth K Newberg Andrew B AB

Alternative therapies in health and medicine 20120901 5

<h4>Context</h4>Anxiety and depression are the most commonly reported psychiatric conditions and frequently occur as comorbid disorders. While the advent of conventional drug therapies has simplified treatment, a large segment of the population goes untreated or declines conventional therapy for financial, cultural, or personal reasons. Therefore, the identification of inexpensive and effective alternative therapies for anxiety and depression is of relevance to public health.<h4>Objective</h4>Th ...[more]

PMID: 22894890

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Project description:Objectives: This exploratory analysis examined the putative antidepressant effect of Matricaria chamomilla L. (chamomile) extract in subjects with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with or without comorbid depression. It was hypothesized that chamomile extract would demonstrate similar anxiolytic activity in both subgroups, but superior antidepressant activity in GAD subjects with comorbid depression. Design: As part of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of chamomile extract for relapse prevention of GAD, 179 subjects received initial therapy with open-label chamomile extract 1500 mg daily for 8 weeks. Linear mixed-effect models were used to identify clinically meaningful changes in anxiety and depression symptoms between diagnostic subgroups. Settings/Location: The study took place at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. Subjects: Subjects were ≥18 years old with a primary DSM IV-TR diagnosis of GAD. They were subcategorized into two diagnostic groups: GAD without comorbid depression (n = 100) and GAD with comorbid depression (n = 79). Interventions: Open-label chamomile extract 1500 mg was given daily for 8 weeks. Outcome measures: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7), Hamilton rating scale for anxiety, Beck anxiety inventory, Hamilton rating scale for depression (HRSD), the six-item core HRSD (items 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 13), and the Beck depression inventory (BDI). Results: The authors observed similar anxiolytic effects over time in both diagnostic subgroups. However, there was a greater reduction in HRSD core symptom scores (p < 0.023), and a trend level reduction in HRSD total scores (p = 0.14) and in BPI total scores (p = 0.060) in subjects with comorbid depression. Conclusions: M. chamomilla L. may produce clinically meaningful antidepressant effects in addition to its anxiolytic activity in subjects with GAD and comorbid depression. Future controlled trials in subjects with primary major depressive disorder are needed to validate this preliminary observation.

Dataset Information

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) may provide antidepressant activity in anxious, depressed humans: an exploratory study.

Publications

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) may provide antidepressant activity in anxious, depressed humans: an exploratory study.

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