Chinese herbal and natural compounds for Parkinson's disease: Myth or truth

Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder with a complex pathogenesis, which limits the application of single-target inhibitors. At present, the main Western therapeutic drugs for Parkinson's disease include dopamine precursors, dopamine receptor agonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO-B), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors and anticholinergic drugs. These treatments have limited efficacy and obvious toxic and side effects. In recent years, with the deepening of research on Parkinson's disease, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its active components have played an increasingly important role in clinical treatment. A large number of studies have shown that TCM and its active components exert anti-Parkinsonian effects by inhibiting ferroptosis, regulating autophagy and apoptosis, exerting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and enhancing neuronal protection.

To show that traditional medicine is a promising strategy for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, and to lay a foundation for exploring the specific mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of this disease.

This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of Chinese and foreign databases to screen the core traditional Chinese medicines currently used clinically for Parkinson's disease, and further analyzed the specific mechanisms of action of the selected core herbs in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Bibliometric analysis identified core TCM herbs clinically used for Parkinson's disease. The specific mechanisms of these core herbs against Parkinson's disease were clarified at the molecular level, involving inhibition of ferroptosis, regulation of autophagy and apoptosis, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and enhancement of neuroprotection.

This study provides data support for the subsequent research and clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine in Parkinson's disease, and deepens the molecular understanding of the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine, verifying that traditional medicine is a promising therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.