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. 2025 Sep 3;16:1614429. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1614429

TABLE 2.

Clinical researches of formulas. (XYS: Xiaoyaosan; CSS: Chaihu-Shugan-San; SNS: Si-Ni-San).

Formula Treatment group Control group Samplesize treatment/control Treatment time Results References
XYS Jiawei Xiaoyao pill (6 g/d, 2 times/d) Placebo (6 g/d, 2 times/d) 70/71 4 weeks After treatment: HAMD ↓, HAMA ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: HAMD ↓, HAMA ↓ (the difference was not significant)
Chen et al. (2020c)
Xiaoyaosan 21 6 weeks (21 patients) and 8 weeks (8 patients) After treatment: HAMD ↓ Tian et al. (2014)
Jiawei Xiaoyao capsule (10 g* 2/d) + sertraline placebo sertraline (50 mg/d) + Jiawei Xiaoyao placebo 95/105 8 weeks After treatment: HAMD ↓, HAMA ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: HAMD ↓, HAMA ↓, Clinical Global Impression efficacy index (CGI-EI) ↑
Su et al. (2019)
Xiaoyaosan (1 dose/d) 17 8 weeks After treatment: HAMD ↓ Liu et al. (2020b)
Xiaoyao pill (3 g* 2/d) Placebo pill (3 g* 2/d) 90/90 8 weeks After treatment: Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: HRSD ↓
Du et al. (2014)
Jiawei Xiaoyao granule (10 g*2/d) + Sertraline (50 mg/d) Sertraline (50 mg/d) 78/62 4 weeks After treatment: HAMD ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: HAMD ↓
Wu et al. (2019)
Jiawei Xiaoyaosan (1 dose/d) + Metformin sustained release tablets (0.5 g*2/d) + Deanxit (1 tablet*2/d) Metformin sustained release tablets (0.5 g*2/d) + Deanxit (1 tablet*2/d) 35/36 8 weeks After treatment: HAMD ↓, HAMA ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: HAMD ↓, HAMA ↓
Li and Kang (2019)
Xiaoyao pill (6 g*3/d) + Venlafaxine (75 mg/d, gradually adjust to 150–225 mg/d) Venlafaxine (75 mg/d, gradually adjust to 150–225 mg/d) 39/37 6 weeks After treatment: HAMD ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: HAMD ↓
Ma and Li (2019)
Xiaoyao pill (8 pills*3/d) + Donepezil (5 mg/d) Donepezil (5 mg/d) 45/45 8 weeks After treatment: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) ↑, activities of daily life ability (ADL) ↑, HAMD ↓, dopamine (DA) ↑, BDNF ↑, Hcy ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: MMSE ↑, ADL ↑, HAMD ↓, DA ↑, BDNF ↑, Hcy ↓
Shen et al. (2018)
Xiaoyao pill (8 pills*3/d) + Olaxitam injection + Donepezil Escitalopram Oxalate (10 mg/d) + Olaxitam injection + Donepezil 50/50 8 weeks After treatment: CSDD ↓, MMES ↑, ADL ↓, BNDF ↑, NE ↑, DA ↑, 5-HT ↑, S100B ↓, Hcy ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: 5-HT ↑, adverse reaction ↓
Shen et al. (2019)
Xiaoyaosan (150 mL*2/d) + paroxetine (20 mg/d) Paroxetine (20 mg/d) 32/30 6 weeks After treatment: VmACA, VmMCA, VmPCA (the mean blood velocity of the anterior cerebral artery, the middle cerebral Artery, and the posterior cerebral artery) ↓; Visual analogue scale (VAS) ↓, HeadacheImpact Test-6 (HIT-6) ↓, HAMD-24 ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: VmACA, VmMCA, VmPCA ↓; VAS ↓, HIT-6 ↓, HAMD-24 ↓
