Advances in the pharmacology and mechanism of anti-skin aging in Tonifying Traditional Chinese Medicines.

Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) tenet that "internal imbalances manifest externally," skin aging reflects deficiencies in qi, blood, and organ systems-particularly the liver and kidneys. Tonifying Traditional Chinese Medicines (TTCM) address these root causes, nourishing the skin and delaying aging through internal regulation, as documented in classical texts including the Shennong Ben Cao Jing and the Compendium of Materia Medica. AIM OF THE STUDY: This article systematically reviews the anti-skin-aging mechanisms of TTCM by integrating traditional applications with modern pharmacological evidence. It explores their multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway actions, evaluates current experimental models, and investigates the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing TTCM research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science and Scopus for articles published from January 2015 to August 2025 with keywords such as "skin aging", "anti-aging" and the Latin names of TTCM (e.g. Panax ginseng, Astragalus membranaceus). Cellular, animal and clinical studies were analyzed for active constituents, molecular targets, ageing biomarkers and related signalling pathways. RESULTS: TTCM demonstrates anti-skin-aging effects through systemic regulation of organ function and qi-blood-yin-yang balance. At the molecular level, TTCM attenuates senescence through antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, extracellular matrix (ECM) stabilizing mechanisms, mediated by modulation of multiple pathways, such as Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK), Tumor Protein p53 (p53) and Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), exemplifying a "holistic regulation-targeted intervention" therapeutic paradigm. CONCLUSIONS: TTCM exerts anti-skin-aging effects through multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway synergism. We strongly recommend the further integration of TTCM with modern medicine and in-depth mechanistic studies to promote translational applications.

Key Findings

• Tonifying Traditional Chinese Medicines (TTCM) demonstrate anti-skin-aging effects through systemic regulation of organ function and qi-blood-yin-yang balance.
• At the molecular level, TTCM attenuates senescence via antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and extracellular matrix stabilizing mechanisms.
• These effects are mediated by modulation of multiple pathways including MAPK, p53, and Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), exemplifying a holistic regulation-targeted intervention paradigm.

Clinical Significance

Citation

Chen Tingting, He Xinglishang, Chen Xuannanet al.. Advances in the pharmacology and mechanism of anti-skin aging in Tonifying Traditional Chinese Medicines. Journal of ethnopharmacology. 2026-May-10.