Ancient Chinese Prescription Research Articles

Design of a Multifunctional Biomaterial Inspired by Ancient Chinese Medicine for Hair Regeneration in Burned Skin.

In deep burn injuries, the dermis of the skin is often severely damaged, and hair follicles are also lost and lose the potential for regeneration. Therefore, the development of wound dressings that promote hair follicle regeneration has important clinical significance. In this study, inspired by an ancient Chinese medicine prescription, a novel fibrous membrane (P/Qu/Cup; P, PCL; Qu, quercetin; Cup, cuprorivaite, CaCuSi4O10) containing quercetin-copper (Qu-Cu) chelates was fabricated by using quercetin and a highly bioactive bioceramic (CaCuSi4O10) incorporated in PCL/gelatin electrospun fibers. The fibrous membrane can effectively release Qu and Cu ions to induce proliferation, migration, and differentiation of skin and hair follicle related cells, and the Qu, Cu ions, and Si ions released from the composite membrane revealed synergistic activity to stimulate hair follicle regeneration and wound healing. Our study demonstrated that the analysis of the common components in ancient Chinese prescription is an effective approach to design novel bioactive materials for regenerative medicine.

In Vitro Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Potential of Si-Miao-San, its Modifications and Pure Compounds

The ancient Chinese prescription Si-Miao-San (SMS), which is widely used for the treatment of various diseases, e.g. rheumatic disorders, has been modified (m1SMS, m2SMS). The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tyrosinase effects of Si-Miao-San, of its two modifications, the component herbs, and its main pure ingredients. In vitro tyrosinase, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) assays were carried out in order to determine the inhibitory potential of the samples. The traditionally applied decoctions as well as their fractions (n-hexane, DCM, n-BuOH) were tested for their activities in concentrations of 100 microg/mL and 400 microg/mL, and the pure compounds in a range 6.25 microg/mL to 100 microg/mL. In conclusion, the decoction of m2SMS exhibited strong antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay, while the decoction of the classical SMS formulation showed low activity. The present results have shown the modifications to be more efficient scavengers of free radicals, such as superoxide and peroxide radicals. In addition, the decoctions of the two modifications have been shown to be more potent tyrosinase inhibitors. These formulas may thus be used as antiinflammatory and anti-aging prescriptions, as they may help to prevent cell damage. This study clearly establishes the two modifications of Si-Miao-San as valuable sources of natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, and also as candidates in the search for modem pharmaceuticals.

Modified Si-Miao-San extract inhibits the release of inflammatory mediators from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated mouse macrophages

Ethnopharmacological relevance Modified Si-Miao-San (mSMS) is a prescription modified from Si-Miao-San which is an ancient Chinese prescription used to treat various ailments. Aim of the study Modified Si-Miao-San (mSMS) has been used for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory disorders in the clinic. This study was aimed to investigate its anti-inflammatory activity and underlying mechanism at cellular and molecular levels. Materials and methods We stimulated RAW264.7 cells with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and observed effects of mSMS on the release of inflammatory mediators such as: tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), NO, and relative gene expressions. Meanwhile, we also investigated the modulation of mSMS in inflammatory signal transduction mediated through extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Results Our findings demonstrated that mSMS significantly inhibited the excessive production of NO, TNF-α and IL-6 and the over expression of relative genes in LPS-stimulated macrophages. In addition, mSMS suppressed LPS-induced ERK1/2-phosphorylation and inhibited the activation of NF-κB by attenuation of IκB-α degradation. Conclusions Our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of mSMS might result from the inhibition of inflammatory mediators, such as NO, TNF-α and IL-6, via suppression of ERK and NF-κB dependent pathways.