Natural Compounds and Their Potential in Eating-Related Aspects of Mental Health Disorders.

Ralf Regenthal, Ute Krügel, Wenbin Ma

Journal: Nutrients 2025;17(14):

PMID: 40733008

Abstract

: Mental health and healthy eating are inextricably linked by bi-directional interaction. As pharmacological interventions for eating disorders and mental illness have limited efficacy and are associated with significant side effects, natural compounds traditionally used in these fields represent an extremely rich source for potential future drugs. This review aims to summarise complex and/or specific pharmacological and clinical effects of mixed compositions and individual compounds derived from , , and as well as from and other berberine (BBR)-containing plants, which have been traditionally used for eating and mental health purposes. The data on favoured natural compounds and main ingredients of compound mixtures presented here could provide new impetus for preventive or targeted supplementary treatment, potential drug development, and the design of new compound congeners with improved target spectrum and potency in mental health disorders and eating-related issues. Contemporary methodological development steps in this direction are then proposed.

Address: School of Health and Rehabilitation, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China.; Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Rudolf Boehm Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany.; Rudolf Boehm Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Leipzig University, 04107 Leipzig, Germany.
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