BDNF and memory impairment: Both Cistanche deserticola polysaccharide and total glycosides upregulate the expression of synapsin, growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43), PSD-95, and BDNF, enhancing synaptic plasticity in the hippocampal region and improving learning and memory impairments (Yin et al., 2014; Xing et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2022).