Abstract
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as a unique form of natural medicine, has been used in Chinese traditional therapeutic systems over two thousand years. Active components in Chinese herbal medicine are the material basis for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Research on drug-protein binding is one of the important contents in the study of early stage clinical pharmacokinetics of drugs. Plasma protein binding study has far-reaching influence on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs and helps to understand the basic rule of drug effects. It is important to study the binding characteristics of the active components in Chinese herbal medicine with plasma proteins for the medical science and modernization of TCM. This review summarizes the common analytical methods which are used to study the active herbal components-protein binding and gives the examples to illustrate their application. Rules and influence factors of the binding between different types of active herbal components and plasma proteins are summarized in the end. Finally, a suggestion on choosing the suitable technique for different types of active herbal components is provided, and the prospect of the drug-protein binding used in the area of TCM research is also discussed.
Highlights
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the summary of practical experience of Chinese people for thousands of years in the fight against disease
The safety and efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines have been proven through experience passed on from generation to generation in China
Chinese herbal medicines experienced the change from the single herb to the compound medicines under the guidance of TCM theory and had established itself as a relatively independent disciplinary system
Summary
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the summary of practical experience of Chinese people for thousands of years in the fight against disease. It is the treasure of Chinese culture and constitutes multi-billion-dollar markets—more than 1500 kinds of herbal medicines are sold as dietary supplements or the raw material of medicines [1]. The concentration of the free active (or toxic) components is directly related to the biological effect (or poisoning), and the concentration of the free drugs in plasma is directly related to the concentration in the tissue. The drugs with low plasma protein binding affinities are limited in their ability to perfuse tissues and reach the site of action [9]
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