Can Gardenia Jasminoides Reduce Anxiety and Depression?

Gardenia jasminoides has a long history of medicinal use in East Asia, particularly its dried fruit, often referred to as Gardeniae Fructus. Modern research has examined Gardenia extracts, fractions and individual compounds for possible effects on depression and anxiety.

Animal studies have reported both antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects, including unusually fast behavioural responses in some depression experiments. Direct human evidence for Gardenia jasminoides itself, however, is lacking.

What Is Gardenia Jasminoides?

Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis is an accepted species in the Rubiaceae family. Its fruit is used medicinally and appears in scientific literature under names including Gardeniae Fructus and Fructus gardeniae.

Gardenia studies have used different preparations, including whole fruit extracts, solvent-separated fractions, iridoid-rich fractions, flower essential oil and isolated compounds such as geniposide and gardoside.

An inhaled flower essential oil, an orally administered fruit extract and an isolated iridoid are chemically and pharmacologically different preparations, so findings from one cannot automatically be attributed to another.

Does Gardenia Jasminoides Have Antidepressant Effects?

In 2015, Zhang et al. screened ethanol extracts of the five individual herbs used in the traditional Yueju formula. Of those herbs, Gardenia jasminoides produced significant antidepressant-like effects in mice.

The researchers subsequently tested the Gardenia extract in the tail-suspension, learned-helplessness and novelty-suppressed-feeding tests. A single administration reduced depression-related behavioural measures across these experiments. (Zhang et al., 2015)

Ren et al. later separated Gardenia into standardized petroleum-ether and n-butanol fractions. Both fractions produced antidepressant-like effects in mice, although their relationships with neurotrophic signalling differed. (Ren et al., 2016)

These experiments measured behavioural responses in animal models and do not establish that Gardenia treats major depressive disorder in humans.

How Quickly Did Gardenia Produce Antidepressant-Like Effects?

In the 2015 Zhang study, a single dose of Gardenia extract produced an antidepressant-like response in mice approximately 2 hours after administration. (Zhang et al., 2015)

Ren et al. subsequently reported rapid behavioural effects from both the petroleum-ether and n-butanol fractions of Gardenia. (Ren et al., 2016)

A 2022 study examined an iridoid-rich fraction of Gardenia jasminoides. In mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress, a single administration improved several depression-related behavioural measures at 1 day and 26 hours. Some effects persisted for at least 14 days. (Ren et al., 2022)

How Might Gardenia Produce Antidepressant-Like Effects?

BDNF and TrkB

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, is involved in neuronal survival and synaptic plasticity and has been widely studied in relation to antidepressant action.

In Zhang et al. (2015), hippocampal BDNF expression increased from approximately 2 hours after Gardenia administration and remained elevated for more than 20 hours, broadly tracking the behavioural response.

The two fractions examined by Ren et al. (2016) did not show identical relationships with BDNF and TrkB signalling, suggesting that neurotrophic signalling may contribute to some Gardenia effects without providing a single explanation for all of them.

PKA-CREB Signalling

In the 2022 iridoid-fraction study, researchers observed increased CREB phosphorylation and later activation of the PKA-CREB pathway without a significant increase in BDNF during the period measured after treatment.

Blocking PKA signalling interfered with some of the sustained antidepressant-like effects, leading the researchers to implicate PKA-CREB signalling in the longer-lasting response to this particular Gardenia fraction. (Ren et al., 2022)

The Role of Geniposide

Geniposide is one of the best-known iridoid glycosides in Gardenia jasminoides, but it should not be treated as the sole explanation for the antidepressant-like effects of whole Gardenia extracts.

In the 2015 study, isolated geniposide did not reproduce the acute tail-suspension effect of the Gardenia extract at the doses tested. (Zhang et al., 2015)

The pharmacology of Gardenia may therefore depend on multiple constituents, combinations of compounds or differences between preparations rather than one active ingredient alone.

Does Gardenia Jasminoides Reduce Anxiety?

The anxiety literature is smaller than the depression research, but several Gardenia-derived preparations have produced anxiolytic-like effects in animal models.

Gardeniae Fructus Extract

Toriizuka et al. (2005) investigated Gardeniae Fructus while studying Kamishoyosan, a traditional Japanese Kampo formula.

