Table 3 Summary of proposed mechanisms

Bao 2014 [18]

• Reduced apoptosis of hippocampal neurons

• Promoted restoration of damaged nerve cells

Chen 2015 [20]

• Reduced Nogo-A and NgR

Chen 2006 [21]

• Increased GABA

• Reduced Glu

Dai 2015 [22]

• Increased NEP

Hou 2013 [23]

• Increased MR

• Reduced GR

Gao 2012 [24]

• Increased DA, 5-HT and NE

Huang 2010 [25]

• Increased BDNF

Ji 2011 [26]

• Reduced MDA

• Increased SOD

Jia 2011 [27]

• Increased Syp, PKC, NMDAR and PKC mRNA

• Reduced mGluRs

Wang 2012 [28]

• Increased NOS

• Reduced MAO

Lin 2008 [29]

• Increased NMDAR-2BmRNA

Luo 2007 [30]

• Decreased NO

Ma 2009 [31]

• Increased CTGF protein and mRNA

Zhang 2014 [32]

• Increased InsR mRNA

Niu 2009 [33]

• Increased SS and AVP

Su 2013 [34]

• Reduced MDA, P53 and P21

• Increased SOD

Tan 2014 [35]

• Increased GAP-43 and c-fos

Tang 2014 [36]

• Increased CHAT protein

Wang 2013 [37]

• Reduced GSK-3β

Wang 2009 [38]

• Reduced ET

• Increased CGRP

Hong 2014 [39]

• Increased CX43, CX32 and CX36

Xu 2006 [40]

• Increased Bcl-2 protein

• Reduced Bax protein and mRNA

Xu 2007 [41]

• Reduced IL-1β and TNF-α

Yi 2014 [42]

• Increased SOD, PKA and pCREB

• Reduced MDA and c-fos

Feng 2013 [44]

• Increased GluR2

Li 2013 [45]

• Reduced MMP-2 and MMP-9

Zheng 2009 [47]

• Increased ChAT

• Reduced TchE

Li 2012 [48]

• Reduced neuron loss

Li 2014 [49]

• Increased BDNF

Lee 2014 [50]

• Stimulated cholinergic enzyme activities

• Regulated BDNF and CREB expression

Zhu 2013 [51]

• Up-regulated mTOR and eIF4E

Lu 2014 [52]

• Increased Fos expression

Li 2012 [53]

• increased Bcl-2mRNA

• decreased caspase-3

Guo 2015 [54]

• Down-regulated Notch1 and Hes1 mRNA

Jiang 2015 [55]

• Increased the level of uptake rate of glucose

Shao 2008 [56]

• Regulated the amount of AVP, SS, and β-EP

Liu 2013 [57]

• Reduced MDA

• Increased SOD

Li 2015 [58]

• Increased the pyramidal neuron number

• Decreased the number of astrocytes

Lu 2008 [59]

• Increased NCAM and ST8SiaII/IVmRNA