REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
The role of natural products and traditional Chinese medicine formulas in postpartum depression: mechanism and prospects
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- 2Peking University, Beijing, China
- 3Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- 4Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
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Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common postpartum complication mediated by multiple factors, which can lead to dual damage to both maternal and infant health. There is an urgent need to explore alternative intervention strategies, as the current conventional antidepressant medications have drawbacks, including delayed onset, severe side effects, and low patient tolerance.Due to their multi-target potential, certain metabolites derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and other natural products are being investigated as treatments for PPD. However, a systematic understanding of their molecular mechanisms, grounded in the pathophysiology of PPD, is lacking. Therefore, this article synthesizes recent literature to systematically review the pathophysiological mechanisms of PPD and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of TCM formulas and natural products. This review also critically discusses the limitations of current research— particularly issues related to standardization and safety—and proposes key priorities for future preclinical studies and clinical translation.
Keywords: postpartum depression, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Natural Products, Molecular mechanisms, action targets
Received: 18 Aug 2025; Accepted: 19 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Shang, Lu, Gao, Zhong, Yu and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiaowen Yu, yuxiaowen@sdutcm.edu.cn
Guoqiang Li, star_guoqiang@163.com
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.