Abstract: Rutin is a flavonol glycoside widely found in plants such as ruta, Sophora japonica, and red dry lotus. It has antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, cardio-cerebrovascular protection and other pharmacological effects. At present, studies have proved that rutin can act on the brain through the blood-brain barrier, improve cognitive impairment, and play a protective role against nerve injury caused by oxidative stress and cerebral ischemia. Depression is a kind of mental disorder. Its main symptoms are depression, slow thinking and impaired cognitive function, which seriously affect human health and life safety. By consulting databases such as CNKI and PubMed, based on the pathological mechanism of depression, this paper combs the literature from the aspects of rutin regulating the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and brain-derived neurotrophic factors, improving the function of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, affecting glutamatergic, GABAergic, cholinergic system and intestinal microbiota, inflammation and so on, explores the research progress of potential antidepressant effect of rutin, provides ideas and theoretical basis for in-depth study of rutin in the treatment of depression.