Using Plant-Derived Polysaccharides in the Management of Cognitive Disorders: Molecular and Clinical Perspectives

Feb 27, 2026Nutrients

Using Plant-Based Sugars to Manage Thinking and Memory Problems: Molecular and Clinical Insights

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Abstract

Plant-derived polysaccharides may offer potential therapeutic benefits for cognitive disorders.

Cognitive disorders are linked to declines in cognitive function, affecting middle-aged and elderly individuals.
Currently approved drugs for Alzheimer's disease have limited efficacy and highlight the need for new treatments.
Plant-derived polysaccharides exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory properties.
Emerging research suggests that polysaccharides can modulate gut microbiota, potentially influencing cognitive function through the gut-brain axis.
Clinical evidence supports the beneficial effects of polysaccharides on cognitive disorders, providing a foundation for future drug development.

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BACKGROUND: Cognitive disorders are a class of neurological diseases characterized by declines in cognitive function, imposing a heavy physical and mental burden on middle-aged and elderly individuals. Since the underlying mechanisms of cognitive disorders are not yet fully understood, and different types of cognitive disorders may involve distinct mechanisms, the development of drugs with multi-target therapeutic and preventive effects is of great significance. Currently approved drugs for Alzheimer's disease, such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists, show limited efficacy and poor prognosis, highlighting the urgent need for safe and effective alternative treatments.

METHODS: Plant-derived polysaccharides (PDPs) possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory activities, and polysaccharides derived from traditional Chinese medicine, in particular, show great potential for treating cognitive disorders. In recent years, interventions with plant polysaccharides that modulate the gut microbiota to affect the "gut-brain axis" and improve cognitive function have become an emerging research focus. Clinical evidence has also increasingly supported the beneficial effects of polysaccharides on cognitive disorders. Therefore, this study focuses on plant polysaccharides in the intervention of cognitive disorder-related diseases, including both in vivo and in vitro experiments, and summarizes existing findings according to different mechanisms of action.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Relevant clinical reports are incorporated to provide a theoretical basis and strong support for the development of polysaccharide-based interventions and new drug development for cognitive disorders.

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Using Plant-Derived Polysaccharides in the Management of Cognitive Disorders: Molecular and Clinical Perspectives

Abstract

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