ADAPTOGENIC PHYTOCOMPLEXES FROM GEORGIAN HIGHLAND BOTANICALS A TESTABLE FOUR-TRACK GEROPROTECTIVE HYPOTHESIS

Traditional medicine systems of the Georgian Caucasus remain underexplored despite centuries of use in age‑related conditions. Here we document the ethnopharmacological rationale for two understudied highland botanicals—Cladonia rangiferina (reindeer lichen) and Empetrum nigrum (crowberry)—as potential components of a standardised 12‑herb adaptogenic phytocomplex (Pinekan). We synthesise traditional use data from Georgian highland regions (Svaneti, Khevsureti, Tusheti) with modern phytochemistry and propose a theoretical four‑track geroprotective mechanism: (i) HPA‑axis modulation (adaptogenic track), (ii) systemic antioxidant/anti‑inflammatory activity, (iii) neuroprotective microcirculatory support, and (iv) gut‑brain prebiotic effects. Critical limitations are explicitly acknowledged: no direct clinical evidence exists for the full combination; C. rangiferina and E. nigrum lack direct HPA‑axis data; the four‑track synergy is a falsifiable hypothesis requiring future RCTs. The primary contribution is a regulatory‑grade ethnopharmacological dossier enabling EU THR registration and longevity research funding (VitaDAO, EPF Georgia).