Table 2 Herbal medicines with hearing protection and their active ingredients and pharmacological effects

Drugs related to kidney meridian in herbal medicines

Polygonum multiflorum Thunb

2,3,4’,5-Tetrahydroxystilbene -2-O-β-D-glucoside

(1) Anti-oxidant;

(2) Anti-apoptotic;

(3) Anti-autophagy

(1) Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1;

(2) Sesn2 / AMPK / mTOR

[166, 167]

Drynaria fortunei (Kunze) J.Sm

Flavanoid component

HCs protection

IHCs and OHCs

[170]

Cornus officinalis Sieb.et Zucc

Ursolic acid

Anti-oxidant

CAT and GPx

[173]

Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch

Ethanolic extract of the steamed root of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch

/

Anti-oxidant

anti-oxidant enzymes

[175, 176]

Sesamum indicum L

Sesamum indicum L. oil

/

HCs protection

(1) Tecta gene;

(2) HCs

[177]

Sesamin

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f

Celastrol

(1) HCs protection;

(2) Anti-oxidant

(1) Nrf-2, JNK, HSP32 / HO-1

(2) IHCs and OHCs;

(3) Inner ear stem cells;

(4) Atoh 1 gene

[178,179,180]

Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf

/

/

/

/

[181]

Drugs related to lung meridian in herbal medicines

Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi

Puerarin

Neuroprotection

(1) PKCγ;

(2) GABABR1 and GABABR2

[185]

Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge

Astragaloside IV

(1) SV protection;

(2) Anti-oxidant;

(3) Anti-apoptotic

(1) Cx26 and KCNQ1;

(2) ROS and cas-3

[187, 188]

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi

Baicalein

(1) HCs protection;

(2) Anti-oxidant;

(3) Anti-apoptotic

(1) Auditory center;

(2) HCs;

(3) PARP and cas-3;

(4) ROS

[190]

Panax ginseng C.A. Mey

Ginsenoside Rb1

(1) Anti-oxidant;

(2) Anti-apoptotic

(1) ROS;

(2) JNK, Bcl-xL, Bax, Cyt-c, cas-3, PARP

[195]

Ginsenoside compound K

Stephania tetrandra S. Moore

Tetrandrine

(1) Blocks Ca²⁺ channels;

(2) Neuroprotection;

(3) HCs protection

(1) Ca²⁺ channels;

(2) Auditory nerve;

(3) OHCs

[200]

Allium sativum L

Allicin

(1) Anti-oxidant;

(2) Neuroprotection;

(3) Anti-apoptotic;

(4) Mitochondrial protection

(1) SGN mitochondria;

(2) Bax, cas-9,3, p53, Cyt-c;

(3) MDA, SOD

[202]

SAMC

DD

SAC

Leaf of Ginkgo biloba L

EGb 761

/

(1) Anti-oxidant;

(2) Neuroprotection;

(3) Anti-apoptotic;

(4) Anti-inflammatory;

(5) Mitochondrial protection

(1) Peripheral and central auditory systems;

(2) amyloid-beta, cas-3;

(3) ROS, NO;

(4) Neural stem cells;

(5) IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and COX-2;

(6) HSP-70, HSF-1;

(7) SIRT1

[205,206,207,208,209,210,211,212,213,214]

Ginkgolide B

Peel of Punica granatum L

/

/

(1) Anti-oxidant;

(2) Anti-apoptotic

(1) ROS;

(2) 4-HNE, PNUTS, p53 and cas-3;

(3) PP1 and MDM2

[220, 221]

Glycine max (L.) Merr

β-Conglycinin

/

(1) Increase cochlear blood flow;

(2) Anti-oxidant;

(3) mitochondrial protection

(1) Cochlear vessels;

(2) mtDNA

[222, 223]

Lecithin

Drugs related to liver meridian in herbal medicines

Salvia mitiorrhiza Bge

Tanshinone

(1) Anti-oxidant;

(2) Anti-apoptotic

(1) HCs;

(2) ROS

[224,225,226]

Curcuma longa L

Curcumin

(1) HCs protection;

(2) Anti-oxidant

(1) OHCs;

(2) 4-HNE;

(3) HO-1

[227]

Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Miq.ex Havil

Hydrophilic chemotype carboxy alkyl esters

/

(1) Anti-oxidant;

(2) Anti-inflammatory

(1) OHCs;

(2) Auditory nerve;

[230]

Peel of Erythrina variegata L

Erythrivarine N

/

Neuroprotection

/

[231, 232]

Erythrivarine T

/