Research Progress on the Antioxidative Stress Effects of Astragalus Active Components and DJ-1 in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease primarily affecting the white matter of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by pathological changes of chronic multiple inflammatory demyelination. Its clinical manifestations alternate between relapses and remissions, showing a stepwise progressive development, which can lead to oligodendrocyte death, axonal disintegration, and ultimately neuronal loss, resulting in irreversible damage to neurological functions. In the early stage of onset, inflammatory responses cause excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), disrupting the dynamic balance of intracellular oxidative-antioxidative systems and triggering reactions in the central nervous system. The experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model is a classic animal model for multiple sclerosis. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), MS falls into the categories of “flaccidity syndrome” and “arthralgia syndrome.” During the acute phase, the therapeutic principle focuses on eliminating pathogenic factors while supporting healthy qi; in the remission phase, the treatment emphasizes tonifying healthy qi and replenishing qi. Astragalus membranaceus, a commonly used and popular qi-tonifying herb in TCM clinical practice, possesses the effects of tonifying qi to consolidate healthy qi, replenishing qi and lifting yang, strengthening the defensive exterior to consolidate the superficial resistance, and promoting tissue regeneration to heal ulcers. The DJ-1 protein has antioxidative stress ability and potential crosstalk and synergistic relationships with Astragalus membranaceus in antioxidative stress and immune regulation. Therefore, both may become new targets for the prevention and treatment of multiple sclerosis in clinical practice. By consulting relevant literatures published from 2013 to 2025 in databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, VIP, and PubMed, this paper reviews the research progress of Astragalus membranaceus and its active components in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.