Advances in Herbal Medicine for Treatment of Ischemic Brain Injury

Abstract

Ischemic brain injury is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and has attracted a lot of attention in the field of drug discovery. Cerebral ischemia is a complex pathological process involving a series of mechanisms, including generation of free radicals, oxidative stress, disruption of the membrane function, release of neurotransmitters and apoptosis. Thrombolytic therapy is the most effective therapeutic strategy, but the benefits are far from being absolute. Increased attention in the field of drug discovery has been focused on using natural compounds from traditional medicinal herbs for neuroprotection, which appears to be a promising therapeutic option for cerebral ischemia with minimal systemic adverse effects that could limit their long term use. The scenario calls for extensive investigations which can result in the development of lead molecules for neuroprotection in the future. In this context, the present review focuses on possible mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of herbal drugs in patients with cerebral ischemic injury. Natural compounds have been demonstrated to have neurofunctional regulatory actions with antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, calcium antagonizing and anti-apoptotic activities. Among the several leads obtained from plant sources as potential neuroprotective agents, resveratrol, EGb761, curcumin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate have shown significant therapeutic benefits in cerebral ischemic conditions. However, ligustilide, tanshinone, scutellarin and shikonin are the few lead molecules which are under investigation for treatment of cerebral ischemia.

A Novel Tetramethylpyrazine Derivative Protects Against Glutamate-Induced Cytotoxicity Through PGC1α/Nrf2 and PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathways

“…As a result, numerous researchers have been exploring potentially active plant-derived agents, hoping to meet this unmet need and discover a disease-modifying drug ( Zhang et al, 2014 ). Traditional Chinese medicine focuses on the overall regulation of the pathophysiological condition of the entire body, a trait that makes these compounds particularly promising in the treatment of complex diseases ( Ghosh et al, 2014 ). TMP is one of the mainly biologically active constituents derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Chuanxiong (Ligusticum wallichii Franchat) and has been widely used to treat cardio- and cerebro-vascular diseases in clinic ( Liu et al, 2003 ; Xue et al, 2011 ).…”

Novel Tacrine-Scutellarin Hybrids as Multipotent Anti-Alzheimer’s Agents: Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation

“…Scutellarin (4′,5,6-trihydroxyflavone-7-glucuronide, Figure 1 ) is a flavone firstly isolated from the Chinese herb Erigeron breviscapus . Its wide spectrum of pharmacological properties include free radical scavenging ability, anti-inflammatory efficacy, neuroprotection and capability to inhibit Aβ fibril formation [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Unfortunately, due to its poor solubility, weak oral absorption and poor ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the clinical relevance of scutellarin is limited [ 29 , 30 ].…”

Systematic Understanding of the Mechanism of Baicalin against Ischemic Stroke through a Network Pharmacology Approach

“…A stroke is a common medical condition among adults worldwide, characterized by high mortality, morbidity, and disability rates [1]. Ischemic stroke accounts for 88% of stroke cases [2] and is defined as a condition in which cerebral vessels are blocked and blood perfusion to the brain is decreased, leading to poor oxygen and glucose supplies [3]. The two major therapeutic strategies for ischemic stroke are thrombolytic therapy and neuroprotective therapy [4].…”