The Role of Novel Herbal Adaptogens in Targeting the Anxiety–Depression–Cognition Axis: Pharmacological Mechanisms, Therapeutic Potential, and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction are closely interconnected neuropsychiatric disorders that share common pathological mechanisms, including hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, neurotransmitter imbalance, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and impaired neuroplasticity. Although conventional pharmacotherapies remain the primary treatment option, their long-term use is often limited by adverse effects, delayed therapeutic response, and incomplete symptom relief. Consequently, increasing attention has been directed toward herbal adaptogens as multitarget therapeutic agents capable of enhancing stress resilience and restoring physiological homeostasis. Emerging evidence suggests that novel herbal adaptogens exert anxiolytic, antidepressant, neuroprotective, and cognition-enhancing effects by modulating multiple molecular pathways involved in the anxiety–depression–cognition axis. This review summarizes the pharmacological mechanisms, therapeutic potential, and recent advances in novel herbal adaptogens while highlighting current challenges and future research directions for their translation into evidence-based therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders.