title: Progress on the protective effect of compounds from natural medicines on cerebral ischemia.
abstract: The treatment of cerebral ischemic disease by natural medicines has a long history, and has accumulated a rich theoretical knowledge and treatment experience. The objective of this review is to critically evaluate the experimental research situation of the protective effect of the individual compounds from natural medicine on cerebral ischemia in the past ten years, emphasizing the major mechanisms underlying cerebral ischemic pathophysiology. Sixteen representative compounds from natural medicines which are often used to treat stroke are discussed. The results indicate that these components possess a protective effect on cerebral ischemia, and that these components have different mechanisms, including inhibiting excitotoxicity by ginkgolide B, antiapoptosis of breviscapine, influencing astrocytic activation and proliferation of tanshinone IIA, influencing free radicals by ginsenoside Rd, impairing blood-brain barrier disruption by baicalin, and the anti-inflammatory activity of tetramethylpyrazine. Moreover, some components have multiple neuroprotective mechanisms. Therefore, the combination of individual compounds from natural medicines, considering the mechanisms of cerebral ischemia, may be beneficial to patients with cerebral ischemia in the future. This approach will provide a direction for the further application and exploitation of new drug development in the treatment of cerebral ischemia.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Pharmacodynamics Evaluation, Chongqing 400716, China; College of Medicine, Panzhihua University, Panzhihua 617000, China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Panzhihua University, Panzhihua 617000, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Pharmacodynamics Evaluation, Chongqing 400716, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Pharmacodynamics Evaluation, Chongqing 400716, China. Electronic address: xuxiaoyu@swu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000639:trends*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Cerebral ischemia; Individual compounds; Natural medicine; Pathophysiological mechanisms; Research progress