Curcumin reprograms metabolic pathways and MAPK signaling to exert antidepressant effects

Our findings demonstrate that curcumin exerts potent antidepressant effects through multi-target mechanisms involving metabolic reprogramming and coordinated regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway. This study provides novel mechanistic insights into curcumin's polypharmacological actions, supporting its potential as a multi-modal therapeutic agent for depression by simultaneously modulating neurotrophic support, inflammatory responses, and intracellular signaling cascades.