Traditional Chinese Medicine Books Research Articles

Rules of medication for leucorrhea in ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine based on latent structure model and association rules

Objective: To analyze syndrome differentiation and medication rules for leucorrhea in ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) based on the “Chinese Medical Code” using the latent structure model. Methods: The formulations for leucorrhea were searched in the Chinese Medical Code (software), based on which an Excel sheet was created to conduct frequency analysis and construct a matrix of high-frequency medications. The high-frequency medications for leucorrhea were then analyzed using the Latent 5.0 software and a latent structure model. With SPSS Modeler and Latent 5.0 as the main analysis methods, Chinese medications with a frequency >1.00% were investigated using the latent structure model and association rules, and the medication rules in treating leucorrhea with TCM were dissected based on the data of frequency. Results: For 373 kinds of Chinese medicines retrieved from 236 TCM prescriptions, the total medication frequency was 2522. Chinese Angelica (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), White Peony Root (Paeoniae Radix Alba), Indian Buead Tuckahoe (Poria), Common Oyster Shell (Ostreae Concha), and Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) were high-frequency medicines for leucorrhea. Tonic, heat-clearing, and qi-regulating medicines had a high frequency of usage. According to a formula-based analysis of the evidence, the main syndromes of leucorrhea included liver qi affecting the spleen pattern, damp heat accumulation pattern, liver qi stagnation pattern, liver-stomach disharmony pattern, yin deficiency of the liver and kidney pattern, and spleen deficiency with dampness pattern, which are generally in line with the etiology and pathogenesis of leucorrhea, namely pathogenic dampness as the detrimental factor together with spleen-kidney dysfunction. However, in ancient books, emphasis was laid out on the regulation of the liver. This study determined 31 association rules for treating leucorrhea, where the primary compatible medicines contained Chinese Angelica (Angelicae Sinensis Radix)-Nutgrass Galingale Rhizome (Cyperus rotundus), Chinese Angelica (Angelicae Sinensis Radix)-Szechwan Lovage Rhizome (Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.), White Peony Root (Paeoniae Radix Alba)-Szechwan Lovage Rhizome (Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.), White Peony Root (Paeoniae Radix Alba)-Adhesive Rehmannia Root Tuber (Rehmanniae Radix) and Tangerine Peel (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium)-Ternate Pinellia (Rhizoma Pinelliae). Conclusion: The medication rules targeting leucorrhea in the Chinese Medical Code were mainly represented by the regulation of qi and blood, as well as the 3 internal organs—the kidney, spleen, and liver.

Systematic analysis of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions provides new insights into drug combination therapy for pox

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe decline in cross-protection provided by the smallpox vaccine increases the risk of infection from other poxviruses. While drug combinations are a promising management, they remain underdeveloped for poxviruses. Prior to the development of the smallpox vaccine, China had long relied on herbal medicine to combat pox and accumulated a wealth of knowledge regarding different herb combinations and symptoms related to pox. The information was documented in the form of prescriptions. Aim of the studyThe extensive data of prescriptions offer the potential for uncovering commonalities underlying these prescriptions, thereby providing valuable insights into the development of drug combinations against pox. Materials and methodsThe 2344 prescriptions were collected from the LTM-TCM database and 12 traditional Chinese medicine books. Firstly, the relative frequency of citation was utilized to identify the most used herbs among these prescriptions. TCMSP and LTM-TCM databases were employed to gather information about active compounds and their targets. GeneCards and DisGeNET databases were utilized to determine the associated targets for smallpox, cowpox, chickenpox, and mpox. Subsequently, network pharmacology analysis was conducted to investigate potential pathway information related to the most used herbs. A comparison of active compounds from these herbs resulted in the identification of 29 high-frequency compounds. The functions of these compounds were elucidated through gene overlap analysis, docking, and literature review. Finally, we summarized pox-related symptoms and used fidelity levels to distinguish specific herbs for corresponding symptoms. ResultsBased on 2344 traditional pox-related prescriptions, we identified 19 most used herbs and 64 associated bio-functional modules for poxvirus treatment, with the most significant one being immunoregulation primarily involving CD4+ regulation. We also identified 29 leads that possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties. These herbs and leads hold the potential for pox treatment. Additionally, docking analysis suggested that these leads could inhibit poxvirus DNA synthesis, RNA capping machinery processes, and mature poxvirus particle formation, as well as immunosuppressors. The clinical features of mpox in 2022 were found to align well with our description of symptoms related to the pox. ConclusionThrough the analysis of 2344 prescriptions for pox treatment, we obtained a comprehensive library of the most used herbs and high-frequency compounds, along with their potential functional spectrum. These libraries served as raw resources for drug combination development, while the identified symptom patterns and specific herbs greatly enhanced our insight into diverse treatments for pox patients.

Chinese text recognition and knowledge graph of Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing based on BERT pre-trained language models

Background: The research and utilization of ancient traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) books are relatively limited at present. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), knowledge graph related technology has brought light on this field. Objective: To construct the knowledge graph of Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, analyze basic knowledge of materia medica, explore implicit knowledge, and conduct visualization display, as well to provide methodological references for the study of ancient TCM books. Methods: The types of knowledge entities and relationships between entities in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing were analyzed. A training corpus dataset was produced by using the BIO sequence labeling method; a self-developed CNLP text labeling system was used for text labeling; the BERT model was used to recognize named entities; the relationships between entities were set based on rules and semantic associations; the data into the Neo4j-community 4.4.9 graph database was imported by using Cypher language for storage and visualization display after knowledge fusion; finally, a knowledge graph was constructed. Results: The knowledge graph of Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing included 5, 273 nodes and 11, 064 relationships. The schema layer contained 14 entity types and 15 relationship types. Through the query, knowledge can be visualized from the aspects of classification, property, and seven mutual relationships of herbal combination. Conclusion: The knowledge graph constructed in this study directly reflects the knowledge recorded in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing and the relationship between them, which is suitable for knowledge mining and intuitive multi-dimensional display of ancient TCM books.

Antioxidant Activity and Volatile Oil Analysis of Ethanol Extract of Phoebe zhennan S. Lee et F. N. Wei Leaves

The medicinal value of P. zhennan has been documented in traditional Chinese medicine books. The aim of this paper was to study the antioxidant activity of alcoholic extracts of P. zhennan leavesusing 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolineoxyl-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO) radical scavenging and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The active components of the leaves were identified via headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The results showed that the scavenging rate of DPPH was 94.67%with an EC50 value of 0.674 mg/mL at a concentration of 2 mg/mL. The maximum scavenging rate was 47.40% at a Trolox equivalent of 0.33 mg TE/mL for PTIO radicals. The FRAP reached 84.80% at 0.20 mg/mL concentration. The results confirmed the strong antioxidant activity of the extracts. Furthermore, 44 compounds, mostly terpenoids, obtained from the alcoholic extracts of P. zhennan leaves were analyzed using HS-SPME-GC-MS and 15 of these compounds had a relative content exceeding 1%. The strong antioxidant activity of the alcoholic extracts of P. zhennan leaves could be attributed to the presence of copaene (33.97%), β-caryophyllene (4.42%), δ-cadinene (11.04%), γ-muurolene (4.78%), cis-calamenene (2.02%), linalool (1.04%), α-pinene (1.46%), borneol acetate (1.5%), and γ-terpinene (0.66%). This study demonstrates the potential medicinal value of alcoholic extracts of P. zhennan leaves.

Application of Steiner’s Interpretation Theory in Russian Translation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Books

Application of Steiner’s Interpretation Theory in Russian Translation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Books

Protocols for Traditional Chinese Medicine guidelines for acute primary headache.

