Several other studies found that aqueous extracts of saffron showed antidepressant effects in various experimental depression models that involved modulation of the BDNF, CREB, and VGF pathways (Dorri et al., 2015; Ghasemi et al., 2015; Razavi et al., 2017; Asrari et al., 2018). This evidence concerns the gene BDNF and major depressive disorder.