Abstract：
Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino is a perennial creeping herb belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family that has a long history of usage in traditional oriental medicine. Gypenosides are the primary bioactive compounds in Gynostemma pentaphyllum. Because of the medicinal value of gypenosides, functional food and supplements containing gypenosides have been promoted and consumed with popularity, especially among Asian communities. This review presented the progress made in the research of pharmacological properties of gypenosides on diseases of the nervous system and their possible mechanism of action. To date, preclinical studies have demonstrated the therapeutic effects of gypenosides in alleviating neuropsychiatric disorders like depression, Parkinson\'s disease, Alzheimer\'s disease, secondary dementia, stroke, optic neuritis, etc. Pharmacological studies have discovered that gypenosides can modulate various major signaling pathways like NF-κB, Nrf2, AKT, ERK1/2, contributing to the neuroprotective properties. However, there is a dearth of clinical research on gypenosides, with current investigations on the compounds being mainly conducted in vitro and on animals. Future studies focusing on isolating and purifying novel gypenosides and investigations on exploring the potential molecular mechanism underlying their biological activities are warranted, which may serve as a foundation for further clinical trials for the betterment of human health.
摘要：
绞股蓝（Thunb。）牧野是一种多年生爬行草本植物，属于葫芦科，在传统东方医学中有着悠久的使用历史。绞股蓝皂苷是绞股蓝中的主要生物活性化合物。由于绞股蓝皂甙的药用价值，含有绞股蓝皂甙的功能性食品和补充剂得到了推广和消费，尤其是在亚洲社区。本文综述了绞股蓝皂苷对神经系统疾病的药理特性及其可能作用机制的研究进展。迄今为止,临床前研究已经证明了绞股蓝皂苷在缓解抑郁症等神经精神疾病方面的疗效，帕金森病,老年痴呆症,继发性痴呆,中风,视神经炎,等。药理学研究发现，绞股蓝皂甙可以调节各种主要的信号通路，如NF-κB，Nrf2,AKT,ERK1/2，有助于神经保护特性。然而,绞股蓝皂苷的临床研究缺乏，目前对这些化合物的研究主要是在体外和动物身上进行的。未来的研究重点是分离和纯化新型绞股蓝皂甙，以及探索其生物活性潜在分子机制的研究是必要的。这可以作为进一步临床试验的基础，以改善人类健康。
