Selenium and manganese in depression – preclinical and clinical studies

According to the World Health Organization estimates, approximately 10% of the world’s population is affected by depressive disorders. Furthermore, even in high-income countries, many people with depression are not treated, which can lead to serious health consequences and a global economic loss. Unfortunately, the current pharmacotherapy of depressive disorders is characterized by unsatisfactory efficacy and the therapeutic effect is accompanied by many side effects. For this reason, there is still ongoing worldwide research to find new antidepressant therapies. In recent years, many data have been shown that essential elements demonstrate the antidepressant action and increase the effect of antidepressants. In this paper we present the results from the preclinical and clinical studies published over the years which show the involvement of selenium and manganese in depressive disorders. In this article, the relationship between the amount of these microelements in a diet and depression is reviewed and what's more, the association among these elements in different biomaterial and their relations to depressive symptoms is presented. Additionally, we discuss the possible influence of selenium and manganese on modulating neurotransmitter system involved in depression.