Comparative Study on the Chemical Components and Gastrointestinal Function on Rats of the Raw Product and Licorice-Simmered Product of Polygala tenuifolia

Xuelan Zhang,Letizia Angiolella,Yanxue Zhang,Yuqiu Tang,Yueli Cui,Xin Zhao,Le Sun

doi:10.1155/2021/8855536

Abstract

The root of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. (Polygalaceae) (PT) has been listed as a nootropic, anti-inflammatory, and antipsychotic medicine that can cure insomnia. Raw PT (RPT) is toxic and must be processed before clinical use. Licorice-simmered PT (LPT) is one of the most common processed products. We conducted this study in order to investigate the differences in chemical components and gastrointestinal function between RPT and LPT. We used principal component analysis (PCA) and quantitative analysis to study the differences in the chemical components. Animal experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of PT on the gastrointestinal function of rats before and after simmering. Pathological sections of gastrointestinal tissues, serum hormone levels, and inflammatory cytokines were observed. The PCA results demonstrated that obvious separation was achieved between the RPT and LPT samples. Tenuifoliside B (TFSB), 3,6'-disinapoyl sucrose (DSS), tenuifoliose A (TFOA), tenuifoliose H (TFOH), onjisaponin B (OJB), onjisaponin Z (OJZ), and total saponins levels were decreased after licorice processing, while glomeratose A (GA) and 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid (TMCA) levels were markedly increased. Compared to the control group, the RPT groups exhibited dramatically lower levels of gastrin (GAS), motilin (MTL), and substance P (SP) and markedly higher levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and somatostatin (SS), but the LPT groups exhibited no significant differences in the above indexes. The levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in gastrointestinal tissue were markedly increased in the low RPT (L-RPT), high RPT (H-RPT), and H-LPT groups, showing a certain inflammatory effect, but the inflammatory effect in the L-LPT group was relatively weak. Licorice simmering can effectively reduce the inhibitory effect of RPT on gastrointestinal function in rats and reduce damage to gastrointestinal tissue. This study provides a scientific basis for research on the processing mechanism and clinical application of PT.

Highlights

Chinese medicine processing techniques are characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
Sibiricose A5 (A5), sibiricose A6 (A6), glomeratose A (GA), onjisaponin B (OJB), and onjisaponin Z (OJZ) were supplied by Chengdu Biopurify Phytochemicals Co., Ltd. (Chengdu, China). e reference substances tenuifoliside A (TFSA), tenuifoliside B (TFSB), and tenuifoliside C (TFSC) were supplied by Shanghai Yilin Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China). 3,6’Disinapoyl sucrose (DSS) and trimethoxycinnamic acid (TMCA) were obtained from Chengdu Chroma Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Chengdu, China)
E results of this study indicated that the levels of Tenuifoliside B (TFSB), disinapoyl sucrose (DSS), Polygalaxanthone III (PIII), tenuifoliose A (TFOA), tenuifoliose H (TFOH), OJB, OJZ, and total saponins observably decreased, while the levels of GA and TMCA markedly increased, after licorice simmering. ese results were due to the hydrolysis of oligosaccharide esters and saponins during the simmering process

Summary

Introduction

Chinese medicine processing techniques are characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Raw Chinese medicines are often processed before clinical application, which is called “paozhi” in Chinese, to enhance their efficacy, reduce their toxicity, change their properties, and ensure their safety and effectiveness in clinical application [1]. (PT) (Figure 1) is a Polygala plant that belongs to the family Polygalaceae and is mainly distributed in China, South Korea, and the Russian Federation [2]. PT include Triterpenoid saponins, oligosaccharide esters, xanthones, and organic acids, which have been proven to have a wide range of biological activities. Organic acids from PT exert antiseizure [10], anti-inflammatory [11], neuroprotective [12, 13], and antiamnesic effects [8]

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Discussion

Conclusion