Chinese medicines with sedative-hypnotic effects and their active components

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Sleep Science

Background:

• Sedative agents possess pharmacological effects including sedation, hypnosis, antianxiety, and antidepression.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has extensive clinical experience in managing insomnia.
• Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder affecting millions globally.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of active ingredients from TCM in treating insomnia.
• To summarize single herbs and their active components with hypnotic effects.
• To explore the mechanisms of action for TCM in sleep regulation.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies published in the past 20 years.
• Categorization of active ingredients into alkaloids, terpenoids, volatile oils, flavonoids, lignanoids, coumarins, and saponins.
• Analysis of studies based on active ingredients, sources, experimental models, results, and mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Identified various active ingredients from TCM with hypnotic effects.
• Described studies on TCM's efficacy in experimental insomnia models.
• Highlighted compound prescriptions utilizing multiple TCM herbs for sedative-hypnotic effects.

Conclusions:

• Active ingredients from TCM, including alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins, demonstrate significant hypnotic potential.
• TCM acts through regulating central neurotransmitters, sleep-related cytokines, and central nervous system structure.
• TCM offers a promising therapeutic avenue for insomnia management.