Tropical Flower Compounds Hold Promise as Depression Treatment

Previously, scientists at the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) have documented that substances from the South African plant species Crinum and Cyrtanthus – akin to snowdrops and daffodils – have an effect on the mechanisms in the brain that are involved in depression. Birger Brodin and colleagues have now discovered how several South African flowers contain plant compounds whose characteristics enable them to negotiate the defensive blood-brain barrier to enable them to exert their beneficial effects.  The team is hopeful that their research provides essential insights that will lead to the discovery of approaches to utilize these compounds to treat depression.