Condition
Mental Health
Mental health describes how we think, feel and cope, shaped by brain chemistry, stress hormones and life circumstances. Selank and magnolia bark have the most supporting research: across six studies, anxiety symptoms went down with Selank, and in one four-week trial a magnolia bark product eased stress and improved mood. The evidence is moderate, though the magnolia trial was small, and luteolin's promise comes mostly from animal work.
Sources: PMID 18454096; PMID 25176261
- Updated
- How we grade
- 100 studies cited
- Supplements studied
- 2
- Medicines and peptides
- 3
- Graded outcomes
- 6
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mood and Stress Parameters RCT (n=56, 4 weeks): Relora significantly improved mood state parameters vs placebo: Overall Stress (-11%), Tension (-13%), Depression (-20%), Anger (-42%), Fatigue (-31%), Confusion (-27%), Global Mood State (+11%), and Vigor (+18%). | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | ||||
| Anxiety Reduction Pilot RCT (n=40 women, 6 weeks): Relora reduced temporary, transitory anxiety on Spielberger STATE anxiety questionnaire vs placebo. Animal studies: Honokiol (0.2 mg/kg) showed anxiolytic effects comparable to diazepam 1 mg/kg without motor dysfunction or sedation. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect |
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Effects Preclinical studies: Luteolin (10-20 mg/kg) reduced anxiety and depression-like behaviors in sleep deprivation, PTSD, and chronic stress animal models. Effects comparable to paroxetine. Mechanisms include NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway modulation. Human clinical trials needed. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect |
Prescription medicines and peptides studied, for context
Selank
- Anxiety Symptoms: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety Symptoms Moderate Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 6 studies | 240 people |
Sermorelin
- General Well-Being: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Well-Being Quality of life parameters showed significant improvement in general well-being (P < 0.05) and libido (P < 0.01) in elderly men following 4 months of treatment. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 1 study |
Semax
- Anxiety Symptoms: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety Symptoms Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 6 studies | 60 people |
Key findings
- Mood and Stress ParametersImproves (the measure goes up)
- Anxiety ReductionImproves (the measure goes up)
- Anxiolytic and Antidepressant EffectsImproves (the measure goes up)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Fullscript collectionStress and mood: evidence-graded picksOpen on Fullscript
The collection holds the supplements we grade A or B for its theme, in third-party tested products where the catalog has them. It opens in our Fullscript store. You can look through it without signing in; Fullscript asks for a free account to order.
Or shop one supplement
The supplement graded A or B for Mental Health. Each opens third-party tested products for that supplement.
- Grade B
We earn from purchases made in our Fullscript store, and links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Full disclosure
Studies cited
100 studies from PubMed
- Hepatoprotective Effects of Thymogen Analogues in Hydrazine Hepatopathy in Rats.
- Genes That Associated with Action of ACTH-like Peptides with Neuroprotective Potential in Rat Brain Regions with Different Degrees of Ischemic Damage.
- The Potential of the Peptide Drug Semax and Its Derivative for Correcting Pathological Impairments in the Animal Model of Alzheimer's Disease.
- Semax, a Copper Chelator Peptide, Decreases the Cu(II)-Catalyzed ROS Production and Cytotoxicity of aβ by Metal Ion Stripping and Redox Silencing.
- Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Antagonists Increase Radiosensitivity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells.
- Luteolin Is More Potent than Cromolyn in Their Ability to Inhibit Mediator Release from Cultured Human Mast Cells
- Luteolin: A promising multifunctional natural flavonoid for human diseases
- Luteolin for neurodegenerative diseases: a review
- Antidepressant-like and antistress effects of the ACTH(4-10) synthetic analogs Semax and Melanotan II on male rats in a model of chronic unpredictable stress.
- Potential anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of luteolin in a chronic constriction injury rat model of neuropathic pain: Role of oxidative stress, neurotrophins, and inflammatory factors
- Neuropharmacological potential of honokiol and its derivatives from Chinese herb Magnolia species: understandings from therapeutic viewpoint
- Honokiol-Rich Magnolia officinalis Bark Extract Attenuates Trauma-Induced Neuropathic Pain
- Increase in False-Positive Fourth-Generation Human Immunodeficiency Virus Tests in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019.
