PHARMACOLOGICAL ROLES OF ASTRAGALUS MEMBRANACEUS

Because of its many pharmacological qualities, Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge, a mainstay of traditional Chinese and Asian medicine, has attracted a lot of scientific attention. Astragalosides (particularly astragaloside IV), flavonoids (calycosin, formononetin), polysaccharides (APS), and saponins are among the herb's many bioactive components. These components work together to mediate immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, and anti-aging effects. According to mechanistic research, these effects are mediated by regulating cytokine production, oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and cellular metabolism in addition to important signaling pathways like NF-κB, MAPK, NLRP3 inflammasome, PI3K/Akt, mTOR, and Nrf2/ARE. There are still issues with strong randomized controlled trials, bioavailability, and uniformity despite encouraging preclinical and new clinical data. Potential ways to get around pharmacokinetic restrictions include improvements in targeted administration methods and nanoformulations. This thorough review identifies research gaps and suggests future directions for A. membranaceus's translational and therapeutic applications by combining the most recent information on the plant's botanical profile, phytochemistry, molecular mechanisms, pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetics, clinical evidence, toxicological evaluation, and regulatory considerations.