Scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have described an extensive analysis of novel grape-derived compounds, dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) and malvidin-3’-O-glucoside (Mal-gluc), which might be developed as therapeutic agents for the treatment of depression.
The study results indicate that these natural compounds may attenuate depression by targeting newly discovered underlying mechanisms of the disease.
This study strongly supports the need to test and identify novel compounds that target alternative pathologic mechanisms, such as inflammation and synaptic maladaptation, for individuals who are resistant to currently available treatment.
The discovery of these new, natural grape-derived polyphenol compounds targeting cellular and molecular pathways associated with inflammation may provide an effective way to treat a subset of people with depression and anxiety, a condition that affects so many people.