Abstract
Cuscutae Semen mainly includes salt-processed product (SPP) and wine-processed product (WPP), which are most commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the differences between SPP and WPP have not been reported. In this paper, comparative studies between SPP and WPP on chemical contents and effect in kidney-yang deficiency rats have been investigated. UPLC-MS/MS was used to study the differences in chemical components. Kidney-yang deficiency was induced by hydrocortisone in rats. Rats were orally administrated with different doses of Jinkui Shenqi Pills, SPP, and WPP for 28 days. The average organ coefficients, renal function indexes, sex hormone levels, and testicular morphology were detected. As a result, the contents of flavonoids and chlorogenic acids were higher in SPP than in WPP, which may be caused by different processing methods. The improvement on reproduction of SPP was reflected in organ coefficients, renal function indexes, and biochemical properties of seminal plasma; furthermore, WPP was in sex hormone levels and morphology of testis. As a conclusion, these results indicated that both SPP and WPP can improve the reproductive function of kidney-yang deficiency rats with different mechanisms, which may be due to the differences in chemical contents between WPP and SPP as well as different processing methods. It is the first time that the differences between SPP and WPP have been studied in reproductive function in rats with kidney-yang deficiency.
Highlights
It is believed that herbal drugs after processing can change the therapeutic range, enhance the effect, or reduce toxicity in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). e processing of Cuscutae Semen, mainly including salt-processed product (SPP) and wine-processed product (WPP), has been applied for a long history [1, 6]
As the symptom of kidney-yang deficiency rats is similar to the kidney-yang deficiency in TCM, hydrocortisone-induced kidney-yang deficiency rats are used for comparative studies on reproductive function between SPP and WPP [16]
Based on the TCM theory, kidney-yang is essential for human growth and development as well as reproductive function. e kidney-yang deficiency syndromes are used in TCM to elucidate a status in which the patients show a group of symptoms mainly including soreness and weakness of waist and knees, fatigue, cold feeling of the whole body, impairment of hearing, looseness of teeth, and even reproductive dysfunction [14]
Summary
Br. or Cuscuta chinensis Lam., belonging to the family Convolvulaceae) is first recorded in the “Shen Nong’s Herbal” as an upper-grade drug about 2000 years ago [1] It is widely applied in Chinese medicine practice to nourish the liver and kidney, treat impotence and seminal emission, prevent miscarriage, and improve eyesight [2,3,4]. Our previous study reveals that the contents and biological activities of total flavonoids between the crude products (CP) and SPP of Cuscutae Semen are different [1]. As the symptom of kidney-yang deficiency rats is similar to the kidney-yang deficiency in TCM, hydrocortisone-induced kidney-yang deficiency rats are used for comparative studies on reproductive function between SPP and WPP [16]
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