Potential effects of Chinese herbs on iron metabolism for the treatment of stroke

Stroke has become the second leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Its morbidity and mortality are on the rise, seriously jeopardizing the health and quality of life of the elderly. A growing number of studies have identified ferroptosis as an important mechanism of pathological cell death during stroke and other acute brain injuries, and studies have demonstrated that ferroptosis inhibitors and ion chelators are effective in improving neurological damage and related cerebral ischemia manifestations in the development of stroke. This suggests that there are potential targets in the ferroptosis pathway to regulate stroke. The synergistic effect of Chinese herbs with multiple components, multiple pathways, and multiple targets is a unique advantage for stroke prevention and treatment. The aim of this article is to describe the role and influence of Chinese herbs in the pathology of ferroptosis injury in stroke, and to provide evidence that Chinese herbs can treat or reduce neurological injury after stroke by targeting ferroptosis.