Curcumin reprograms metabolic pathways and MAPK signaling to exert antidepressant effects.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Depression is a prevalent and debilitating mental disorder with limited treatment options. Curcumin, a natural compound with neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, has shown potential antidepressant effects, though the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

Methods and results

In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects and molecular mechanisms of curcumin in a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced rat model of depression. Behavioral assessments, including the sucrose preference test, forced swim test, and open field test, demonstrated that curcumin (50 and 100 mg/kg, orally administered for 21 days) alleviated CUMS-induced anhedonia, behavioral despair, and anxiety-like behaviors, in a dose-dependent manner, with th

SUBMITTER: Kong S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12719971 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature