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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Microbiol.

Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1623843

Synergistic Therapy of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Gut Microbiota Modulation for Post-Stroke Cognitive Recovery: Focus on Microbial Metabolite and Immunoinflammation

Provisionally accepted
Shihui  GeShihui Ge1,2Shuangli  ZhangShuangli Zhang3,4Linjing  SheLinjing She3Tianning  GuTianning Gu2,5Shicong  WangShicong Wang2,5Xin  HuangXin Huang2,5Lanlan  WangLanlan Wang3,4Mingsan  MiaoMingsan Miao2,3,5*
  • 1College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
  • 2Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Ya, Zhengzhou, China
  • 3Institute of Essential Oils of Chinese Medicine, Henan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
  • 4Academy of Chinese Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
  • 5Department of Pharmacy, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), a common complication following stroke, significantly impacts patients' quality of life and rehabilitation. Recent studies have highlighted the role of gut microbiota and their metabolites in modulating immunoinflammation and cognitive function via the gut-brain axis. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and microbiota interventions including probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation, have shown potential in reshaping gut microbial communities and metabolite profiles. Some studies suggest that combining these approaches via identical or related therapeutic mechanisms may yield enhanced efficacy in treating Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment (PSCI). These findings establish a theoretical foundation for future research and clinical practice. This review systematically examines the mechanistic role of gut microbial metabolites in neuroimmune modulation and comprehensively evaluates the therapeutic potential of combined TCM and microbiota-targeted therapies for PSCI, adopting a multifactorial approach that addresses neuroinflammation, microbial dysbiosis, and metabolic dysregulation.

Keywords: post-stroke cognitive impairment, Microbiota-gut-brain axis, Immunoinflammation, Chinese medicine, Probiotics

Received: 06 May 2025; Accepted: 21 Jul 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Ge, Zhang, She, Gu, Wang, Huang, Wang and Miao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Mingsan Miao, Department of Pharmacy, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.