Pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action, and safety of salidroside in the central nervous system

• Published in: Drug design, development and therapy Vol. 12; pp. 1479 - 1489
• Main Authors: Zhong, Zhifeng, Han, Jing, Zhang, Jizhou, Xiao, Qing, Hu, Juan, Chen, Lidian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2018; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Addiction; Addictions; Alzheimer's disease; Animals; Antiparkinson agents; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Brain; Brain injuries; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Cellular stress response; Central nervous system; Central Nervous System - drug effects; Central Nervous System - metabolism; Central nervous system agents; Chinese medicine; Cholinergic transmission; Cholinergics; Clinical trials; Clopidogrel; Cognitive ability; Epilepsy; Glucosides - adverse effects; Glucosides - pharmacology; Head injuries; Humans; Hypothalamus; Inflammation; Inflammation - drug therapy; Inflammation - metabolism; Kinases; mechanisms; Medical research; Medicine; Memantine; Molecular modelling; Nervous system diseases; Nervous System Diseases - drug therapy; Nervous System Diseases - metabolism; Neurological diseases; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective Agents - adverse effects; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Neurotransmission; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Parkinson's disease; pharmacological effect; Pharmacology; Phenols - adverse effects; Phenols - pharmacology; Pituitary; Regeneration; Review; Rodents; Safety; Salidroside; Side effects; Stroke; Substance abuse treatment; Therapeutic applications; Toxicity; Traumatic brain injury; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; China; salidroside; clinical trials; cognitive impairment; Alzheimer’s disease; stroke; Parkinson’s disease
• ISSN: 1177-8881; 1177-8881
• DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S160776

The primary objective of this review article was to summarize comprehensive information related to the neuropharmacological activity, mechanisms of action, toxicity, and safety of salidroside in medicine. A number of studies have revealed that salidroside exhibits neuroprotective activities, including anti-Alzheimer's disease, anti-Parkinson's disease, anti-Huntington's disease, anti-stroke, anti-depressive effects, and anti-traumatic brain injury; it is also useful for improving cognitive function, treating addiction, and preventing epilepsy. The mechanisms underlying the potential protective effects of salidroside involvement are the regulation of oxidative stress response, inflammation, apoptosis, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, neurotransmission, neural regeneration, and the cholinergic system. Being free of side effects makes salidroside potentially attractive as a candidate drug for the treatment of neurological disorders. It is evident from the available published literature that salidroside has potential use as a beneficial therapeutic medicine with high efficacy and low toxicity to the central nervous system. However, the definite target protein molecules remain unclear, and clinical trials regarding this are currently insufficient; thus, guidance for further research on the molecular mechanisms and clinical applications of salidroside is urgent.