Zhang et al. (2023)
CSS citalopram hydrobromide (20 mg/d) + Modified Chaihu Shugan Granule (1 dose/d) citalopram hydrobromide (20 mg/d) 50/50 8 weeks After treatment: HAMD ↓; Barthel Index (BI), BDNF ↑
Treatment group compared to control group: HAMD ↓; BI ↑, BDNF ↑
Hu and Sheng (2016)
Chaihu Shugan Tang (1 dose/d) Fluoxetine (20 mg/d) 43/43 6 weeks After treatment: HAMD ↓; DA, 5-HT, NE, Gly ↑; Asp, Glu ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: DA, 5-HT, NE, Gly ↑; Asp, Glu ↓
Shi et al. (2018)
Lamotrigine + Chaihu Shugan Decoction (1 dose/d) Lamotrigine (1 dose/d) 24/24 12 weeks After treatment: HAMD ↓; NA、5-HT ↑
Treatment group compared to control group: HAMD ↓; NA、5-HT ↑
Zhang and Gou (2018)
Sertraline (25 mg/d, gradually increased to 50–100 mg/d over 2 weeks) + Chaihu
Shugan Powder (1 dose/d)
Sertraline (25 mg/d, gradually increased to 50–100 mg/d over 2 weeks) 42/42 8 weeks After treatment: S100β ↓, BDNF ↑; CRP, IL-6, TNF-α ↓; HAMD, NIHSS, ADL ↓, MMSE ↑
Treatment group compared to control group: S100β ↓, BDNF ↑; CRP, IL-6, TNF-α ↓; HAMD, NIHSS, ADL ↓, MMSE ↑
Jiang et al. (2017b)
Chaihu Shugan powder (1 dose/d) Chinese medicine simulated granules (1 dose/d) 63/32 7 weeks After treatment: SAS、SDS ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: SAS、SDS ↓
Lyu et al. (2022)
SNS Sini powder (2 times/d; 30 min after breakfast and 30 min before bed) paroxetine (started at 10 mg/d, increased by 10 mg every 4 days to 40 mg for maintenance) 18/17 4 weeks After treatment: HAMD‐24 ↓, dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) ↓, phase angle difference (PAD) ↑(SNP group), sleep latency (SL) ↓, sleep efficiency (SE) ↑, total sleep time (TST) ↑(SNP group)
Treatment group compared to control group: DLMO ↓, rapid eye movement (REM)↓, non‐REM (NREM) ↑
He et al. (2022)
Sini powder (1 dose/d) Duloxetine (20 mg/d) 42/42 15 weeks After treatment: HAMD ↓, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) ↓; IL-1 β ↓, IL-6 ↓, TGF- β 1 ↑
Treatment group compared to control group: HAMD ↓, PSQI ↓; IL-1 β ↓, IL-6 ↓, TGF- β 1 ↑
Guan and Qu (2023)
Aspirin (100 mg/d), Citicoline Sodium Capsules (200 mg/time, 3 times/d), rosuvastatin (10 mg/d), duloxetine (30 mg/time, 2 times/d) + Modified Sini powder (1 dose/d) Aspirin (100 mg/d), Citicoline Sodium Capsules (200 mg/time, 3 times/d), rosuvastatin (10 mg/d), duloxetine (30 mg/time, 2 times/d) 47/47 4 weeks After treatment: Neurological function score (NIHSS) ↓, HAMD ↓; IL-1β ↓, homocysteine (Hcy) ↓, IL-18 ↓; BDNF ↑, basic myelin protein (MBP) ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: NIHSS ↓, HAMD ↓; IL-1β ↓, Hcy ↓, IL-18 ↓; BDNF ↑, MBP ↓
Rao et al. (2021)
Modified Sini powder (1 dose/d) Domperidone (12.72 mg/time, 3 times/d), deanxit (1 tablet/time, 2 times/d) 48/48 30 days After treatment: Motilin(MOT) ↑,gastrin(GAS) ↑, gastric emptying ↑; HAMD ↓
Treatment group compared to control group: MOT ↑,GAS ↑, gastric emptying ↑; HAMD ↓
Xi et al. (2014)