Chlorogenic Acid: Stress Reliever and Anti-depressant?

Clorogenic acid is a polyphenolic substance found in many plants, and is one of the most abundant phytochemicals in herbs and fruit. It has antioxidant properties and may also act as an anti-inflammatory. Crataegus pinnatifida (Hawthorne) is a source of chlorogenic acid, where it is found in high concentrations in the fruit (berries). The anti-stress and antidepressant effects of chlorogenic acid extracted from Crataegus pinnatifida fruit have been investigated on animals. In one study, mice were exposed to stress for 2 weeks and the physiological changes associated with this stress were observed. The stress caused detrimental changes to brain chemistry that included a reduction in brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a reduction in neuronal regeneration as well as an increase in monoamine oxidase B levels. Administration of 30 mg of chlorogenic acid or whole Crataegus pinnatifida fruit significantly attenuated these negative changes and also significantly reduced the depressive-like behaviour in the mice. 

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Lim, D. W., Han, T., Jung, J., Song, Y., Um, M. Y., Yoon, M., Kim, Y. T., Cho, S., Kim, I., Han, D., Lee, C. and Lee, J. 2018. Chlorogenic Acid from Hawthorn berry (Crataegus pinnatifida fruit) prevents stress hormone‐induced depressive behavior, through monoamine oxidase b‐reactive oxygen species signaling in hippocampal astrocytes of mice. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. 62(15): 1800029

About Robert Barrington

Robert Barrington is a writer, nutritionist, lecturer and philosopher.
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