Research Progress on Antidepressant Effects of Flavonoids Based on Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis

Depression is a psychiatric disorder with the highest suicide rate, and current medication for depression often comes with numerous side effects during long-term treatment. The causes and pathogenesis of depression are complex. Many studies have suggested that various flavonoids, which widely distributed in plants, are significantly effective in improving depression. Additionally, a substantial body of recent research has demonstrated a close relationship between changes in the gut microbiota and the development of depression. Flavonoids can alter the composition and metabolites of the gut microbiota, thereby affecting human emotion and behavior through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. This article provides a review of research findings on the interaction between the gut microbiota and depression. It also discusses the potential mechanism through which flavonoids, via the gut microbiota, could ameliorate depression by regulating inflammatory factors, neurotransmitters, short-chain fatty acids, and other related factors, hoping to provide ideas for follow-up research to explore the pathogenesis, prevention and improvement of depression.