PMID- 22894890
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20120928
LR  - 20211021
IS  - 1078-6791 (Print)
IS  - 1078-6791 (Linking)
VI  - 18
IP  - 5
DP  - 2012 Sep-Oct
TI  - Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) may provide antidepressant activity in anxious, 
      depressed humans: an exploratory study.
PG  - 44-9
AB  - CONTEXT: 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. OBJECTIVE: 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. DESIGN: 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. 
      SETTING: 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. 
      PARTICIPANTS: 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. INTERVENTION: 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. 
      OUTCOME MEASURES: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: Chamomile may provide 
      clinically meaningful antidepressant activity that occurs in addition to its 
      previously observed anxiolytic activity.
FAU - Amsterdam, Jay D
AU  - Amsterdam JD
AD  - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
FAU - Shults, Justine
AU  - Shults J
FAU - Soeller, Irene
AU  - Soeller I
FAU - Mao, Jun James
AU  - Mao JJ
FAU - Rockwell, Kenneth
AU  - Rockwell K
FAU - Newberg, Andrew B
AU  - Newberg AB
LA  - eng
GR  - R01 MH060998/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States
GR  - R21 AT001916/AT/NCCIH NIH HHS/United States
GR  - R01 AT005074/AT/NCCIH NIH HHS/United States
GR  - K23 AT004112/AT/NCCIH NIH HHS/United States
GR  - R01 MH080097/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States
GR  - R01 MH060353/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States
GR  - R01 AG028688/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States
GR  - R34 MH077580/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States
GR  - R01 CA096885/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Randomized Controlled Trial
PL  - United States
TA  - Altern Ther Health Med
JT  - Alternative therapies in health and medicine
JID - 9502013
RN  - 0 (Anti-Anxiety Agents)
RN  - 0 (Capsules)
RN  - 0 (Plant Extracts)
SB  - IM
MH  - Administration, Oral
MH  - Adult
MH  - Anti-Anxiety Agents/*administration & dosage
MH  - Anxiety/*drug therapy/epidemiology
MH  - Anxiety Disorders/*drug therapy/epidemiology
MH  - Capsules
MH  - *Chamomile
MH  - Comorbidity
MH  - Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
MH  - Double-Blind Method
MH  - Drug Administration Schedule
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - *Phytotherapy
MH  - Plant Extracts/*administration & dosage
MH  - Severity of Illness Index
MH  - Treatment Outcome
MH  - Young Adult
PMC - PMC3600408
MID - NIHMS438913
EDAT- 2012/08/17 06:00
MHDA- 2012/09/29 06:00
PMCR- 2013/09/01
CRDT- 2012/08/17 06:00
PHST- 2012/08/17 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2012/08/17 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2012/09/29 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2013/09/01 00:00 [pmc-release]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Altern Ther Health Med. 2012 Sep-Oct;18(5):44-9.