Effectiveness of Tea Made from Cissampelos sympodialis Leaves in the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression: A Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

The species Cissampelos sympodialis Eichl. (CsE) is popularly used for its anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator and anti-allergiceffects. In preclinical studies, the plant has shown anxiolytic and antidepressant properties, which necessitated a controlledclinical trial to verify its effects in humans. A quasi-randomized study was developed in which the volunteers were divided intothree groups: CsE leaves tea (n = 21), auriculotherapy (n = 20) and no intervention (n = 19). The participants in the three groupsreceived weekly sachets of powdered dried leaves of CsE for tea preparation or auriculotherapy or did not receive intervention,respectively. At the beginning and end of the 5-week follow-up, the volunteers completed the following questionnaires: STAI-S,STAI-T, BDI and BAI. The phytochemical analysis of the sachet containing the powdered dried CsE leaves showed the presenceof alkaloids, steroids, tannins and flavonoids. In addition, the chromatographic analysis of CsE leaves identified the presence of7 chemical substances, for instance Malic Acid, α-L-Mannofuranose and Myo-Inositol. The STAI-S, STAI-T, BDI and BAI responsesshowed that the groups using tea or auriculotherapy showed significant reductions in mean scores in the two-way repeatedmeasures analysis of variance. In the no-intervention group, no significant differences were found on any scale. Applying the post-hoc test, the influence of the group on the initial or final variances of the STAI-S (p = 0.004), STAI-T (p = 0.005), BDI (p < 0.0005)and BAI (p = 0.011) data were tested, highlighting that the tea and auriculotherapy led to the decrease in the questionnairescores post-treatment. The tea of leaves of CsE proved, in this study, to be effective in decreasing the scores of STAI-S, STAI-T,BDI and BAI and could represent a new perspective of complementary treatment for the symptoms of anxiety and depression.