Active ingredients derived from plants, animals, and fungi promote central nervous system regeneration: a narrative review
Year: 2025
Type: review
Abstract: Central nervous system (CNS) regeneration is a critical challenge in modern medicine, with significant implications for treating neurodegenerative diseases and nerve injuries. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has garnered increasing attention for its potential to promote CNS regeneration through its diverse active ingredients derived from plants, animals, and fungi. Recent studies have demonstrated that TCM active ingredients, such as ginsenosides, astragalosides, and polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum, can improve the neural microenvironment by upregulating neurotrophic factors, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, and promoting neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation. For example, ginsenoside Rg1 has been shown to enhance axonal regeneration by promoting neurotrophin expression, whereas astragaloside IV can induce neural stem cell differentiation and improve nerve repair. Additionally, animal-derived peptides such as velvet antler polypeptides and VD11 have neuroprotective effects and the potential to promote CNS regeneration. Despite these promising findings, current research on TCM for CNS regeneration is still limited. Most studies focus on in vitro models or animal experiments, with insufficient clinical validation. The mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of TCM active ingredients are not fully understood, and their translation into clinical practice remains a significant challenge. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the active ingredients of TCMs that promote CNS regeneration, elucidate their mechanisms of action, and identify potential therapeutic targets. By integrating the latest research findings, this review highlights the potential of TCM in nerve regeneration and guides future research directions.
Source: Regenerative medicine reports .
Authors: Sihan Chen, Hongyan Pei, Hailong Liang, Jianan Geng, Weijia Chen, Ying Zong, Yan Zhao, Rui Du, Zhongmei He
Institution: Jilin Agricultural University
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4410312014