When individual components of the formula were tested, oral administration of a hot-water Gardeniae Fructus extract increased social-interaction time in mice. Open-field testing did not show corresponding changes in locomotor activity, arguing against simple stimulation or sedation as the explanation.

Geniposide also increased social-interaction time in a dose-dependent manner in the same study.

Gardenia Flower Essential Oil

Zhang et al. (2020) exposed mice to inhaled essential oil extracted from Gardenia jasminoides flowers.

The mice spent more time and made more entries into the open arms of an elevated-plus maze and spent more time in the light compartment of a light-dark box. Locomotor testing did not indicate a sedative effect.

Additional experiments implicated monoaminergic signalling, particularly the serotonergic system and 5-HT1A receptors, in the behavioural response.

Fructus Gardeniae

Tian et al. (2024) reported anxiolytic-like behaviour following Fructus gardeniae administration in mice. Treated animals showed increases in open-arm time and open-arm entries in an elevated-plus maze.

The researchers combined the behavioural experiment with metabolomics, network pharmacology and molecular docking to propose possible metabolic pathways and molecular targets, although these computational predictions do not establish the mechanism.

Gardoside

A 2026 study investigated gardoside, an iridoid glycoside derived from Gardenia jasminoides.

Gardoside reduced forced-swimming-stress-induced anxiety-like behaviour in mice in a dose-dependent manner. Electrophysiological experiments found that it reversed stress-related increases in excitatory synaptic transmission and neuronal firing in the hippocampus.

The researchers also found evidence implicating PI3K/AKT signalling and glutamate-receptor function. Activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway experimentally counteracted both the behavioural and molecular effects of gardoside. (Ma et al., 2026)

This experiment tested isolated gardoside rather than a whole Gardenia extract.

Has Gardenia Jasminoides Been Tested in Humans on Its Own?

Human depression research involving Gardenia has primarily tested Yueju Pill, a multi-herb formula, rather than Gardenia alone.

The Yueju preparation used in a 2025 clinical study contained Cyperus rotundus, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Gardenia jasminoides, Atractylodes lancea and Massa Fermentata.

A 2015 randomized, double-blind pilot study compared Yueju plus fluoxetine with placebo plus fluoxetine in people with major depressive disorder. Eighteen participants were included in the analysis.

Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores improved significantly more in the Yueju group than in the control group from days 3 through 7. The study was small and tested Yueju as an addition to fluoxetine. (Wu et al., 2015)

A 2025 pilot study randomly assigned 28 outpatients with major depressive disorder to Yueju Pill or escitalopram for four days. Depression scores decreased significantly in both groups, while serum BDNF increased significantly only in the Yueju group. The study primarily investigated brain-network and biomarker predictors of treatment response. (Zhang et al., 2025)

Can Gardenia Tea Produce the Same Effects?

The available research does not show that an ordinary Gardenia tea reproduces the effects reported with the preparations used in these experiments.

The depression studies used ethanol extracts and chemically separated fractions. The anxiety research included a hot-water fruit extract, inhaled flower essential oil and isolated compounds.

Extraction method changes which compounds are present and their concentrations, while route of administration changes how a preparation reaches the body. Inhaled flower essential oil, for example, cannot be treated as equivalent to an orally consumed fruit infusion.

The timing reported with experimental Gardenia extracts cannot be assumed to apply to an ordinary Gardenia tea.

There is also no established human Gardenia dose for treating anxiety or depression that can be derived from these studies.

Is Gardenia Jasminoides Safe?

Clinical safety data for Gardenia used specifically to produce antidepressant or anti-anxiety effects are limited.

Geniposide has received particular attention in animal toxicology. Ding et al. (2013) found signs of liver toxicity after rats received acute oral doses of 574 mg/kg or more. In the same research, oral doses of 24.3 or 72.9 mg/kg for 90 days did not produce the same evidence of hepatotoxicity.

A later meta-analysis of 25 preclinical studies found both hepatoprotective and hepatotoxic effects of geniposide under different experimental conditions, with outcomes influenced by factors including dose, treatment duration and the liver-injury model being studied. (Zeng et al., 2024)

These findings come from animal toxicology studies and do not establish a toxic or safe dose for humans. They do show why the safety of concentrated Gardenia extracts or isolated iridoids should not be assumed from traditional use alone.

