Abstract
The application of DNA microarray assay (DMA) has entered a new era owing to recent innovations in omics technologies. This review summarizes recent applications of DMA-based gene expression profiling by focusing on the screening and characterization of traditional Chinese medicine. First, herbs, mushrooms, and dietary plants analyzed by DMA along with their effective components and their biological/physiological effects are summarized and discussed by examining their comprehensive list and a list of representative effective chemicals. Second, the mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicine are summarized by examining the genes and pathways responsible for the action, the cell functions involved in the action, and the activities found by DMA (silent estrogens). Third, applications of DMA for traditional Chinese medicine are discussed by examining reported examples and new protocols for its use in quality control. Further innovations in the signaling pathway-based evaluation of beneficial effects and the assessment of potential risks of traditional Chinese medicine are expected, just as are observed in other closely related fields, such as the therapeutic, environmental, nutritional, and pharmacological fields.
Highlights
Herbal medicine is an important part of the medical practices in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and consists of a variety of plant species [1,2]
This review focuses on DNA microarray-based gene expression profiling, a key technology in transcriptomics, and shows how researchers used this technology for the screening and characterization of TCM
Apoptosis/immune-related functions [28], mouse immunology-related genes [31], and 100 genes related to cardiac diseases, apoptosis, cell cycle/proliferation, cytokine/inflammatory, and antioxidation [43], for the study of herbs; genes related to growth factors/receptors, extracellular matrix components, proteases/inhibitors, and oncogenes/tumor suppressors [65], cell cycle-related genes [62,63], 172 human estrogen-responsive genes [53], and human pancreatic adenocarcinoma genes [64], for the study of mushrooms; sets of 3000 prostate-derived genes [78] and 1536 brain genes [72], for the study of TCM/traditional Korean medicine (TKM)/Kampo; sets of 172 human estrogen-responsive genes [127], human drug metabolism-related genes [116], 209 inflammation/immune responsive genes [109], 2304 genes expressed in Caco-2 cells [115], 204 genes related to the immune response [121], and human apoptosis-related genes [130], for the study of dietary plants
Summary
Herbal medicine is an important part of the medical practices in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and consists of a variety of plant species [1,2]. Herbal medicine is often used with other constituents such as mushrooms and dietary plants, and their extracts and effective chemicals are discussed here. DNA microarray assay (DMA) has been used to screen and characterize useful materials among mixtures of chemicals and extracts of natural resources including plants. A number of herbs, mushrooms, and dietary plants, including those used as TCM in China, Korea (TKM), and Japan (Kampo), have been analyzed by DMA (Table 1). Extracts from herbs have been analyzed by DMA, including the following: extracts of the whole, or parts such as flower and leaves, of alkanet root, American ginseng, barbed skullcap, beach vitex, beth root, black cohosh, cancer bush, Chinese figwort, boneset, dong quai, field horsetail, greater celandine, kava, leigongteng, moutan, mum, orchid, pink lapacho, purple coneflower, salai, St. John’s wort, turmeric, and wild yam. Extracts were made from other dietary plants (including vegetables, fruit, and cereals), such as bilberry, bitter gourd, buckwheat, carob, Chinese mahogany, Chungkookjang (fermented soybean), ginger, gromwell, kothala himbutu, Marie Ménard apple, and tarragon, or more common food materials such as apple, black raspberry, blueberry, broccoli, citrus, clove, garlic, ginkgo, grape, grapefruit, green tea, kiwi fruit, lychee, nectarine, oil palm, olive, peach, persimmon, pistachio, soybean, and sweetcorn
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
