Anxiolytic Effects of Natural Products: Pathological Mechanisms, Molecular Targets, Therapeutic Prospects

Anxiety disorders are complex neuropsychiatric conditions with incompletely understood mechanisms, which hinders the development of targeted therapies. Natural products have attracted attention as promising anxiolytic candidates due to their multi-component nature, synergistic effects, and ability to modulate multiple molecular targets and signaling pathways. However, a systematic integration of anxiety pathology with the mechanisms of natural products is still lacking. This review summarizes recent advances in the molecular and cellular basis of anxiety and explores how natural products (such as flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids) interact with key genes, receptors, and intracellular signaling pathways. It also addresses current research limitations, including insufficient depth of mechanistic studies, lack of standardized models, and challenges in clinical translation. By synthesizing mechanistic and therapeutic evidence, this work aims to support the development of effective, evidence-based natural anxiolytics with improved clinical applicability.