Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and therapeutic strategies involving traditional Chinese medicine

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent degenerative disorder affecting the central nervous system of the elderly. Patients primarily manifest cognitive decline and non-cognitive neuro-psychiatric symptoms. Currently, western medications for AD primarily include cholinesterase inhibitors and glutamate receptor inhibitors, which have limited efficacy and accompanied by significant toxic side effects. Given the intricate pathogenesis of AD, the use of single-target inhibitors is limited. In recent years, as research on AD has progressed, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its active ingredients have increasingly played a crucial role in clinical treatment. Numerous studies demonstrate that TCM and its active ingredients can exert anti-Alzheimer's effects by modulating pathological protein production and deposition, inhibiting tau protein hyperphosphorylation, apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, while enhancing the central cholinergic system, protecting neurons and synapses, and optimizing energy metabolism. This article summarizes extracts from TCM and briefly elucidates their pharmacological mechanisms against AD, aiming to provide a foundation for further research into the specific mechanisms of TCM in the prevention and treatment of the disease, as well as the identification of efficacious active ingredients.