Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as the most prime cause of dementia, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory loss. However, A range of therapeutic approaches have shown unsatisfactory outcomes in clinical setting. Thus, it is critical to develop alternative therapies for the treatment of AD. Salidroside(SAL), a herb-derived phenylpropanoid glycoside compound, has been shown to attenuate LPS-induced cognitive impairment. However, the mechanism underlying its neuroprotective effects remains unclear. Here we show a therapeutic effect of SAL in a reliable and stable mouse model of AD, Senescence-Accelerated Mice Prone 8 (SAMP8).Methods SAMP8 were treated with salidroside, donepezil or saline, cognitive behavioral impairments were assessed using the Morris water maze, Y-maze, and open-field tests. Fecal samples were collected and analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, performed on the Illumina MiSEq. Brain samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and western blot to detect Beta Amyloid 1–42 deposition. Activation in microglia and neuroinflammatory cytokines was detected by immunofluorescence, Western blot and qPCR. Serum was analyzed by a Mouse High Sensitivity T Cell Magnetic Bead Panel and performed on the Luminex-MAGPIX multiplex immunoassay system.Results Our results suggested that SAL effectively alleviated hippocampus-dependent memory impairment in SAMP8, and showed no significant difference compared with the donepezil-administration group. SAL significantly (1) reduced toxic beta-amyloid (Abeta) 1–42 deposition; (2) reduced activation of microglia and attenuated proinflammatory factors, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, in the brain; (3) improved the gut barrier integrity and modified the gut microbiota (reversed the ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes, and eliminated Clostridiales and Streptococcaceae, which may have been associated with cognitive deficits); and (4) decreased the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the peripheral circulation, IL-1α, IL-6, IL-17A and IL-12 in particular, according to a multiplex immunoassay.Conclusion In summary, SAL reversed AD-related changes in SAMP8 potentially through the regulation of the microbiota-gut-brain axis and by modulating inflammation in both peripheral circulation and central nervous system. Our results strongly suggest a therapeutic effect of SAL on cognition-related changes in SAMP8 and highlight its value as a potential source for drug development.