To further improve clinical workers' Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment level for headache attack, the TCM Guidelines for Acute Primary Headache has been developed based on the development methodology of the World Health Organization Standard Version guide. The grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) method was adopted for the development of evidence, evidence classification, and recommendations that can be systematically evaluated. For evidence lacking clinical research support, the quality of evidence was evaluated and recommended based on the evidence level standard of ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine, and The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) and The Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT) were referred to. This guideline plan mainly introduces the guideline formulation process of constructing clinical questions and selecting outcome indicators, evidence retrieval, generation of recommendations, etc.

Integration of transcriptomics and proteomics to elucidate inhibitory effect and mechanism of rosmarinic acid from Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. in treating Trichophyton mentagrophytes

BackgroundDermatophyte caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes is a global disease with a growing prevalence that is difficult to cure. Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. is an edible and medicinal plant. Ancient books of Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern pharmacological studies have shown that it has potential anti-fungi activity. This is the first study to explore the inhibitory effects of compounds from P. frutescens on Trichophyton mentagrophytes and its mechanism of action coupled with the antifungal activity in vitro from network pharmacology, transcriptomics and proteomics.MethodsFive most potential inhibitory compounds against fungi in P. frutescens was screened with network pharmacology. The antifungal activity of the candidates was detected by a broth microdilution method. Through in vitro antifungal assays screening the compound with efficacy, transcriptomics and proteomics were performed to investigate the pharmacological mechanisms of the effective compound against Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Furthermore, the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied to verify the expression of genes.ResultsThe top five potential antifungal compounds in P. frutescens screened by network pharmacology are: progesterone, luteolin, apigenin, ursolic acid and rosmarinic acid. In vitro antifungal assays showed that rosmarinic acid had a favorable inhibitory effect on fungi. The transcriptomic findings exhibited that the differentially expressed genes of fungus after rosmarinic acid intervention were mainly enriched in the carbon metabolism pathway, while the proteomic findings suggested that rosmarinic acid could inhibit the average growth of Trichophyton mentagrophytes by interfering with the expression of enolase in the glycolysis pathway. Comparison of real-time PCR and transcriptomics results showed that the trends of gene expression in glycolytic, carbon metabolism and glutathione metabolic pathways were identical. The binding modes and interactions between rosmarinic acid and enolase were preliminary explored by molecular docking analysis.ConclusionThe key findings of the present study manifested that rosmarinic acid, a medicinal compound extracted from P. frutescens, had pharmacological activity in inhibiting the growth of Trichophyton mentagrophytes by affecting its enolase expression to reduce metabolism. Rosmarinic acid is expected to be an efficacious product for prevention and treatment of dermatophytes.

Cassiae Semen: A comprehensive review of botany, traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, and quality control.

Cassiae Semen, belonging to the family Leguminosae, is derived from the dry mature seeds of Cassia obtusifolia L. or Cassia tora L. and has long been used as a laxative, hepatoprotective, improve eyesight, and antidiabetic complications medicine or functional food in Asia. This review summarizes the integrated research progress of botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, and quality control of Cassiae Semen. Additionally, the emerging challenges and possible developing directions are discussed as well. The information on Cassiae Semen was collected from published scientific materials, including ancient books of traditional Chinese Medicine; Ph.D. and M. Sc. dissertations; monographs on medicinal plants; pharmacopoeia of various countries and electronic databases, such as PubMed, Web of Science, ACS, Science Direct, J-STAGE, Springer link, Taylor, CNKI and Google Scholar, etc. RESULTS: First, the traditional uses and plant origins of Cassiae Semen are outlined. Secondly, approximately 137 compounds, including anthraquinones, naphthopyranones, naphthalenes, flavones, polysaccharides and other compounds, have been isolated and identified from Cassia obtusifolia L. and Cassia tora L. Third, the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of crude extract of Cassiae Semen and its main bioactive compounds are summarized. Moreover, the processing, toxicity, and quality control are introduced briefly. Cassiae Semen is a frequently used Chinese Materia Medica with pharmacological effects that mainly affect the digestive system, cardiovascular systems and nervous system. This review summarized its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology, it also exhibited recent scientific research advances and gaps, which provide a deeper insight into the understanding and application of Cassiae Semen. In future research on Cassiae Semen, more attention should be given to the pharmacological activities of naphthopyranones and polysaccharides and the mechanism of action for improving eye diseases. Meanwhile, it is essential to focus on strengthening the study on the pharmacokinetics research and the safety evaluation of related health products research.

