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No. | Herbs and plant extract | Main acting constituents | Test system | Brain insults (radiation source, dose, dose rate) | Effect | Mechanism | References |
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1 | Astragalus membranaceus | Astragalus polysaccharides, Total saponins of Astragalus, etc. | Rat, mouse, Human, cell | 60Co, 4.5Gy/min, 160-170s, one time, single-dose X-rays exposure of 30 Gy | Improve learning and memory, increase SOD activity, decrease MDA | Scavenge oxygen free radicals, reduce nitric oxide production | [68–75] |
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2 | Salvia miltiorrhiza | Tanshinone, Cryptotanshinone, etc. | Mouse, Rat, Human | Varian-600, X-rays, 22Gy | Improve learning and memory | Reduce lipid peroxide in brain tissue and inhibit the adhesion of endothelial cells factor 1 expression | [76–83] |
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3 | Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort | Chuanxiongzine, Ligustilide, etc. | Human | Patients had a history of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer | Reduce radiation encephalopathy | Improve microcirculation, expand blood vessels, inhibit the generation of oxygen free radicals | [84–86] |
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4 | Broomrape | Ergosterin, Cistanche glycoside, etc. | Mouse | 5 Gy 60Co-γ | Improve viability | Scavenge oxygen free radicals, Strengthen immunity | [87] |
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5 | Horse Chestnut P.E | Aescine, etc. | Human | Patients had a history of radiotherapy for head cancer | Prevent brain edema | Stabilize endothelial cells, | [88] |
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6 | Radix Hedysari | Hedysarum polysaccharide, etc. | Rat, Mouse | 2 Gy 60Co-γ | Increase SOD activity, decrease MDA | Reduce oxidative stress | [89–91] |
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7 | safflower | Carthamin, Safflow yellow, etc. | Mouse | 4 Gy 12C6+ | Increase SOD activity, decrease MDA | Reduce oxidative stress | [92] |
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8 | Arnebiae Radix | Shikonin, Acetylshikonin, etc. | Mouse | 12C6+ ion beam, dose rate of approximately 0.5 Gy/min | Improve the spatial memory deficits | Reduce oxidative stress | [93] |
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9 | Ginkgo | Flavonoids, ginkgolides, etc. | Rat | 12MEV, 20 Gy | Inhibition of brain cell edema | Scavenge oxygen free radicals, apoptosis inhibition | [94–96] |
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10 | Ginseng | Ginsenoside, etc. | Rat | 30 Gy | Protect the hippocampal neurons | Inhibit apoptosis | [97] |
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11 | Kang-fu-ling | Total glucoside of Astragalus, total glucoside of Radix Paeoniae Rubra and Tanshinone | Rat | HPM at 30 mW cm 2 for 15 min | Improve spatial memory | Modulate ROS formation and antioxidant enzymes. | [98] |
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12 | Shenqi | Codonopsis polysaccharides, Astragalus polysaccharides, etc. | Mouse | A single dose of cranial radiotherapy (CRT) with 20Gy | Improve the physical status, survival, and spatial learning, attenuate all the CRT-induced changes in the brain tissues. | Inhibit NF-κB signaling pathway and microglial activation | [99] |
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13 | Renal invigoration (978-1) | Icariin, Lignin, etc. | Mouse | A single dose of 20 Gy | Prevent impairment of learning and memory | Inhibit apoptosis | [100, 101] |
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