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonist MIA-602 attenuates cardiopulmonary injury induced by BSL-2 rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 in hACE2 mice.
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonist MIA-602 inhibits inflammation induced by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and bacterial lipopolysaccharide synergism in macrophages and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
- GHRH agonist MR-409 protects β-cells from streptozotocin-induced diabetes.
- Luteolin reduces fear, anxiety, and depression in rats with post-traumatic stress disorder
- Long-term Survival of Adhesively Luted Post-endodontic Restorations.
- RISK OF HOSPITAL MORTALITY IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS WITH TRANSIENT AND PERSISTENT THROMBOCYTOPENIA: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY.
- Synthesis of potent antagonists of receptors for growth hormone-releasing hormone with antitumor and anti-inflammatory activity.
- Impact of growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonist on decidual stromal cell growth and apoptosis in vitro†.
- Neuroprotective effects of flavone luteolin in neuroinflammation and neurotrauma
- A honokiol-enriched Magnolia officinalis Rehder & E.H. Wilson. bark extract possesses anxiolytic-like activity with neuroprotective effect through the modulation of CB1 receptor
- The Influence of Selank on the Level of Cytokines Under the Conditions of "Social" Stress.
- Morphofunctional State of the Large Intestine in Rats under Conditions of Restraint Stress and Administration of Peptide ACTH((4-7))-PGP (Semax).
- Investigation of the effect of a modified fragment of neuropeptide Y on memory phases and extrapolation escape of animals.
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone agonists ameliorate chronic kidney disease-induced heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
- Effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone agonistic analog MR-409 on insulin-secreting cells under cyclopiazonic acid-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress.
- Functional Connectomic Approach to Studying Selank and Semax Effects
- The occurrence of putative cognitive enhancing research peptides in seized pharmaceutical preparations: An incentive for controlling agencies to prepare for future encounters of the kind.
- Correction of Lipid Metabolism Disorders in Diabetes Mellitus with Peptide Drugs.
- Growth hormone secretagogues: history, mechanism of action, and clinical development
- Antinflammatory, antioxidant, and behavioral effects induced by administration of growth hormone-releasing hormone analogs in mice.
- Signaling mechanisms of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor in LPS-induced acute ocular inflammation.
- Selank, Peptide Analogue of Tuftsin, Protects Against Ethanol-Induced Memory Impairment by Regulating of BDNF Content in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex in Rats
- Effect of Selank on Morphological Parameters of Rat Liver in Chronic Foot-Shock Stress.
- Experimental Substantiation of Application of Semax as a Modulator of Immune Reaction on the Model of "Social" Stress.
- Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptor Antagonist Modulates Lung Inflammation and Fibrosis due to Bleomycin.
- Luteolin as an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective agent: A brief review
- Peptide-based Anxiolytics: The Molecular Aspects of Heptapeptide Selank Biological Activity
- The efficacy of semax in the treatment of patients at different stages of ischemic stroke
- Pharmacological Aspects of Neuro-Immune Interactions.
- Inhibition of experimental small-cell and non-small-cell lung cancers by novel antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone.
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonists modify molecular machinery in the progression of prostate cancer.
- Induction of Apoptosis in Pterygium Cells by Antagonists of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptors.
- Peptides semax and selank affect the behavior of rats with 6-OHDA induced PD-like parkinsonism.
- Effect of Selank on Functional State of Rat Hepatocytes under Conditions of Restraint Stress.
- Semax, an analog of ACTH((4-7)), regulates expression of immune response genes during ischemic brain injury in rats.
- Changes in Sympathetic Innervation of the Heart in Rats with Experimental Myocardial Infarction. Effect of Semax.
- Selank Administration Affects the Expression of Some Genes Involved in GABAergic Neurotransmission
- [POSSIBLE ROLE OF TRANSTHYRETIN IN THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISM OF THE REGULATORY PEPTIDE NEUROPROTECTION.].
- Semax prevents learning and memory inhibition by heavy metals.
- Changes in Sympathetic Innervation of Rat Caudal Artery in Experimental Myocardial Infarction. Effect of Semax Peptide.
- Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of GHRH antagonists in prostate cancer.
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonists inhibit human gastric cancer through downregulation of PAK1-STAT3/NF-κB signaling.
- Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor induce apoptosis specifically in retinoblastoma cells.
- [Study of neuroprotective, antihypoxic and antiamnesic effects of new mixture of tripeptides].
- Semax, an ACTH4-10 peptide analog with high affinity for copper(II) ion and protective ability against metal induced cell toxicity.
- New therapeutic approach to heart failure due to myocardial infarction based on targeting growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor.
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone agonists reduce myocardial infarct scar in swine with subacute ischemic cardiomyopathy.
- A comparison of the anxiolytic effect and tolerability of selank and phenazepam in the treatment of anxiety disorders
- The temporary dynamics of inflammation-related genes expression under tuftsin analog Selank action.
- The peptide semax affects the expression of genes related to the immune and vascular systems in rat brain focal ischemia: genome-wide transcriptional analysis
- The peptide semax affects the expression of genes related to the immune and vascular systems in rat brain focal ischemia: genome-wide transcriptional analysis.
- Sigmoidal maximal effect modeling of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration and annual incidence of coronary heart disease events in secondary prevention trials.
- Antagonist of GH-releasing hormone receptors alleviates experimental ocular inflammation.
- An open-label pilot study of a formulation containing the anti-inflammatory flavonoid luteolin and its effects on behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders
- Luteolin inhibits mast cell-mediated allergic inflammation
- Effect of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense (Relora®) on cortisol and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects
- Neuro-modulating effects of honokiol: a review
- Effect of semax and its C-terminal fragment Pro-Gly-Pro on the expression of VEGF family genes and their receptors in experimental focal ischemia of the rat brain.
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone effects on brain γ-aminobutyric acid levels in mild cognitive impairment and healthy aging
- Anti-tumor effects of peptide analogs targeting neuropeptide hormone receptors on mouse pheochromocytoma cells.
- The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA(A) receptors
- Honokiol promotes non-rapid eye movement sleep via the benzodiazepine site of the GABA(A) receptor in mice
- Novel antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone inhibit growth and vascularization of human experimental ovarian cancers.
- New agonist- and antagonist-based treatment approaches for advanced prostate cancer.
- Activation of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor stimulates cardiac reverse remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI).
- Expression of inflammation-related genes in mouse spleen under tuftsin analog Selank.
- [Changes in expression of the genes for chemokines, cytokines, and their receptors in response to selank and its fragments].
- The effect of Semax and its C-end peptide PGP on the morphology and proliferative activity of rat brain cells during experimental ischemia: a pilot study.
- Semax increases erythrocyte deformability in the shearing blood stream in intact rats and rats with cerebral ischemia.
- [The effect of semax and its C-end peptide PGP on expression of the neurotrophins and their receptors in the rat brain during incomplete global ischemia].
- Treating age-related changes in somatotrophic hormones, sleep, and cognition
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonists inhibit growth of human ovarian cancer.
- GHRH antagonist MZ-5-156 increases the expression of AMPK in A549 lung cancer cells.
- Experimental optimization of learning and memory processes by selank
- Antiviral properties of structural fragments of the peptide Selank.
- Semax and Pro-Gly-Pro activate the transcription of neurotrophins and their receptor genes after cerebral ischemia.
- [Nootropic and analgesic effects of Semax following different routes of administration].
- [Antiviral activity of immunomodulator Selank in experimental influenza infection].
- Luteolin inhibits myelin basic protein-induced human mast cell activation and mast cell-dependent stimulation of Jurkat T cells
- Effect of a proprietary Magnolia and Phellodendron extract on stress levels in healthy women: a pilot, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
- Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia
- Effects of heptapeptide selank on genetically-based and situation-provoked symptoms of depression in behavior in WAG/Rij and Wistar rats, and in BALB/c mice
- [Immunomodulatory effects of selank in patients with anxiety-asthenic disorders].
- The effect of semax and the C-terminal peptide PGP on expression of growth factor genes and receptors in rats under conditions of experimental cerebral ischemia.
- Therapeutic possibility of "Semax" for depression.
- Effect of selank on cognitive processes after damage inflicted to the cerebral catecholamine system during early ontogeny.
- Effects of semax and its Pro-Gly-Pro fragment on calcium homeostasis of neurons and their survival under conditions of glutamate toxicity.