The burdock database: a multi-omic database for Arctium lappa, a food and medicinal plant

BackgroundBurdock is a biennial herb of Asteraceae found in Northern Europe, Eurasia, Siberia, and China. Its mature dry fruits, called Niu Bang Zi, are recorded in various traditional Chinese medicine books. With the development of sequencing technology, the mitochondrial, chloroplast, and nuclear genomes, transcriptome, and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) fingerprints of burdock have all been reported. To make better use of this data for further research and analysis, a burdock database was constructed.ResultsThis burdock multi-omics database contains two burdock genome datasets, two transcriptome datasets, eight burdock chloroplast genomes, one burdock mitochondrial genome, one A. tomentosum chloroplast genome, one A. tomentosum mitochondrial genome, 26 phenotypes of burdock varieties, burdock rhizosphere-associated microorganisms, and chemical constituents of burdock fruit, pericarp, and kernel at different growth stages (using UPLC-Q-TOF–MS). The wild and cultivation distribution of burdock in China was summarized, and the main active components and pharmacological effects of burdock currently reported were concluded. The database contains ten central functional modules: Home, Genome, Transcriptome, Jbrowse, Search, Tools, SRAP fingerprints, Associated microorganisms, Chemical, and Publications. Among these, the “Tools” module can be used to perform sequence homology alignment (Blast), multiple sequence alignment analysis (Muscle), homologous protein prediction (Genewise), primer design (Primer), large-scale genome analysis (Lastz), and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses (GO Enrichment and KEGG Enrichment).ConclusionsThe database URL is http://210.22.121.250:41352/. This burdock database integrates molecular and chemical data to provide a comprehensive information and analysis platform for interested researchers and can be of immense help to the cultivation, breeding, and molecular pharmacognosy research of burdock.

The IDI1/SREBP2 axis drives intrahepatic cholestasis and is a treatment target of San-Huang-Cai-Zhu formula identified by sequencing and experiments.

San-Huang-Chai-Zhu formula (SHCZF), originates from Da-Huang-Xiao-Shi decoction (DHXSD) for the treatment of jaundice as recorded in the Chinese traditional Chinese medicine book Jin Gui Yao Lue. In the clinic, SHCZF has been used to treat cholestasis-related liver disease by improving intrahepatic cholestasis, but the treatment mechanism has not been elucidated. In this study, 24 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to the normal, acute intrahepatic cholestasis (AIC), SHCZF, and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) groups. In addition, 36 SD rats were divided into dynamic groups, namely, normal 24h, AIC 24h, normal 48h, AIC 48h, normal 72h, and AIC 72h groups. Alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) was used to induce an AIC rat model. Serum biochemical indices and hepatic pathology were detected. Part of the hepatic tissues was used for sequencing, and others were used for subsequent experiments. Sequencing data combined with bioinformatics analysis were used to screen target genes and identify the mechanisms of SHCZF in treating AIC rats. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB) were used to detect the RNA/Protein expression levels of screened genes. Rats in the dynamic group were used to determine the sequence of cholestasis and liver injury. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the representative bioingredients of SHCZF. Sequencing and bioinformatics analysis suggested that IDI1 and SREBP2 are hub target genes of SHCZF to ameliorate ANTI-induced intrahepatic cholestasis in rats. The treatment mechanism is associated with the regulation of lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) to reduce cholesterol intake and 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), and 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 1 (HMGCS1) to decrease cholesterol synthesis. Animal experiments showed that SHCZF significantly reduced the expression levels of the above genes and proinflammatory cytokine lipocalin 2 (LCN2), inflammatory cytokines interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), thereby improving intrahepatic cholestasis and inflammation and liver injury.

