Oxidative stress-activated depression in females: The role of antioxidant plant materials in fertility involves the hypothalamicpituitary-gonadal upregulation

Abstract

Depression is associated with fluctuating hormonal levels in females, and this may be responsible for some of the infertility issues that usually characterize such individuals. Treatments with known antidepressants have not yielded the desired results as failure and adverse reactions are continually being reported. And since depression-associated infertility is usually associated with oxidative stress, natural antioxidants may play important protective or recovery roles. Such antioxidants are available in phytochemicals and polyphenol compounds in plants. This review evaluates the actions of some plants with antioxidant-rich
properties, and their role towards protecting or promoting the female reproductive activities possibly arising from oxidative stressinduced depressive states. The plant extracts and their polyphenols modulate depression leading to improved reproductive outcomes by inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines, increased expression of BDNF, deactivation of microglia cells, downregulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activities and ultimately improving hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) signals and hormonal release.