Study: Can a Plant Compound Found in Red Wine Combat Depression and Anxiety?

A plant-based compound found in red wine can reduce depression and anxiety, according to a study conducted by researchers the University of Buffalo who published their findings in Neuropharmacology.

The compound, called resveratrol, is found in the skin and seed of both grapes and berries and is associated with a plethora of health benefits. Although previous research has identified resveratrol as possessing antidepressant properties, the compound’s relationship to phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), an enzyme influenced by the stress hormone corticosterone, has remained unknown until now.

Corticosterone is responsible for regulating the body’s stress response, but an excessive amount of stress can result in the build-up of the hormone circulating in the brain and, ultimately, the development of depression or other mental disorders. These unknown physiological relationships make drug therapy complex. Currently, antidepressants focus on how serotonin or noradrenaline function in the brain, but only one-third of patients with depression who take these medications experience full remission from their symptoms.

Red Wine Compound Inhibits Depression

In a mouse-model study, the findings suggest that PDE4, induced by excessive amounts of corticosterone, causes depression and anxiety-like behavior and that resveratrol exhibits neuroprotective capabilities against corticosterone by impeding the expression of PDE4. The enzyme lowers cyclic adenosine monophosphate – a messenger molecule that prompts physiological changes such as cell division, change, migration and death in the body, and can lead to adverse physical alternations within the brain.

The researchers noted that these results lay the groundwork for implementing resveratrol in novel antidepressants. “Resveratrol may be an effective alternative to drugs for treating patients suffering from depression and anxiety disorders,” said Ying Xu, MD, PhD, co-lead author and research associate professor in the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in a press release. The study was also led by Xiaoxing Yin, PhD, professor at Xuzhou Medical University in China.

Compound found in red wine opens door for new treatments for depression, anxiety #buffalo https://t.co/n3Ex8AfpZn pic.twitter.com/BDeypiK7he

— Mike Bryan (@functionalfood) July 28, 2019

The findings elucidate the effects of resveratrol and how it impacts neurological processes. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, depression and anxiety disorders affect 16 and 40 million people respectively in the United States.

In a summation of their findings, the study authors noted that “the subsequent in vivo data supports the in vitro findings, suggesting that resveratrol-induced antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects are mediated by PDE4D.”

They added that overall, their findings “support the hypothesis that PDE4D-mediated cAMP signaling plays an important role in resveratrol’s protective effects on stress-induced depression- and anxiety-like behavior.”

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Compound found in red wine opens door for new treatments for depression, anxiety https://t.co/iLznlbaXQq

— Quantum Units Ed (@QueCEUs) July 29, 2019

Source: Neuropharmacology, EurekAlert