Miao Zunyi - his life, writings and students

Miao Zunyi was an influential physician in the mid-Qing Dynasty. He was self-taught as he read a great amount of prescription books of traditional Chinese medicine. He was proficient in medical theories but flexible in treatment. It was recorded in Draft of Qing History that Miao Zunyi, Ye Tianshi and Xue Shengbai were named as "the three schools of Wuzhong". He began to write books in his later years. He wrote prefaces to Pulse Causes, Syndrome and Treatment (Mai Yin Zheng Zhi) and Wu Yi Hui Jiang. His existing works include Treatise on Febrile Disease (Shang Han Ji Zhu), Wen Re Lang Zhao, Song Xin Notes and Song Xin Medical Cases. Miao's Medical Cases and Song Xin Tang Yi An Jing Yan Chao. He had many remarkable students, such like Huang Tang, Guan Ding, Miao Song, and Shen Nianzu.

The Meaning Characteristics of 聖人 in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Classic Huangdi Neijing

Since the Western Zhou dynasty in China, the word 聖人began to have a special meaning, entered various social fields such as literature and history and medicine, and gradually integrated into Chinese traditional culture. As an important symbol of traditional Chinese medicine culture, 聖人 shows a basic category of the core concept and value system of traditional Chinese medical classics represented by the book of Huangdi Neijing(also named The Inner Canon of Huangdi) in the pre-Qin and Han dynasties. In Huangdi Neijing which is the foundation work of the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine, 聖人is not only a man with perfect personality under the traditional Chinese moral and ethical concepts, but also a regimen practitioner and a master of universe laws and the best model of physical and mental health. Based on the traditional Chinese medicine book Huangdi Neijing, this paper uses the knowledge of Chinese philology and traditional Chinese medicine culture to trace the origin meaning of the Chinese word 聖人 from the perspective of genesis, and examines the semantic evolution of 聖人 and its cultural characteristics in the development of the Chinese nation and the Traditional Chinese medicine

Visualization and application method of acupuncture-moxibustion knowledge of senile dementia in ancient books based on partial order structure

Acupuncture-moxibustion has affirmative curative effect in the prevention and treatment of senile dementia. Starting from the literature research, a visualization and application method of acupuncture-moxibustion knowledge of senile dementia in ancient books based on partial order structure is proposed. This method could extract and integrate the acupuncture-moxibustion knowledge of senile dementia contained in ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine, and establish a standardized, structured and visual knowledge graph. Applying this method to knowledge visual analysis and clinical auxiliary guidance could provide reference for combing the knowledge of ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine and transforming the knowledge of ancient books into clinical application.

The Origin and Development of Piji Pills: An Ancient Prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Objective Ancient prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are an important source for innovative drug research and development, which has garnered increasing attention in recent years. Piji Pills, an ancient TCM prescription, has a long history and remarkable clinical efficacy in the treatment of digestive disorders. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the origin and development of Piji Pills and to discuss the potential future direction of an ancient TCM prescription. Method We analyzed the origin and development of the Piji Pills by reviewing literature records and their evolution in ancient books. We used a full-text database covering 2,090 TCM ancient books and implemented the full-text retrieval function based on Ulysses software. A full-text search was conducted using the keyword “Piji Pills” (“脾积丸” in Chinese). The results generated 128 pieces of literature from 35 ancient TCM books. In order to identify pertinent sections from the generated results, the results were proofread by two independent authors (Fudong Liu and Xiaochen Jiang) who had sufficient experience concerning ancient books. The developmental process of the Piji Pills was divided into early, late, and modern times. With the approach of statistical methods and chronological description, we manually searched, indexed, and transformed 2,090 ancient TCM books. Result From the time Piji Pills were first proposed, the records in ancient books became increasingly detailed, providing an in-depth discussion of their composition, dosage, and action mechanisms. In modern times, the research on key drugs found in Piji Pills has made a great contribution to clinical practice. However, the compound research on Piji Pills is still relatively superficial and requires further in-depth study. Conclusions In this study, statistical methods were used to chronologically clarify the developmental process of Piji Pills. We found that the Piji Pills were widely used and had a significant advantage in the treatment of digestive system diseases. In-depth knowledge mining of ancient books could potentially promote the theoretical innovation of TCM and the research of new drugs.

