Mechanisms of wolfberry and its active components for improving neurodegenerative diseases

SHI Yali; SUN Jie; HUANG Feng; SUN Yun; DUAN Wenjun; HE Rongrong

doi:10.13506/j.cnki.jpr.2025.02.012

Abstract：Neurodegenerative diseases(ND)are a class of diseases that lead to neurological dysfunction due to degeneration and loss of central neurons,including Alzheimer's disease(AD),Parkinson's disease(PD),Huntington's disease(HD),etc.These diseases are directly related to age and progressively worsen over time.The pathogenesis of ND is complex and difficult to elucidate,and drug development is difficult and challenging.With the acceleration of the aging process of the global population,the number of patients with ND is increasing rapidly.There are more than 55 million people suffering from AD in the world,and it is estimated that the number of patients will increase to 78 million by 2030.The number of PD patients exceeds 3 million in China,and it is expected to surge to about 5 million in 2030.This has caused a heavy social burden.Traditional Chinese medicine and its natural products are a huge treasure trove of safe and effective anti-ND.Among them,wolfberry has health care effects such as anti-oxidation,immune regulation,and neuroprotection.Therefore,it is listed as one of the tonic traditional Chinese medicines approved by the Ministry of Health of PRC and is a famous and precious Chinese medicinal material.In recent years,a large number of studies have found that wolfberry and related active substances have potential medicinal value in improving ND.This paper focused on the active ingredients of wolfberry,such as wolfberry polysaccharides,flavonoids and alkaloids.It reviewed the progress of wolfberry in the pharmacological research of ND at home and abroad,and summarizes and discusses the anti-ND mechanism and potential targets of the active ingredients of wolfberry,providing a scientific basis for the development and application of wolfberry as an anti-ND drug or functional health product.