<i>Astragalus polysaccharide</i> alleviates neuropathology and cognitive deficits by modulating gut microbiota and neuroinflammation in an Alzheimer's disease model.
Overview
- Department of Geriatric, The People’s Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Neurology, Fuzhou University Affiliated Provincial Hospital, Fujian Provincial Hospital,Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- The Affiliated People’s Hospital, College of Integrative Medicine, Fujian-Hong Kong-Macau-Taiwan Collaborative Laboratory for the Inheritance and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Fujian Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Abstract
Background: Emerging evidence indicates that the neuroprotective effects of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS), an extract compound and bioactive constituent derived from traditional Chinese herbs, may be relevant to an effective prescription for delaying progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of APS in alleviating cognitive impairment and neuropathology in 5×FAD transgenic mice, with a specific focus on the regulatory role of the gut-brain axis.
Methods: Male 5×FAD mice were orally administered APS (200 mg/
Results: APS administration was well-tolerated throughout the study period, with no overt toxic effects observed. Moreover, APS administration significantly ameliorated spatial learning and memory deficits in 5×FAD mice. Mechanistically, APS treatment reduced Aβ plaque burden, restored synaptic protein expression (PSD-95 and Syntaxin), and attenuated microglia-mediated neuroinflammation by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) and upregulating TREM2. Microbiome analysis revealed that APS reshaped gut microbial diversity and composition, enriching beneficial taxa such as Lactobacillus. Metabolomics indicated a partial restoration of amino acid metabolism. Notably, FMT from APS-treated donors successfully reproduced the cognitive improvements and anti-inflammatory effects in recipient mice.
Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that APS alleviates cognitive deficits and AD-like pathology, partially through remodeling gut microbiota and modulating the gut-brain axis. APS represents a promising natural compound-based therapeutic candidate for managing cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.
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Data
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- figshare:33032705, at figshare; found in “Data availability statement”
Data availability statement
The data presented in the study are deposited in the figshare repository, https://
Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.
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Version 1, 27 September 2026: the first record
Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, pages, dates, 11 authors, 6 keywords, 1 funder, 69 references.
Cite
This paper
Cui, X., Wei, Z., Wang, Q., Du, S., Lin, Z., Chen, Z., Zhang, J., Li, C., Tang, L., Dai, X., & He, W. (2026). &
BibTeX
@article{cui2026lt,
author = {Cui, Xiaoli and Wei, Zhen and Wang, Qingshui and Du, Sizhe and Lin, Zi and Chen, Zibo and Zhang, Jie and Li, Chao and Tang, Lanfang and Dai, Xiaoman and He, Weidong},
title = {{\&
journal = {Frontiers in pharmacology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
volume = {17},
pages = {1830927},
publisher = {Frontiers Media SA},
issn = {1663-9812},
doi = {10.3389/
url = {https://
pmid = {42676794},
pmcid = {PMC13527023}
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
AU - Cui, Xiaoli
AU - Wei, Zhen
AU - Wang, Qingshui
AU - Du, Sizhe
AU - Lin, Zi
AU - Chen, Zibo
AU - Zhang, Jie
AU - Li, Chao
AU - Tang, Lanfang
AU - Dai, Xiaoman
AU - He, Weidong
TI - &
T2 - Frontiers in pharmacology
J2 - Front Pharmacol
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/
VL - 17
SP - 1830927
SN - 1663-9812
PB - Frontiers Media SA
DO - 10.3389/
UR - https://
LA - en
ER -
CSL-JSON
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