Chinese herbal medicine used against depression in China

Abstract

In China, depression remains a disabling condition with high prevalence and a large clinical burden. Taken together, this chapter gathered the most common herbs for depressive therapy in China through introducing each Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) description, chemical constituents, pharmacology and bioactivities, indications and usage, precautions and side effects, and dosage. The aim is to provide CHM information to treat depression for everyone who needs. Thus, information about Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms, Acorus tatarinowii Schott, Allium macrostemon Bunge, Aloe barbadensis Miller, Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang, Crocus sativus L., Cyperus rotundus L., Citrus aurantium L., Ginkgo biloba L., Panax ginseng C. A. Mey., Hypericum perforatum L., Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner, Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Polygala tenuifolia Willd., Polygonum multiflorum (Thunberg) Haraldson, Bupleurum chinense de Candolle or Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willdenow, Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., Curcuma longa L., Rhodiola rosea L., Valeriana officinalis L., and Ziziphus jujuba Mill. was gathered in this chapter.