Abstract
One of the biggest obstacles to progress in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) development in Western countries is the difficulty of applying the traditional concepts to the Western medicinal plants, which are not traditionally described in ancient literature. During recent years, new advances in the field of understanding Yin/Yang aspects from a modern bioscientific point of view have led to the conclusion that antioxidationoxidation concepts might mirror a Yin-Yang relationship. This study was intended to integrate the Yin-Yang theory of the traditional Chinese medicine with modern antioxidation-oxidation theory, and to propose a biochemical tool based on redox parameters (e.g. antioxidant capacity, chemiluminescence-CL signal inducing capacity), usable for the classification of Western medicinal plants from Yin/Yang perspective. Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) of six vegetal aqueous extracts (Symphitum officinalae (radix)-SYM, Inula helenium (radix)-INU, Calendula officinalis (flores)-CAL, Angelica arhanghelica (folium)ANG(F), Angelica arhanghelica (radix)-ANG(R), Ecbalium Elaterium (fruits)-ECB) and luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence of PMNL on addition of these vegetal extracts were measured. Percentages from the maximal or minimal values obtained were calculated for each extract (TEAC%, PMNL stimulation%, PMNL inhibition%, relative speed of action% (RSA%%)), specific Yin-Yang significance was assigned to each relative parameter. In the end, an integration of all the relative values was done, in order to find a global "Yin" or a "Yang" trait of each vegetal extract. TEAC decreased in the following order: SYM > INU > CAL >ANG(F) > ANG(R > ECB. Three vegetal extracts (SYM > INU > ECB) decreased the luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence of PMNL, two (ANG(R) > ANG(F)) increased it, while one (CAL) had a dual effect. After the integration of the percentages, CAL was found to have a global "Yang" trait, while the rest of the plants had a global "Yin" trait. TEAC% and PMNL inhibition% appears to correlate with the Yin properties of herbs, while PMNL stimulation% and RSA% might correlate with Yang aspects within the formal TCM classification system, and may be useful criteria in describing the Western herbs from a TCM point of view.
Highlights
One of the major obstacles to progress in TCM development in Western countries is the difficulty of applying the traditional concepts to the Western medicinal plants, which are not traditionally described in ancient medicine
We suggest that antioxidant capacity might be correlated with the moist-dry pair of qualities, chemiluminescence inducing capacity with the hot-cold pair, and T with fast-slow pair
We suggest that the herbs with higher antioxidant capacity, stronger inhibitory effect on CL signal, and which are slower in action (Yin active herbs) might be useful in the treatment of those diseases associated with oxidative stress (”excess of Yang” or ”deficiency of Yin”), while those herbs with lower antioxidant capacity, stronger stimulatory effect on the respiratory burst, and which are faster in action (Yang active herbs) might be beneficial in those pathologies associated with reductive stress (”excess of Yin” or ”deficiency of Yang”)
Summary
One of the major obstacles to progress in TCM development in Western countries is the difficulty of applying the traditional concepts to the Western medicinal plants, which are not traditionally described in ancient medicine. According to TCM theory, herbs are prescribed for attainment of Yin-Yang balance (Xinrong, 2003) They are different in nature (Yin or Yang), temperature (cold or hot), strength and speed of action. One of the biggest obstacles to progress in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) development in Western countries is the difficulty of applying the traditional concepts to the Western medicinal plants, which are not traditionally described in ancient literature. Conclusions: TEAC% and PMNL inhibition% appears to correlate with the Yin properties of herbs, while PMNL stimulation% and RSA% might correlate with Yang aspects within the formal TCM classification system, and may be useful criteria in describing the Western herbs from a TCM point of view
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