Traditional Chinese Medicine in Neuroprotection after Brain Insults with Special Reference to Radioprotection

Table 1

Neuroprotective effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) after brain insults.

No.	Herbs and plant extract	Main acting constituents	Test system	Brain insults	Effect	Mechanism	References
1	Morinda officinalis	Rubiadin, Rubiadin-1-methylether, etc.	Rat, mouse, human	Alzheimer’s disease (AD), memory disorder	Improve learning and memory, Anti-AD, protect brain function, anti-depression, anti-aging, improve language function	Anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis, enhanced LTP function in hippocampal synapse, improving glucose metabolism	[24–30]
2	Lycium barbarum	Lycium barbarum polysaccharide, Betane, etc.	Rat, mouse	Memory disorder resulted by lead expose or manganese poisoning	Improve learning and memory, protect brain function	Anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis, promoting hippocampal neurogenesis	[31–34]
3	Safflor	Carthamin, Safflow yellow, etc.	Rat, mouse	Memory disorder	Improve learning and memory	Anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis,	[35–38]
4	Epimedium	Icariin, Icariside, etc.	Rat, mouse	Dementia	Improve learning and memory, Anti-AD, protect brain function, anti-aging	Anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis, reducing the entanglement of nerve fibers (Tau),; promoting hippocampal neurogenesis, inhibiting inflammatory mediators, increase estrogen levels, increase the activity of sodium pump and calcium pump	[39, 40]
5	Radix polygalae	Onjisaponin, Ketone, etc.	Rat, mouse	AD	Improve learning and memory, Anti-AD, protect brain function	Anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis, enhancing LTP function in hippocampal synapse, increasing the expression of CREB in the hippocampus, inhibiting inflammatory mediators, improve the entanglement of nerve fibers(Tau) promoting hippocampal neurogenesis	[41–48]
6	Acrous tatrinouill shotts	β-Asarone, α-Asarone, etc.	Rat, mouse	Memory impairment by scopolamine; cortical neuron damage; depression	Improve learning and memory, Anti-AD, protect brain function, anti-depression	Anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis,; increasing the expression of CREB in the hippocampus	[49–51]
7	Polygona sibiricum	Polygonatum Polysaccharide, Street soap shake, etc.	Rat, mouse	Memory impairment by scopolamine	Improve learning and memory, Anti- AD, protect brain function, anti-depression	Anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis, improving cerebral ischemia	[52, 53]
8	Cynomorium songaricum Rupr	Anthocyanin, Triterpenoid saponins, etc.	Rat, mouse	AD	Improve learning and memory, Anti-AD, protect brain function, anti-aging	Anti-oxidative stress	[54–56]
9	Alpinia oxyphylla miq. Fruit	Sesquiterpene, Monoterpene, etc.	Rat, mouse	Scopolamine-induced dementia	Improve learning and memory, protect brain function, anti-aging	Anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis	[57, 58]
10	Broomrape	Ergosterin,; Cistanche glycoside, etc.	Mouse, human	AD; Memory impairment; cerebral ischemia	Improve learning and memory, protect brain function	Anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis	[59–67]