Potential Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Anti-Aging and Aging-Related Diseases: Current Evidence and Perspectives

Figures & data

Figure 1 The effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with regards to the improvement of common conditions associated with aging and the mechanisms of action. (A) The mechanism of TCM in the treatment of diabetes is related to anti-oxidation, alleviate insulin resistance, anti-inflammation, increase insulin sensitivity, regulate key enzyme activity of glucose metabolism in the liver, reduce fat differentiation. (B) TCM can delay amyloid β-protein deposition and tauopathy, regulate central cholinergic and other neurotransmitter abnormalities, promote brain microcirculation, improve mitochondrial dysfunction. (C) Application of TCM in cancer therapy based on regulate genes (oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes), epigenetic modification (DNA and histone modification), the microenvironment, and cancer stem cells. (D) TCM have a protective effect on cardiovascular diseases by attenuate damage in cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells and macrophages/monocytes.

Figure 2 Potential role and major mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine on Aging and aging-related diseases. Administration with traditional Chinese medicine may be an effective project for aging and aging-related diseases. The potential possible mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine to control the aging and aging-related diseases are (a) increase the length of telomere; (b) Modulating epigenetics; (c) Maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis. (d) Reduce the senescent cells; (e) Maintenance of stem cell viability; (f) Improve the intestinal flora.

Table 1 The Link Between Chinese Herbal Medicine with Age-Related Disease

Age-Related Disease	Chinese Herbal Medicine	Composition	Potential Mechanisms	Ref.
Atherosclerosis	Qing-Xue-Xiao-Zhi formula	Reynoutria japonica Houtt., Rheum palmatum l., Typha angustifolia l., Curcuma longa l., Alisma plantago-aquatica Linn., Dioscorea septem loba Thunb. Artemisia capillaris Thunb., Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz., Acori tatarinowii Rhizoma, Carthamus tinctorius l.	Regulate TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway	[98]
Parkinson’s disease	Yiguanjian decoction	Glehniae Radix, Toosendan Fructus, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, Lycii Fructus, Ophiopogon japonicus,	Regulate the PI3K-Akt pathway, modulate endocrine resistance of the central nervous	[99]
Osteoporosis	Qing’e Pill	Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., Psoralea corylifolia L., Juglans regia L., and Allium sativum L.	Inhibit ferroptosis and promoting cell survival via the PI3K/AKT pathway and ATM	[100]
Osteoarthritis	Gubitong Recipe	Davallia mariesii Moore ex bak, Epimedium brevicornu Maxim., Psoralea corylifolia Linn., Eucommia ulmoides Oliver, Lycium chinense Miller, Rhizoma Bolbostematis, Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, Spatholobus suberectus Dunn	Inhibit the NF κB pathway	[101]
Chronic kidney disease	Jian-Pi-Yi-Shen Formula	Astragalus membranaceus, Dioscorea opposita Thunb. Rehmannia glutinosa, Cistanche deserticola Ma, Amomum kravanh Pierre ex Gagnep. Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Rheum palmatum L., Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch	Modulate QPRT/NAD+/SIRT3/Mitochondrial Dynamics Pathway and regulate Tryptophan Metabolism and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling.	[102,103]
Type 2 diabetes	Qijian mixture	Astragalus membranaceus, Ramulus euonymi, Coptis chinensis and Pueraria lobata,	Acte through TP53, AKT1 and PPARA proteins	[104]
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	Bufei Yishen formula	Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Astragali Radix, Corni Fructus, Lycii Fructus, Schisandra Chinensis Fructus, Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus, Perillae Fructus, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Epimedii Folium, Paeoniae Rubra Radix, Pheretima, Ardisiae Japonicae Herba	Restore Th17/Treg balance via reciprocally modulating the activities of STAT3 and STAT5	[105]

Table 2 Chinese Herbs and Its Anti-Aging Effects

Chinese Herbs	Type of Bioactive Components	Potential Mechanisms	Models	Ref.
Ginseng	Ginsenoside Rg1	Antioxidant enzymes GSH-Px and SO↑, telomere lengths and telomerase activity↑, the levels of proinflammatory cytokines↓	D-galactose induced aging rats	[106]
R. Astragali	Astragalosides, Astragalan, TA-65	Immunomodulatory effects↑, lengthens telomeres↑, the lifespan of daf-2 and age-1 mutants↑	Aging and the middle-aged rats, Caenorhabditis elegans Relatively healthy cytomegalovirus-positive subjects aged 53–87 years old	[107–109]
Ganoderma lucidum	Total water extract of G. lucidum	Anti-oxidative stress↑, mTOR/S6K signaling pathway,	Caenorhabditis elegans	[110]
Astragalus membranaceus	Polysaccharides, flavonoids, and saponins	Telomerase activity↑, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory	Myocardial ischemic rat, aging rats	[111]
Resveratrol	NR	Prevent inflammation and oxidative stress by activating Nrf2 and SIRT1 signaling↑	Male 18-month-old C57BL/6 mice	[112]
Psoralea corylifolia	Corylin	Gtr1 protein	Yeast, aging mice fed with a high-fat diet	[113]
Schisandra chinensis	Schisandra chinensis lignans	The mRNA expression level of p19, p53, and p21 ↓	Aging rats	[114]
Dendrobium officinale	NR	Antioxidation, immunoregulatory. Serum levels of SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC, and restored SOD levels ↑	Aging rats	[115]

Abbreviation: NR, Not Report.

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