Bottom Line

Gardenia jasminoides is an interesting preclinical candidate for both depression and anxiety. Extracts, fractions and individual Gardenia constituents have produced antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects in animal studies.

It is not yet an evidence-based treatment for either condition in humans. Direct clinical trials of Gardenia itself are needed before its effects, effective dose and safety for anxiety or depression can be established.

References

Ding, Y., Zhang, T., Tao, J.-S., Zhang, L.-Y., Shi, J.-R., & Ji, G. (2013). Potential hepatotoxicity of geniposide, the major iridoid glycoside in dried ripe fruits of Gardenia jasminoides (Zhi-zi). Natural Product Research, 27(10), 929–933. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2012.673604

Hou, Z., Sun, L., Jiang, Z., Zeng, T., Wu, P., Huang, J., Liu, H., & Xiao, P. (2024). Neuropharmacological insights into Gardenia jasminoides Ellis: Harnessing therapeutic potential for central nervous system disorders. Phytomedicine, 125, 155374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155374

Ma, S., Yang, X., Zhang, J., Li, L., Wang, J., Cao, J., Miao, S., Zhang, R., Shi, X., & Wang, X. (2026). Pharmacological potential of gardoside in anxiety: Behavioral and molecular evidence. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 368, 121836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2026.121836

Ren, L., Tao, W., Zhang, H., Xue, W., Tang, J., Wu, R., Xia, B., Wu, H., & Chen, G. (2016). Two standardized fractions of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis with rapid antidepressant effects are differentially associated with BDNF up-regulation in the hippocampus. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 187, 66–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2016.04.023

Ren, L., Zhang, H., Tao, W., Chen, Y., Zou, Z., Guo, X., Shen, Q., Feng, Q., & Hu, J. (2022). The rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects of iridoid fraction in Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis are dependent on activating PKA-CREB signaling pathway. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13, 896628. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.896628

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (n.d.). Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis. Plants of the World Online.

Tian, Y., Yuan, F., Kong, J., Yuan, Z., Jia, C., Kui, H., Yin, Z., Liu, C., & Huang, J. (2024). Exploring the anxiolytic mechanism of Fructus gardeniae based on metabolomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 76(10), 1310–1327. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpp/rgad102

Toriizuka, K., Kamiki, H., Ohmura, N. Y., Fujii, M., Hori, Y., Fukumura, M., Hirai, Y., Isoda, S., Nemoto, Y., & Ida, Y. (2005). Anxiolytic effect of Gardeniae Fructus-extract containing active ingredient from Kamishoyosan (KSS), a Japanese traditional Kampo medicine. Life Sciences, 77(24), 3010–3020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2004.12.054

Wu, R., Zhu, D., Xia, Y., Wang, H., Tao, W., Xue, W., Xia, B., Ren, L., Zhou, X., Li, G., & Chen, G. (2015). A role of Yueju in fast-onset antidepressant action on major depressive disorder and serum BDNF expression: A randomly double-blind, fluoxetine-adjunct, placebo-controlled, pilot clinical study. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 11, 2013–2021. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S86585

Zeng, X., Jiang, J., Liu, S., Hu, Q., Hu, S., Zeng, J., Ma, X., & Zhang, X. (2024). Bidirectional effects of geniposide in liver injury: Preclinical evidence construction based on meta-analysis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 319, 117061. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2023.117061

Zhang, H., Xue, W., Wu, R., Gong, T., Tao, W., Zhou, X., Jiang, J., Zhang, Y., Zhang, N., Cui, Y., Chen, C., & Chen, G. (2015). Rapid antidepressant activity of ethanol extract of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is associated with upregulation of BDNF expression in the hippocampus. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015, 761238. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/761238

Zhang, N., Luo, M., He, L., & Yao, L. (2020). Chemical composition of essential oil from flower of ‘Shanzhizi’ (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) and involvement of serotonergic system in its anxiolytic effect. Molecules, 25(20), 4702. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25204702

Zhang, Y., Ren, Y., Chen, G., Wang, H., Miao, J., Cui, B., Zou, Z., Feng, J., Hong, C., Han, M., & Wang, J. (2025). Brain network predictors of changes in symptoms and serum BDNF following antidepressant treatment with escitalopram and Yueju Pill in major depressive disorder: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. General Psychiatry, 38(5), e102041. https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2025-102041