Network pharmacological analysis and molecular docking of Huangqin-Baizhu herb pair in the treatment of threatened abortion.

The incidence of threatened abortion (TA) is increasing due to poor diet and living habits, which brings great pressure to pregnant women and their families. Huangqin-Baizhu herb pair recorded in ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine has been widely used in the treatment of TA with remarkable effect. In this study, we will use the network pharmacology method to predict the target and mechanism of Huangqin-Baizhu herb pair. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform database was used to screen the active components of Huangqin-Baizhu herb pair. Pubchem and Swiss Target Prediction databases were used to predict the action targets. Genecards, OMIM, and Drugbank databases were used to predict the related targets of TA. The intersection of drug target and disease target was selected and the intersection genes were uploaded to STRING database to construct protein-protein interaction network and conduct module analysis. Metascape database was used for Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, which was imported into Cytoscape software to construct component-pathway-gene network and finally verified by molecular docking. Ethical approval and informed consent of patients are not required because the data used in this study is publicly available and does not involve individual patient data or privacy. The main active components of the herb pair are baicalein, flavanone, and norwogonin, etc. The main targets are AKT1, VEGFA, STAT3, MAPK1, SRC, etc. Cluster module analysis shows that the targets are related to cell metabolism, immune regulation and hormone level regulation. There were 2073, 3169, and 161 KEGG pathways involved in the biological processes, cell components, and molecular functions of Gene Ontology analysis, respectively. The main KEGG pathways involved in the intervention were HIF1 signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and Rap1 signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed that the main active components of the herb pair were well combined with the key targets. In this study, 42 active components, 152 potential targets and 11 key targets of Huangqin-Baizhu herb pair for the treatment of TA were revealed, participating in multiple signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt, providing a theoretical basis for further experimental research.

Textual research on classical famous prescription Dajianzhong Decoction

The classical famous prescription Dajianzhong Decoction is recorded in Synopsis of the Golden Chamber written by Zhang Zhongjing in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It has a long history and definite clinical effects, while this prescription has not been manufactured into Chinese patent medicine preparation. We collected many ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) by using the method of bibliometrics and got 211 valid data terms which involved 67 ancient books. The history, main treated syndromes, formulation principle, origins and processiong of medicinal materials, and decoction method of Dajianzhong Decoction were analyzed. Despite the different views of various generations of medical experts toward the composition of this prescription, the compatibility ratio of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma to Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens is constant. Furthermore, we explored the origins of synonyms of Dajianzhong Decoction. On the basis of this study, we hope to gain an insight into the research and development of the compound preparations of Dajianzhong Decoction and provide reference for the heritage and innovation of other classical prescriptions.

HPE-GCN: Predicting efficacy of tonic formulae via graph convolutional networks integrating traditionally defined herbal properties.

