AUTHOR=Zhang Yi , Zhang Meng 

TITLE=Neuroprotective effects of Morinda officinalis How.: Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant roles in Alzheimer’s disease

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2022.963041

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2022.963041

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=<p>Pharmacological studies have shown that some traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have applications in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). <italic>Morinda officinalis</italic> How. (MO) is a TCM with a long history and is widely used to tonify kidney Yang. <italic>In vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic> experiments have suggested that MO contains various effective pharmaceutical components and chemicals, including oligosaccharides, anthraquinones, iridoids, flavonoids, amino acids, and trace elements, conferring MO with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are undoubtedly hallmarks of neurodegeneration, contributing to AD progression. In this mini-review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms, structure-activity relationships, and potential synergistic and antagonistic effects of active components in MO. This discussion highlights the roles of these active components, such as oligosaccharides, anthraquinones, and iridoid glycosides, in the treatment of AD <italic>via</italic> anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms, providing a scientific basis for further utilization of MO.</p>