Gut microbiota, a new frontier to understand traditional Chinese medicines.

Among the major neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), are a huge socioeconomic burden. Over many centuries, people have sought a cure for NDDs from the natural herbals. Many medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites are reported with the ability to alleviate the symptoms of NDDs. The major mechanisms identified, through which phytochemicals exert their neuroprotective effects and potential maintenance of neurological health in ageing, include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antiapoptotic, acetylcholinesterase and monoamine oxidase inhibition and neurotrophic activities. This article reviews the mechanisms of action of some of the major herbal products with potential in the treatment of NDDs according to their molecular targets, as well as their regional sources (Asia, America and Africa). A number of studies demonstrated the beneficial properties of plant extracts or their bioactive compounds against NDDs. Herbal products may potentially offer new treatment options for patients with NDDs, which is a cheaper and culturally suitable alternative to conventional therapies for millions of people in the world with age-related NDDs.

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/4/1061/pdf

Impact of Natural Compounds on Neurodegenerative Disorders: From Preclinical to Pharmacotherapeutics.

Current potential therapeutic strategies targeting the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway to attenuate keloid and hypertrophic scar formation.

Neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders that are characterized by the gradual loss of neurons. The development of effective neuroprotective agents to prevent and control neurodegenerative diseases is specifically important. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in selecting flavonoid compounds as potential neuroprotective agents, owing to their high effectiveness with low side effects. Baicalin is one of the important flavonoid compounds, which is mainly isolated from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (an important Chinese medicinal herb). In recent years, a number of studies have shown that baicalin has a potent neuroprotective effect in various in vitro and in vivo models of neuronal injury. In particular, baicalin effectively prevents neurodegenerative diseases through various pharmacological mechanisms, including antioxidative stress, anti-excitotoxicity, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, stimulating neurogenesis, promoting the expression of neuronal protective factors, etc. This review mainly focuses on the neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement effects of baicalin. The aim of the present review is to compile all information in relation to the neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement effects of baicalin and its molecular mechanisms of action in various in vitro and in vivo experimental models.

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Neuroprotective and Cognitive Enhancement Potentials of Baicalin: A Review

Large amounts of agri-food by-products, non-edible food, and waste are produced throughout the supply chain from the initial production to the final consumption stages. The valorization of this biomass to obtain high value-added compounds has been the focus of extensive research in the last decade. For this purpose, the use of green techniques is essential to reduce the negative impact on the health and the environment. In this review, we discuss the use of green solvents for the valorization of agri-food waste and by-products, and we consider their potential to replace conventional organic solvents in order to provide more environmentally friendly and sustainable processes. The use of supercritical fluids, neoteric (ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents), bio-based, and supramolecular solvents is critically dicussed. Parameters affecting extraction efficiency are detailed for each type of solvent along with advantages and limitations for application at the industrial scale.

Green Solvents for the Extraction of High Added-Value Compounds from Agri-food Waste

An overview of neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement properties of lignans from Schisandra chinensis

Baicalein as a potent neuroprotective agent: A review.

Schisandra chinensis fruits have been traditionally used for thousands of years in Korea, China and Japan to treat various ailments. The fruits contain a variety of bioactive metabolites, especially lignan components have been reported to have various biological activities and have potential in the treatment of numerous neurodegenerative diseases. The lignans from S. chinensis are mainly grouped under dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans. Previous studies have reported that the crude extracts and the isolated pure lignan components effectively protect the neuronal cell damage and significantly enhance the cognitive performances. The experimental findings support the extracts and lignan components from S. chinensis can be used as new therapeutic agents to treat various neurodegenerative diseases. In the current review, we highlight the lignans from S. chinensis as promising resources for the development of natural and effective agents for neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement effects. The lignan extracts and individual compounds from S. chinensis were summarized in relation to their neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement activities.

Iconography : An overview of neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement properties of lignans from Schisandra chinensis

A number of Angelica species have been used in traditional systems of medicine to treat many ailments. Especially, essential oils (EOs) from the Angelica species have been used for the treatment of various health problems, including malaria, gynecological diseases, fever, anemia, and arthritis. EOs are complex mixtures of low molecular weight compounds, especially terpenoids and their oxygenated compounds. These components deliver specific fragrance and biological properties to essential oils. In this review, we summarized the chemical composition and biological activities of EOs from different species of Angelica. For this purpose, a literature search was carried out to obtain information about the EOs of Angelica species and their bioactivities from electronic databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley, Springer, ACS, Google, and other journal publications. There has been a lot of variation in the EO composition among different Angelica species. EOs from Angelica species were reported for different kinds of biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, immunotoxic, and insecticidal activities. The present review is an attempt to consolidate the available data for different Angelica species on the basis of major constituents in the EOs and their biological activities.

https://www.mdpi.com/2218-0532/85/3/33/pdf

Minju Kim

Papers

Neuroprotective and Cognitive Enhancement Potentials of Baicalin: A Review

An overview of neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement properties of lignans from Schisandra chinensis

Baicalein as a potent neuroprotective agent: A review.

Iconography : An overview of neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement properties of lignans from Schisandra chinensis

A Review of the Composition of the Essential Oils and Biological Activities of Angelica Species.