Adaptogens are generally referred to the substances, mostly found in plants, which non-specifically increase resilience and chances of survival by activation of signaling pathways in affected cells.
Purpose
This literature review was conducted to summarize the investigation, until March 2021, on selected adaptogenic plants and plant-derived substances.
Study Design
Electronic databases were searched (up to March 2021) for in vitro and animal studies, as well as clinical trials. Moreover, all modes of action connected with the adaptogenic effects of plants andphytochemicalswere collected.
Methods
The search of relevant studies was performed within electronic databases including Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, and Cochrane library. The most important keywords were adaptogen, plant, phytochemical, and plant-derived.
It is concluded that the main modes of action of the selected adaptogenic plants are stress modulatory, antioxidant, anti-fatigue, and physical endurance enhancement. Other properties were nootropic, immunomodulatory, cardiovascular, and radioprotective activities.
