| ZSS | Ziziphi Spinosae Semen |
| TCM | traditional Chinese medicine |
| MPLC | medium-pressure liquid chromatography |
| HPLC | high-performance liquid chromatography |
| NREM | non-rapid eye movement |
| 5-HT | 5-hydroxytryptamine |
| CNS | central nervous system |
| LHA | lateral hypothalamic area |
| LC | locus coeruleus |
| AD | Alzheimer’s disease |
| ERK | extracellular signal-regulated kinase |
| BDNF | brain-derived neurotrophic factor |
| Nrf2 | nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 |
| ADAM10 | A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 |
| APP | amyloid precursor protein |
| LDH | lactate dehydrogenase |
| ChAT | choline acetyltransferase |
| GABA | γ-Aminobutyric acid |
| PFC | prefrontal cortex |
| ASK1 | Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 |
| AST | Aspartate Aminotransferase |
| BUN | Blood Urea Nitrogen |
| SOD | Superoxide Dismutase |
| NF-κB | nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells |
| OA | Osteoarthritis |
| NQO1 | NADPH quinone dehydrogenase 1 |
| PKA | Protein kinase A |
| LC3B-II | light chain 3B-II |
| P-gp | P-glycoprotein |
| CsA | cyclosporine A |
| 6-FS | 6′′′-Feruloylspinosin |
| P-CS | 6′′′-p-Coumaroylspinosin |
| AUC | area under the concentration–time curve |
| SPI | spinosin |
| BBB | blood–brain barrier |
| HSCCC | high-speed countercurrent chromatography |
| NMR | nuclear magnetic resonance |
| REM | rapid eye movement |
| TPH | tryptophan hydroxylase |
| SD | Sprague-Dawley |
| MCH | melanin-concentrating hormone |
| Acb | accumbens |
| NFTs | neurofibrillary tangles |
| CREB | cAMP-response element binding protein |
| ROS | reactive oxygen species |
| HO-1 | heme oxygenase-1 |
| BACE1 | Beta-site APP Cleaving Enzyme 1 |
| MDA | malondialdehyde |
| LTP | long-term potentiation |
| CRS | chronic restraint stress |
| HPC | hippocampus |
| PGC-1α | Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha |
| p38 MAPK | p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase |
| ALT | Alanine Aminotransferase |
| GSH | Glutathione |
| CAT | Catalase |
| TP53 | Tumor Protein P53 |
| PTSD | Post-traumatic stress disorder |
| Nfatc1 | nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 |
| GSK3β | glycogen synthase kinase-3β |
| PK | pharmacokinetic |
| MRPs | multidrug resistance-associated proteins |
| CYP | cytochrome P450 |
| RORα | retinoid-related orphan receptor α |
| SD | Solid dispersion |
| Cmax | peak plasma concentration |