Pharmacological therapy to cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury: Focus on saponins

Biomed Pharmacother. 2022 Nov:155:113696. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113696. Epub 2022 Sep 16.

Abstract

Secondary insult from cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) is a major risk factor for poor prognosis of cerebral ischemia. Saponins are steroid or triterpenoid glycosides with various pharmacological activities that are effective in treating CIRI. By browsing the literature from 2001 to 2021, 55 references involving 24 kinds of saponins were included. Saponins were shown to relieve CIRI by inhibiting oxidation stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis, restoring BBB integrity, and promoting neurogenesis and angiogenesis. This review summarizes and classifies several common saponins and their mechanisms in relieving CIRI. Information provided in this review will benefit researchers to design, research and develop new medicines to treat CIRI-related conditions with saponins.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Blood-brain barrier; Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury; Inflammation; Oxidative stress; Saponin.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brain Ischemia* / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Reperfusion Injury* / drug therapy
  • Saponins* / pharmacology
  • Saponins* / therapeutic use
  • Steroids / pharmacology
  • Triterpenes* / pharmacology
  • Triterpenes* / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Saponins
  • Triterpenes
  • Steroids