Insights into the potential benefits of triphala polyphenols toward the promotion of resilience against stress-induced depression and cognitive impairment

Wenjun Wang; Olufola Oladoyin Ige; Yi Ding; Mengshan He; Pan Long; Shaohui Wang; Yi Zhang; Xudong Wen

doi:10.1016/j.crfs.2023.100527

Insights into the potential benefits of triphala polyphenols toward the promotion of resilience against stress-induced depression and cognitive impairment

Curr Res Food Sci. 2023 Jun 2:6:100527. doi: 10.1016/j.crfs.2023.100527. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Wenjun Wang¹, Olufola Oladoyin Ige², Yi Ding³, Mengshan He⁴, Pan Long⁵, Shaohui Wang¹, Yi Zhang¹, Xudong Wen⁶

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Ethnic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
² Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
³ Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
⁴ The Academy of Chinese Health Risks, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
⁵ Department of Ophthalmology, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, 610000, China.
⁶ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chengdu First People's Hospital, Chengdu, 610021, China.

Abstract

In response to environmental challenges, stress is a common reaction, but dysregulation of the stress response can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and cognitive impairment. Particularly, there is ample evidence that overexposure to mental stress can have lasting detrimental consequences for psychological health, cognitive function, and ultimately well-being. In fact, some individuals are resilient to the same stressor. A major benefit of enhancing stress resilience in at-risk groups is that it may help prevent the onset of stress-induced mental health problems. A potential therapeutic strategy for maintaining a healthy life is to address stress-induced health problems with botanicals or dietary supplements such as polyphenols. Triphala, also known as Zhe Busong decoction in Tibetan, is a well-recognized Ayurvedic polyherbal medicine comprising dried fruits from three different plant species. As a promising food-sourced phytotherapy, triphala polyphenols have been used throughout history to treat a variety of medical conditions, including brain health maintenance. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review is still lacking. Here, the primary objective of this review article is to provide an overview of the classification, safety, and pharmacokinetics of triphala polyphenols, as well as recommendations for the development of triphala polyphenols as a novel therapeutic strategy for promoting resilience in susceptible individuals. Additionally, we summarize recent advances demonstrating that triphala polyphenols are beneficial to cognitive and psychological resilience by regulating 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) receptors, gut microbiota, and antioxidant-related signaling pathways. Overall, scientific exploration of triphala polyphenols is warranted to understand their therapeutic efficacy. In addition to providing novel insights into the mechanisms of triphala polyphenols for promoting stress resilience, blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability and systemic bioavailability of triphala polyphenols also need to be improved by the research community. Moreover, well-designed clinical trials are needed to increase the scientific validity of triphala polyphenols' beneficial effects for preventing and treating cognitive impairment and psychological dysfunction.

Keywords: Cognitive impairment; Depression; Resilience; Sleep deprivation; Stress; Triphala polyphenols.

Publication types

Review