Aging refers to the reduction in the function of cells to remove metabolic wastes

which leads to the excessive accumulation of damaged proteins and organelles and then reduces the viability of organisms. Autophagy is a major metabolic pathway within cells

which can resolve damaged proteins and organelles for energy recycling and participate in various physiological and pathological processes related to aging. According to different ways of intracellular substrates in lysosomes

autophagy can be divided into macroautophagy

microautophagy and molecular chaperone-induced autophagy

and their processes are induction

nucleation

autophagy precursor extension

protein degradation and recycling. Because the signaling pathway of autophagy is partially overlapped with the regulatory effect on aging

autophagy level is closely associated with aging. The autophagy level reduces with the aging process

while the low autophagy level can accelerate the aging process

at the same time

the autophagy level can slow down the aging process. That is to say

autophagy can regulate the aging progress

which is also correlated with oxidative stress

inflammatory reaction and caloric restriction. In addition

although studies on autophagy and its regulatory effect on aging with traditional Chinese medicines are still at their infancy

they showed some conclusions in theoretical research and drug experiments and new ideas for further studies.