Abstract
BackgroundIdentification of bioactive standard chemicals is a major challenge in the study of the Chinese medicinal formula. In particular, the chemical components may interact differently depending on the preparative methods, therefore affecting the amounts of bioactive components and their pharmacological properties in the medicinal formula. With the use of Erxian decoction (EXD) as a study model—a well-known Chinese medicinal formula for treating menopausal symptoms, a novel and rapid approach in seeking standard chemicals has been established by differentially comparing the HPLC profiles and the menopause-related biochemical parameters of combined decoction of EXD (EXD-C) and mixtures of the decoctions of its individual herbs (EXD-S).MethodsThe levels of six chemicals, which exerted actions on the HPO axis, have been measured in EXD-C and EXD-S by HPLC. Twelve-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were employed and treated with EXD-C and EXD-S. Their endocrine functions after treatment were evaluated by determining the ovarian mRNA levels of aromatase, a key enzyme for estradiol biosynthesis. The effect of the antioxidant regimen was determined by the hepatic superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx-1) mRNA levels.ResultsThe amounts of mangiferine, ferulic acid, jatrorrhizine and palmatine in EXD-S were twofold higher than those in EXD-C. EXD-S was more effective in stimulating ovarian aromatase and the expression of the antioxidant enzymes compared with EXD-C.ConclusionMangiferine, ferulic acid, jatrorrhizine and palmatine are suitable for use as standard chemicals for quality evaluation of EXD according to our approach. EXD-S could be more effective than EXD-C.
Highlights
Identification of bioactive standard chemicals is a major challenge in the study of the Chinese medicinal formula
The content of ferulic acid in Erxian decoction (EXD)-C decreased by 2.46-fold and the amount of icariin showed a 1.17-fold decrease in combined decoction of EXD (EXD-C) (Fig. 3)
For all the six standard chemicals, the relative standard deviation (RSD) values calculated were within 5%, indicating consistency in the quality of the sample injected and reproducibility of the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profile, as well as excluding the influence of any unknown variability or instability found in the composition of the active constituents in the molecular investigation of the EXD extract
Summary
Identification of bioactive standard chemicals is a major challenge in the study of the Chinese medicinal formula. The chemical components may interact differently depending on the preparative methods, affecting the amounts of bioactive components and their pharmacological properties in the medicinal formula. Results obtained from a previous study revealed that the component of 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid in the Tibetan herb (Saussurea laniceps) was transesterificated into 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid during boiling in water [4] These interactions may affect the amounts of bioactive components in the medicinal formula, and the pharmacological properties. The discrepancy between the chemical components and the pharmacological properties between “combined decoction” and “separated decoction” has raised concerns about the variation in quality and therapeutic efficacy of decoctions prepared using different methods. On the other hand, such discrepancy may hint the bioactive components contributing to the pharmacological properties, opening up the possibility of a novel and rapid approach for identification of the chemical standards of CM formulas for quality control purpose
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