Antidepressant

The purpose of this invention is to provide a natural ingredient, not containing hypericin or hyperforin, for food, dietary supplements, pharmaceutical products, etc. with antidepressant effect safe to consume over a long period, and methods to treat major depressive disorder with the use thereof.
This invention was completed by the discovery of antidepressant activity of rafuma extract, which contains over 4% more flavonoid compounds than rafuma leaves, through careful procedures and dedication by the inventors.