TABLE 1.

TCM formulae with effects on depression associated with diabetes.

TCM-preparation	Botanical drugs included	Species	Action	References
Decoction of Pinellia and Magnolia Bark	Pinelliae, officinal magnolia bark, Poria cocos, fresh ginger, Folium Perillae	Pinellia ternate (Thunb.) Makino, Magnolia officinalis Rehd. et Wils., Smilax glabra Roxb., Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt., Zingiber officinale Rosc.	1) Suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activation.	Jia et al. (2017)
			2) Improves peripheral insulin signaling impairment in the liver and brain in CUMS rats.
Bupleurum Powder for Relieving Liver-qi	Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae, Radix Bupleuri, Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong, Rhizoma Cyperi, Fructus Aurantii, Paeonia lactiflora, Radix Glycyrrhizae.	Bupleurum chinense DC., Citrus reticulata Blanco, Ligusticum striatum DC., Cyperus rotundus L., Citrus aurantiumL., Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Glycyrrhiza glabra L.	1) Suppresses the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and improves insulin signaling in CUMS rats.	Jia et al. (2018)
Chinese Angelica Decoction for Replenishing Blood	Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Astragali	Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Dielss, Astragalus mongholicus Bunge	1) Inhibits systemic inflammatory response by reducing serum levels of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, CRP, IL-6 and IL-8	Wang et al. (2018), Wang et al. (2020a), Wang et al. (2020b)
			2) Improves the depression-like behavior of Goto-Kakizaki rats, achieves hippocampal protection, and its antidepressant mechanism involves the CREB/BDNE/TrkB pathway.
Ease Powder of Moutan Bark and Cape Jasmine Fruit	Radix Bupleuri, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Poria cocos, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Moutan Bark, Cape Jasmine	Bupleurum chinense DC., Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Dielss, Paeonia lactiflora Pall, Smilax glabra Roxb., Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Paeonia suffruticosa Andr., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis	1) Regulates the IRS2-PI3K signaling pathway in liver tissues.	Wang et al. (2013), Zhang et al. (2017)
Formula for Soothing Liver and Tonifying Spleen	Radix Bupleuri, Poria cocos, Radix Astragali, Rhizoma Acori Tatarinowii, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Huai wheat	Bupleurum chinense DC., Smilax glabra Roxb., Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Acorus calamus var. angustatus Besser, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Triticum aestivum L.	1) Upregulates the expression of BDNF mRNA and protein levels to improve the depressive symptoms associated with diabetes mellitus	Lei et al. (2017)
Decoction for Tonifying Kidney and Relieving Depression	Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, Fructus Corni, Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis, Radix Bupleuri, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Rhizoma Acori Tatarinowii, Semen Ziziphi Spinosae.	Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC., Cornus officinalis Siebold & Zucc., Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., Bupleurum chinense DC., Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Acorus tatarinowii Schott, Ziziphus jujuba Mill.	1) Decreases cortisol level and improves dysfunction of the HPA axis in patients with type 2 diabetes and depression.	Lu (2012)
Glucose-lowering and Relieving Depression Decoction for Tonifying the Kidney-yin	Radix Astragali, Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, Fructus Corni, Barbary Wolfberry, Semen Cuscutae, Cortex Eucommiae, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Cortex Moutan, Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae, Rhizoma Curcumae Longae, Fructus Forsythiae	Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC., Cornus officinalis Siebold & Zucc., Lycium barbarum L., Cuscuta chinensis Lam, Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Paeonia suffruticosa Andr., Achyrantes bidentata Bl., Curcuma longa L., Hypericum perforatum L.	1) Improves insulin resistance.	Wang et al. (2014), Wang et al. (2015), Yang et al. (2018), Yang et al. (2019), Yang et al. (2020)
			2) Decreases the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α.
			3) Reduces hippocampal CORT expression by inhibiting the expression of 11𝛽-HSD1 and increasing the levels of GR in the hippocampus.