Memory-improving Substances Basis and Mechanism of Polygalae Radix, Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and Its Couplet Medicines / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Polygalae Radix and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma were first recorded in Shennong's Herbal Classic. Both of them can "improve people's memory". Long-term administration can make body light and macrobian. They have often been used as couplet medicines and the core combination of nootropic and memory improvement prescriptions. At present, traditional Chinese medicine clinicians believes that the principle of Polygalae Radix and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma in improving memory or intelligence is to supplement the deficiency, remove phlegm and unblock nine orifices, with sufficient evidences for the traditional theory. However, its material basis and mechanism for improving memory have not been fully elucidated. In this paper, we searched the literatures about pharmacological and pharmacodynamics mechanism of Polygalae Radix,Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and their chemical components on nervous system in recent ten years from Pubmed database and CNKI. The main material basis for improving memory of Polygalae Radix-saponins, oligosaccharides and alone, the main material basis for improving memory of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma-α-asarone,β-asarone and eugenol, the changes of the quality and quantity of the active substances after combination, and the mechanism of improving memory of the single drugs and their couplet medicines, such as scavenging free radicals, regulating cholinergic system, clearing β-amyloid protein(Aβ), decreasing the level of phosphorylation of Tau protein, improving the rate of apoptosis and regulating synaptic plasticity, were systematically collected, analyzed and summarized. In view of the current research situation, this paper points out the possible shortcomings, with the aim to further explore the mechanism of Polygalae Radix combined with Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma with the mechanism of "1+1>2".