Chinese herbal formulae are the heritage of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating diseases through thousands of years. The formula function is not just a simple herbal efficacy addition, but produces complex and nonlinear relationships between different herbs and their overall efficacy, which brings challenges to the formula efficacy analysis. In our study, we proposed a model called HPE-GCN that combines graph convolutional networks (GCN) with TCM-defined herbal properties (TCM-HPs) to predict formulae efficacy. In addition, to process the unstructured natural language in the formula text, we proposed a weighting calculation method related to herb frequency and the number of herbs in a formula called Formula-Herb dependence degree (FHDD), to assess the dependency degree of a formula with its herbs. In our research, 214 classic tonic formulae from ancient TCM books such as Synopsis of the Golden Chamber, Jingyue's Complete Works and the Golden Mirror of Medicin were collected as datasets. The performance of HPE-GCN on multi-classification of tonic formulae reached the best result compared with classic machine learning models, such as support vector machine, naive Bayes, logistic regression, gradient boosting decision tree, and K-nearest neighbors. The evaluated index Macro-Precision, Macro-Recall, Macro-F1 of HPE-GCN on the test set were 87.70%, 84.08% and 83.51% respectively, increased by 7.27%, 7.41% and 7.30% respectively from second best compared models. GCN has the advantage of low-dimensional feature expression for herbs and formulae, and is an effective analysis tool for TCM research. HPE-GCN integrates TCM-HPs and fits the complex nonlinear mapping relationship between TCM-HPs and formulae efficacy, which provides new ideas for related research.

Analysis on "the essence of tuina, arrival of qi ensuring curative effect"

In reference with the systematic review of the thought of deqi (arrival of qi) put forward in Huangdi Neijing (Internal Classic of Yellow Emperor) and other classic books of traditional Chinese medicine, in view of detecting qi and identifying qi before treatment, as well as the prerequisites of deqi in tuina, meaning the accurate syndrome differentiation and manipulations, the importance of deqi in treatment with tuina is expounded. In association with clinical experience, the specific manifestations of deqi in patients during tuina are summarized, e.g. soreness, distention, pain, numbness, warm feeling and slight sweating, local changes in intestinal sound and skin color, as well as mind regulation. It is anticipated that deqi of tuina may be drawn the attention in clinical practice, and the relevant study be expanded.

Prunella vulgaris L. - A Review of its Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Quality Control and Pharmacological Effects.

Prunella vulgaris L. (PVL) is dried fruit spike of Lamiacea plant Prunella vulgaris L., which is a perennial herb with medicinal and edible homology used for thousands of years. PVL is bitter, acrid, cold, and belongs to the liver and gallbladder meridians. It clears the liver and dissipate fire, improve vision, disperse swelling, and has satisfactory clinical therapeutic effects on many diseases such as photophobia, dizziness, scrofula, goiter, breast cancer. The collection of information and data related to PVL comes from literatures retrieved and collated from various online scientific databases (such as CNKI, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, Research Gate, Science Database), ancient books of traditional chinese medicine (Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Classics of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine), and Doctoral and Master’s Dissertations. Currently, the major chemical constituents isolated and identified from PVL are triterpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, organic acids, volatile oils and polysaccharides. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that PVL has a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antibacterial and antiviral effects, as well as immune regulation, antihypertensive, hypoglycemic, lipid-lowering, antioxidant, free radical scavenging, liver protection, sedative and hypnotic effects. This paper reviewes the botany, ethnopharmacology, traditional application, phytochemistry, analytical methods, quality control, pharmacological effects of PVL. It can be used not only as medicine, but also gradually integrated into the “medicine and food homology” and “Chinese medicine health” boom. More importantly, it has great potential for drug resources development. This paper deeply discusses the shortcomings of current PVL research, and proposes corresponding solutions, in order to find a breakthrough point for PVL research in the future. At the same time, it is necessary to further strengthen the research on its medicinal chemistry, mechanism of action and clinical application efficacy in the future, and strive to extract, purify and synthesize effective components with high efficiency and low toxicity, so as to improve the safety and rationality of clinical medication.

Wan's gynecology and obstetrics (Wan Shi Nv Ke) collected by the library of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Wan's gynecology and obstetrics (Wan Shi Nv Ke), collected by the library of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, was examined with the field method. It was found some issues existed both in the recording and description of Wan's gynecology and obstetrics (Wan Shi Nv Ke) collected by the library of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in the electronic catalogue of ancient books and in the General catalogue of ancient books of traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhong Guo Zhong Yi Gu Ji Zong Mu), in terms of the same version with different registration, wrong publication time, some contents missed in publication, and the version actually not collected.