Neuroprotective herbs for stroke therapy in traditional eastern medicine

Traditional Eastern Medicine (TEM) has a long history in stroke therapy and its therapeutic efficacy has been confirmed by clinical studies. Extensive experience and abundant clinical data on TEM in stroke treatment have been accumulated over the past thousand years. Basic and clinical research in TEM constitutes a potentially rich source for new drug discovery and development with the integration of TEM and Western pharmacology. In recent years, many attempts have been made to document research data from extracts of composite formulas, single herbs, or single compounds from TEM herbs, according to orthodox pharmacological actions. This article reviews herbs and prescriptions that have been documented to have a neuroprotective effect in in vitro and in vivo ischemic model systems, and the neuroprotective compounds isolated from them. I also discuss the neuroprotective mechanisms of prescriptions, herbs, and single compounds relevant to the treatment of brain ischemia, including anti-oxidant, anti-excitotoxic, and anti-inflammatory effects.