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The present study aimed to investigate the possible effects and underlying molecular mechanism of Bushen‑Yizhi formula (BSYZ), a traditional Chinese medicine, on age‑related degeneration of brain physiology in senescence‑accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice. SAMP8 mice (age, 6 months) were administered BSYZ (1.46, 2.92 and 5.84 g/kg/day) for 30 days. Morris water maze and step‑down tests demonstrated that BSYZ significantly improved memory impairments in SAMP8 mice. In addition, BSYZ significantly enhanced the expression levels of peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor‑γ and B‑cell lymphoma extra‑large, and downregulated the expression levels of inflammatory mediators, glial fibrillary acidic protein, cyclooxygenase‑2, nuclear factor‑κB and interleukin‑1β in the brain compared with untreated SAMP8 mice. Furthermore, BSYZ reversed disordered superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde content and glutathione peroxidase activity, and ameliorated apoptosis and histological alterations. The present study indicated that BSYZ may attenuate cognitive impairment in SAMP8 mice, and modulate inflammation, oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis. These results suggested that BSYZ may have the potential to be further developed into a therapeutic agent for protection against age‑related neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]