ISSN: 2576-4772
Authors: Sarode LP, Mardhekar VY and Ugale RR*
Lycium barbarum is well known traditional medicine used for centuries as nutritive agent. It has been extensively studied and proved as immunomodulatory, antiaging, antihyperglycemic, antitumour, cytoprotective and neuroprotective in nature. Lycium barbarum has strong free radical scavenging and antioxidant property. It bears antiinflammatory and antimicrobial potential. Recently, Lycium barbarum has been reported to inhibit glutamate excitotoxicity by regulating NR2B and NR2A signaling pathways. In addition, it regulates PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway which inhibits apoptosis and also showed free radical scavenging activity which may prevent further neuronal cell death. However, exact mechanism of Lycium barbarum which improves ischemic neuronal cell death is still under investigation. Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide due to lack of clinically effective therapy. Ischemic stroke and ischemic reperfusion injury has complex pathogenesis which includes mainly glutamate excitotoxicity, apoptosis and oxidative stress. However, neuroprotection in ischemic stroke appears to be emerging strategy for the development of therapeutic agents with fewer side effects. This review presents pharmacological mechanisms of Lycium barbarum elucidated in latest research reports and its action in ischemic stroke. Lycium barbarum may provide potential alternative or an adjunct therapy to prevent ischemic stroke complications.
Keywords: Lycium Barbarum; Ischemic Stroke; Neuroprotection; Traditional Medicine; Antioxidant
