IRS1 and major depressive disorder: Other effects of curcumin have been described in different animal models of depression, such as an interaction with glutamate N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptors [37], an inhibition of Ca+2 channels [74], an increased level of corticosterol and cortisone in plasma [64], or an altered lipid metabolism [75], or an upregulation of the insulin receptor IRS-1 and protein kinase-B (PKB) in the liver [73].