RESUMO
Tenuifolin， a main component in Polygalae Radix， is frequently used as an important indicator for quality control of Polygalae Radix and its processed products. Dementia is a serious and persistent cognitive disorder， and the number of dementia patients is increasing worldwide， which brings great economic burden and mental pressure to families and society. At present， cholinesterase inhibitor and other drugs can only alleviate the symptoms of dementia， and there are some toxic and side effects. It has been found that tenuifolin can significantly improve cognitive disorder， learning and memory and is expected to be a potential drug for treating dementia. Tenuifolin exerts protective effects on amyloid-β （Aβ） deposition， acetylcholine reduction， neuroinflammation， cellular oxidative damage and nerve cell apoptosis caused by neurodegenerative diseases via multiple mechanisms， and can be applied to various types of dementia. In addition， it can be quickly absorbed into the blood， mainly distributed in liver and kidney， and can enter into the brain through the blood-brain barrier. However， because of its large molecular mass and poor fat solubility， tenuifolin can be rapidly eliminated， generating some problems such as low oral absoBrbability and permeability of blood-brain barrier. Therefore， the information of chemistry， pharmacology， pharmacokinetics and toxicology of tenuifolin was summarized in this paper to provide reference and ideas for further research and application.