植物及其衍生的植物化学物质在治疗多种疾病方面有着数十年的悠久历史。它们被认为是多种药用化合物的起源。葛根中发现的化合物之一是葛根素，一种异黄酮糖苷，通常用作治疗各种疾病的替代药物。从生物学角度来看，葛根素可描述为白色针状晶体，化学名称为7-羟基-3-(4-羟基苯基)-1-苯并吡喃-4-酮-8-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷。此外，葛根素微溶于水，不产生颜色或淡黄色溶液。多项实验和临床研究已证实葛根素具有显着的治疗作用。这些作用涵盖广泛的药理作用，包括神经保护、肝脏保护、心脏保护、免疫调节、抗癌特性、抗糖尿病特性、抗骨质疏松特性等等。葛根素通过与各种细胞和分子通路（例如 MAPK、AMPK、NF-κB、mTOR、β-catenin 和 PKB/Akt）以及不同的受体、酶和生长因子相互作用来实现这些作用。本综述重点介绍了葛根素作为神经保护剂治疗各种神经退行性疾病和神经系统疾病的分子机制。广泛的细胞、动物和临床研究为其治疗阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病、癫痫、脑中风、抑郁症等疾病的有效性提供了宝贵的见解。© 2024。作者，获得 Springer Science 独家许可Business Media, LLC，隶属于施普林格自然。

Plants and their derived phytochemicals have a long history of treating a wide range of illnesses for several decades. They are believed to be the origin of a diverse array of medicinal compounds. One of the compounds found in kudzu root is puerarin, a isoflavone glycoside commonly used as an alternative medicine to treat various diseases. From a biological perspective, puerarin can be described as a white needle crystal with the chemical name of 7-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-benzopyran-4-one-8-D-glucopyranoside. Besides, puerarin is sparingly soluble in water and produces no color or light yellow solution. Multiple experimental and clinical studies have confirmed the significant therapeutic effects of puerarin. These effects span a wide range of pharmacological effects, including neuroprotection, hepatoprotection, cardioprotection, immunomodulation, anticancer properties, anti-diabetic properties, anti-osteoporosis properties, and more. Puerarin achieves these effects by interacting with various cellular and molecular pathways, such as MAPK, AMPK, NF-κB, mTOR, β-catenin, and PKB/Akt, as well as different receptors, enzymes, and growth factors. The current review highlights the molecular mechanism of puerarin as a neuroprotective agent in the treatment of various neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. Extensive cellular, animal, and clinical research has provided valuable insights into its effectiveness in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, cerebral stroke, depression, and more.© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.