Amsterdam Jay D, Shults Justine, Soeller Irene, Mao Jun James, Rockwell Kenneth, Newberg Andrew B
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Altern Ther Health Med. 2012 Sep-Oct;18(5):44-9.
Anxiety and depression are the most commonly reported psychiatric conditions and frequently occur as comorbid disorders. While the advent of conventional drug therapies has simplified treatment, a large segment of the population goes untreated or declines conventional therapy for financial, cultural, or personal reasons. Therefore, the identification of inexpensive and effective alternative therapies for anxiety and depression is of relevance to public health.
The current study explores data from a 2009 clinical chamomile trial in humans to determine if chamomile provides clinically meaningful antidepressant activity versus a placebo.
In the 2009 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the research team examined the antianxiety and antidepressant action of oral chamomile (Matricaria recutita) extract in participants with symptoms of comorbid anxiety and depression.
In the 2009 study, all of participants' evaluations took place at the Depression Research Unit at the University of Pennsylvania. The study drew participants from patients at the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health's primary care clinic at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Of the 57 participants in the 2009 trial, 19 had anxiety with comorbid depression; 16 had anxiety with a past history of depression; and 22 had anxiety with no current or past depression.
The intervention and placebo groups in the 2009 trial received identically appearing 220-mg capsules containing either pharmaceutical-grade chamomile extract standardized to a content of 1.2% apigenin or a placebo (ie, lactose monohydrate NF), respectively.
In the current study, the research team used generalized estimating equations analysis to identify clinically meaningful changes over time in scores from the Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM-D) questionnaire among treatment groups.
In the current study, the research team observed a significantly greater reduction over time in total HAM-D scores for chamomile vs placebo in all participants (P < .05). The team also observed a clinically meaningful but nonsignificant trend for a greater reduction in total HAM-D scores for chamomile vs placebo in participants with current comorbid depression (P = .062). When the team examined the HAM-D core mood item scores, it observed a significantly greater reduction over time for chamomile vs placebo in all participants (P < .05) and a clinically meaningful but nonsignificant trend for a greater reduction over time for chamomile vs placebo in participants without current or past depression (P = .06).
Chamomile may provide clinically meaningful antidepressant activity that occurs in addition to its previously observed anxiolytic activity.
焦虑和抑郁是最常报告的精神疾病，且经常作为共病出现。虽然传统药物疗法的出现简化了治疗，但很大一部分人因经济、文化或个人原因未接受治疗或拒绝传统疗法。因此，确定廉价且有效的焦虑和抑郁替代疗法与公共卫生相关。
本研究探讨2009年一项人体洋甘菊临床试验的数据，以确定洋甘菊与安慰剂相比是否具有临床上有意义的抗抑郁活性。
在2009年的随机、双盲、安慰剂对照研究中，研究团队检测了口服洋甘菊（母菊）提取物对合并焦虑和抑郁症状参与者的抗焦虑和抗抑郁作用。
在2009年的研究中，所有参与者的评估均在宾夕法尼亚大学抑郁研究室进行。该研究的参与者来自宾夕法尼亚大学费城分校家庭医学与社区卫生系初级保健诊所的患者。
2009年试验的57名参与者中，19人患有合并抑郁症的焦虑症；16人患有焦虑症且有抑郁症病史；22人患有焦虑症但目前或过去均无抑郁症。
2009年试验中的干预组和安慰剂组分别接受外观相同的220毫克胶囊，其中干预组胶囊含标准化至芹菜素含量为1.2%的药用级洋甘菊提取物，安慰剂组胶囊含乳糖一水合物NF。
在本研究中，研究团队使用广义估计方程分析来确定治疗组中汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HAM-D）问卷得分随时间的临床上有意义的变化。
在本研究中，研究团队观察到，与安慰剂相比，洋甘菊组所有参与者的HAM-D总分随时间的降低幅度显著更大（P < 0.05）。研究团队还观察到，在目前合并抑郁症的参与者中，洋甘菊组与安慰剂组相比，HAM-D总分降低幅度更大，这一趋势具有临床意义但不显著（P = 0.062）。当研究团队检查HAM-D核心情绪项目得分时，观察到与安慰剂相比洋甘菊组所有参与者的得分随时间的降低幅度显著更大（P < 0.05），在目前或过去均无抑郁症的参与者中，洋甘菊组与安慰剂组相比得分随时间的降低幅度更大，这一趋势具有临床意义但不显著（P = 0.06）。
洋甘菊可能具有临床上有意义的抗抑郁活性，且这种活性是在其先前观察到的抗焦虑活性之外出现的。
