The therapeutic effects of various tonic traditional Chinese medicines on demyelinating diseases

Demyelinating diseases, a prevalent group of neurological disorders, lead to impaired nerve conduction and sensorimotor dysfunctions. Despite existing treatments demonstrating some efficacy, their limitations have driven research toward exploring natural remedies. This review summarizes the therapeutic potential of four traditional tonic Chinese herbal medicines-ginsenosides, deer antler polypeptides, resveratrol, and ginkgo leaf extracts-for demyelinating diseases. The selection of these four components is based on their reported neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects in recent studies. Ginsenosides can modulate immune functions, counteract oxidative stress, and promote remyelination in demyelinating injuries caused by inflammatory conditions. Deer antler polypeptides facilitate remyelination by regulating the expression of myelin-related proteins. Resveratrol exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, alleviating the symptoms of chronic demyelinating diseases induced by metabolic disturbances. Among the components of ginkgo leaf extracts, flavonoids protect neurons and inhibit apoptosis, while terpene lactones modulate the expression of myelin-related genes. This review summarizes the current research on these tonic Chinese herbal medicines and discusses their potential applications in treating demyelinating diseases. This comprehensive review evaluates the research progress on these essential tonic Chinese herbal medicines, revealing their potential applications in demyelinating disease treatments. It may offer a basis for future investigations and potential implications for clinical research.