Natural chemical compounds from grapes, particularly dihydrocaffeic acid ( DHCA) and malvidin-3 -0-glycoside could be used as therapeutic agents for the treatment of depression, says a report in nature communications these natural compounds may attenuate depression by targeting newly discovered underlying mechanisms of the disease.

Conventional pharmacological treatments are estimated to produced temporary remission in severe adverse effects. Thus, there is an urgent need for a wider spectrum of novel therapeutics.

Currently available anti depressants are largely restricted to targeting the systems that regulate serotonin, dopamine, and other related neurotransmitters. These treatments do not specifically address inflammation and synaptic maladaptations that are now known to be associated with MDD or major depressive disorder.