Managing Depression with Bupleurum chinense Herbal Formula: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objectives: Bupleurum chinense (BC; Radix Bupleuri) formulae are widely used in herbal medicine clinical practice for major depressive disorder (MDD). This study provides an up-to-date and comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of BC formula for MDD. Design: Randomized controlled trials were retrieved from English and Chinese databases, from their inceptions to March 2019. Included studies compared BC formula alone or as integrative medicine to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. Studies included adults 18-65 years of age. People with other types of depression or physical comorbidities, such as poststroke depression, bipolar, and other mental or physical disorders, were excluded. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA software. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation was also conducted to assess the quality of evidence. Results: Thirty studies compared BC formula to antidepressants and 25 studies compared BC formula plus antidepressants to antidepressants alone. BC formula was more effective than antidepressants at improving depression severity measured on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.52 to -0.18, I-2 = 81.2%). Integrative use of BC formula plus SSRIs was also superior to SSRIs alone at improving HRSD scores (SMD -1.03, 95% CI -1.43 to -0.62, I-2 = 94.2%). However, heterogeneity of the included studies was high and quality was low. The total number and severity of adverse events in the BC formula groups were less than that in the antidepressant groups. Conclusions: BC formula alone or given as integrative medicine with antidepressants reduced depression severity. However, the evidence is low quality and at risk of bias. Well-designed studies are needed to validate the results we identified in this review.