Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability, and there is an urgent need for new therapeutics. Stress-mediated induction of pro-inflammation in the periphery contributes to depression-like behaviors both in humans and in experimental models. Inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) has emerged as a potential therapeutic target. Our studies demonstrated that metabolism of flavanol rich cocoa preparation (FRP) led to the accumulation of select phenolic acids that may contribute to its anti-inflammatory activity. Using a repeated social defeat stress (RSDS) model of depression, we showed that oral administration of FRP attenuates susceptibility to RSDS-mediated depression, supporting the further development of FRP as a novel therapeutic for the treatment of stress disorders and anxiety in humans.

重度抑郁症 (MDD) 是导致残疾的主要原因，迫切需要新的治疗方法。压力介导的外周促炎症诱导有助于人类和实验模型中的抑郁样行为。炎性细胞因子白细胞介素 6 (IL-6) 已成为潜在的治疗靶点。我们的研究表明，富含黄烷醇的可可制品 (FRP) 的代谢导致选择酚酸的积累，这可能有助于其抗炎活性。使用抑郁症的反复社交失败压力 (RSDS) 模型，我们发现口服 FRP 可减轻对 RSDS 介导的抑郁症的易感性，支持 FRP 作为治疗人类压力障碍和焦虑症的新疗法的进一步发展。