Alpinia zerumbet Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Effects: A Literature Review

Abstract

Studies demonstrated that many elderly individuals suffer from depressive and anxiety disorders. The drugs used to treat these disorders cause adverse effects such as sedation, gastrointestinal discomfort, and locomotor deficits, which are often responsible for treatment abandonment. Literature data also describe that older people may be refractory to pharmacological treatments used to combat depressive and anxiety disorders, which is potentially worrying due to the suicide risk associated with these conditions. Previous research reported the medicinal plant's beneficial potential in psychiatric disease treatment due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic actions. This paper reviews the Alpinia zerumbet actions, a medicinal plant with antidepressant and anxiolytic effects, through increases in noradrenergic neurotransmission and decreases oxidative stress on the central nervous system by increasing antioxidant activity.  Moreover, Alpinia zerumbet also causes a reduction in IL-6 and elevates BDNF levels in the hippocampus, contributing to its antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anti-inflammatory actions. The adverse effects reduction, combined with the fact that there is no toxicity when ingested by humans and increased longevity, suggests that this medicinal plant is promising for older individuals treatment who suffer from depression and anxiety.