Objective To explore the medication patterns of medicinal and food homologous traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) in treatment of vascular dementia (VD), to elucidate their potential mechanisms using network pharmacology, and to validate these findings experimentally, providing a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of VD. Methods Clinical literature on TCM prescriptions for VD was retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and the China Biology Medicine databases. After comparing with the list of TCMs that are both food and medicine, we obtained a set of VD-related TCM prescriptions. We analyzed the medication patterns and screened for core herbs. Using network pharmacology, we identified the active components of the core herbs and their target points in VD treatment, followed by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analyses. Molecular docking was performed on core targets and major active components. Animal experiments were conducted to verify the therapeutic effects of the core herbs. Results Data mining yielded 531 TCM prescriptions that are both food and medicine, revealing three high-frequency and strongly associated herbal pairs. Huangqi (Astragali Radix), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Taoren (Persicae Semen), and Shanzhuyu (Corni Fructus) were selected as the core herbs for treating VD. The anti-VD mechanisms involve regulating pathways such as interleukin‑17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The main active components, quercetin and kaempferol, showed good binding affinity with key VD targets including tumor protein p53 (TP53), protein kinase B1 (AKT1), TNF, and IL-6. Animal experiments demonstrated that the TCM prescriptions improved learning and memory in VD rats, reduced mitochondrial and synaptic damage, and downregulated the mRNA expression levels of TP53, TNF, and IL-6 in the hippocampus, as well as the positive expression of TP53. Conclusion Astragali Radix, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Persicae Semen, and Corni Fructus are core herbs in the category of TCMs that are both food and medicine for treating VD. Their anti-VD mechanisms are related to the regulation of targets such as TP53, TNF, and IL-6, which help alleviate synaptic injury and neuroinflammation. This study provides valuable insights into the use of these herbs for VD prevention and treatment.

vascular dementia  /  medicinal and food homologous  /  data mining  /  network pharmacology  /  Astragali Radix  /  Angelicae Sinensis Radix  /  Persicae Semen  /  Corni Fructus