How does astragalus work?

Pharmacological research indicates that Astragalus membranaceus^[1][2][3][4] and its bioactive molecules (e.g., calycosin, formononetin, cycloastragenol, astragaloside IV,^[5][6][7][8] and TA-65^{[9][10][5][11]}) can regulate several pathways, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunological systems, as well as increase telomerase activity, which prolongs the lifespan of cells. This may explain the potential role of astragalus in the treatment of chronic disease. However, most of the pharmacological evidence is derived from cell-culture (i.e., in vitro) and animal experiments.^{[12][13][14][15][16][17]} Further clinical pharmacology research is needed to fully understand the potential mechanism(s) of action in humans.