The Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine Natural Products in β-Amyloid Deposition and Tau Protein Hyperphosphorylation in Alzheimer's Disease

Drug Des Devel Ther. 2023 Nov 13:17:3295-3323. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S380612. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease is a prevalent form of dementia among elderly individuals and is characterized by irreversible neurodegeneration. Despite extensive research, the exact causes of this complex disease remain unclear. Currently available drugs for Alzheimer's disease treatment are limited in their effectiveness, often targeting a single aspect of the disease and causing significant adverse effects. Moreover, these medications are expensive, placing a heavy burden on patients' families and society as a whole. Natural compounds and extracts offer several advantages, including the ability to target multiple pathways and exhibit high efficiency with minimal toxicity. These attributes make them promising candidates for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In this paper, we provide a summary of the common natural products used in Chinese medicine for different pathogeneses of AD. Our aim is to offer new insights and ideas for the further development of natural products in Chinese medicine and the treatment of AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Chinese herbal medicine; natural products; review; tau-protein hyperphosphorylation; β-amyloid deposition.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease* / drug therapy
  • Alzheimer Disease* / metabolism
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Biological Products* / pharmacology
  • Biological Products* / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Medicine, Chinese Traditional
  • tau Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • tau Proteins
  • Biological Products
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides

Grants and funding

Education Department of Jilin Province “13th Five-Year” science and technology project (JJKH20200895KJ); Science and technology ability promotion Plan of Health Commission of Jilin Province (2019J058); Jilin Provincial Science and Technology Department key research and development-medicine and health field (20200404065YY); Natural Science Foundation of Shandong (ZR2023QH159).