A recent in vivo study by Zhou et al. (2016) showed that two new cycloartane glycosides from the rhizomes of Xiang-fu were beneficial in modulating the function of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hippocampus, a compound known to promote synaptic efficacy, neuronal connectivity, and neuroplasticity, which in turn decrease the risk of depression. Here, BDNF is linked to major depressive disorder.