Recent advances in the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of borneol and borneol-containing formulations in central nervous system diseases
4 affiliations
- 1Encephalopathy Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine
- 2The First Clinical Medical College of Henan University of Chinese Medicine
- 3Collaborative Innovation Center of Prevention and Treatment of Major Diseases by Chinese and Western Medicine
- 4Institute of Encephalopathy, Henan Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences
Abstract
Borneol is an aromatic medicinal agent widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, both as a standalone component and as an ingredient in multi-herb formulations. Its pharmacological relevance to central nervous system (CNS) disorders has attracted increasing attention, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, ischemic stroke, and glioma. Accumulating evidence indicates that borneol may influence multiple pathophysiological processes, including brain-barrier function and drug delivery, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, neurotransmitter homeostasis and neuronal excitability, cellular injury and death, and the clearance of pathological substances and post-injury repair. Here, we integrate and compare these mechanisms across disease contexts. Notably, although several actions of borneol appear to converge across CNS disorders, others are strongly disease- and context-dependent; for example, its effects on brain-barrier permeability, oxidative stress, and cell death may differ in direction according to disease pathology and therapeutic intent. Pharmacokinetic studies support measurable brain exposure to borneol, yet direct comparative evidence of pharmacological activity, brain disposition, and human pharmacokinetics among borneol preparations of different botanical origins and stereochemical configurations remains scarce. Borneol-containing formulations also exhibit multi-level pharmacological effects; however, because most studies lack borneol-alone, borneol-depleted, or add-back controls, these effects cannot be unequivocally attributed to borneol itself. Overall, the current evidence base remains dominated by cellular and animal studies, with several proposed mechanisms inferred primarily from changes in molecular expression or computational predictions. Robust causal validation, high-quality clinical evidence, and long-term safety data are still limited. Future studies should therefore define the dose–exposure–response relationships and disease-specific therapeutic windows of different borneol preparations, establish the independent contribution of borneol within complex formulations, and determine its genuine therapeutic value and long-term safety through rigorous mechanistic and clinical investigation.
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BibTeX
@article{zhang2026recent,
title = {{Recent advances in the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of borneol and borneol-containing formulations in central nervous system diseases}},
author = {Xifang Zhang and Yijun Wu and Jin Han and Zicheng Zhao and Yujiao Yao and Yongkang Sun and Xinzhi Wang},
journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fphar.2026.1950139},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1950139/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Recent advances in the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of borneol and borneol-containing formulations in central nervous system diseases
AU - Xifang Zhang
AU - Yijun Wu
AU - Jin Han
AU - Zicheng Zhao
AU - Yujiao Yao
AU - Yongkang Sun
AU - Xinzhi Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Frontiers in Pharmacology
DO - 10.3389/fphar.2026.1950139
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1950139/full
AB - Borneol is an aromatic medicinal agent widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, both as a standalone component and as an ingredient in multi-herb formulations. Its pharmacological relevance to central nervous system (CNS) disorders has attracted increasing attention, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, ischemic stroke, and glioma. Accumulating evidence indicates that borneol may influence multiple pathophysiological processes, including brain-barrier function and drug delivery, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, neurotransmitter homeostasis and neuronal excitability, cellular injury and death, and the clearance of pathological substances and post-injury repair. Here, we integrate and compare these mechanisms across disease contexts. Notably, although several actions of borneol appear to converge across CNS disorders, others are strongly disease- and context-dependent; for example, its effects on brain-barrier permeability, oxidative stress, and cell death may differ in direction according to disease pathology and therapeutic intent. Pharmacokinetic studies support measurable brain exposure to borneol, yet direct comparative evidence of pharmacological activity, brain disposition, and human pharmacokinetics among borneol preparations of different botanical origins and stereochemical configurations remains scarce. Borneol-containing formulations also exhibit multi-level pharmacological effects; however, because most studies lack borneol-alone, borneol-depleted, or add-back controls, these effects cannot be unequivocally attributed to borneol itself. Overall, the current evidence base remains dominated by cellular and animal studies, with several proposed mechanisms inferred primarily from changes in molecular expression or computational predictions. Robust causal validation, high-quality clinical evidence, and long-term safety data are still limited. Future studies should therefore define the dose–exposure–response relationships and disease-specific therapeutic windows of different borneol preparations, establish the independent contribution of borneol within complex formulations, and determine its genuine therapeutic value and long-term safety through rigorous mechanistic and clinical investigation.
SN - 1663-9812
ER -