Angelicae Sinensis Radix Research Articles

Phytochemistry, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of a classic Chinese herbal formula Danggui Beimu Kushen Wan: A review.

Danggui Beimu Kushen Wan (DBKW) is a classic herbal formula for difficult urination and has been widely used for urinary-related disorders and cancers in current clinical practice. This study aimed to comprehensively review the phytochemistry, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of DBKW in experimental studies. We searched 21 databases to identify experimental studies of DBKW. We also searched 11 databases to identify and summarize compounds from DBKW's ingredients. A total of 423 studies of DBKW were identified and 15 studies were included. For Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR) and Sophorae Flavescentis Radix (SFR), 2,425 and 2,843 studies were identified, and 42 and 33 studies were included, respectively. Eight compounds were found in the whole formula, 408 compounds from ASR, and 277 compounds from SFR. DBKW may have anticancer effects (inhibiting the growth of tumors, regulating cell proliferation, inducing tumor cell apoptosis, suppressing invasion and metastasis of cancer, enhancing the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy, and relieving toxicity of chemotherapy) and have benefits on chronic prostatitis (reducing inflammation, inhibiting oxidation, regulating sex hormone, and stimulating immune system). The pharmacokinetics of the seven primary compounds from DBKW were also summarized. DBKW contains multiple compounds that may act on more than one pathway of the conditions simultaneously.

The Bioactivities and Potential Clinical Values of Angelica Sinensis Polysaccharides

Angelica sinensis Radix (ASR), one of the most commonly used traditional Chinese medicines, contains many chemical components such as polysaccharides, volatile oil, flavonoids, amino acids, and organic acids, among which polysaccharides play an indispensable role in the therapeutic effect of ASR. A. sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) has many biological activities, for instance, hematopoietic, anti-tumor, and liver protection, which are closely related to the treatment of human diseases such as chronic anemia, leukemia, and diabetes. In addition, there are excellent application prospects for drug delivery in nanoparticles. This paper reviews the chemical compositions, extraction methods, biological activity, action mechanism, potential clinical applications, nanoparticles, and research prospect of ASP from 2010 to 2020, so as to provide references for its further development.

The Species Identification in Traditional Herbal Patent Medicine, Wuhu San, Based on Shotgun Metabarcoding.

Traditional herbal patent medicine typically consists of multiple ingredients, making it challenging to supervise contamination by impurities and the improper use of raw materials. This study employed shotgun metabarcoding for the species identification of biological ingredients in traditional herbal patent medicine, Wuhu San. The five prescribed herbal materials found in Wuhu San were collected, and their reference sequences were obtained by traditional DNA barcoding using Sanger sequencing. Two lab-made and three commercial Wuhu San samples were collected, and a total of 37.14 Gb of shotgun sequencing data was obtained for these five samples using the Illumina sequencing platform. A total of 1,421,013 paired-end reads were enriched for the Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2), psbA and trnH intergenic spacer region (psbA-trnH), maturase k (matK), and ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) regions. Furthermore, 80, 11, 9, and 8 operational taxonomic units were obtained for the ITS2, psbA-trnH, matK, and rbcL regions, respectively, after metagenomic assembly, annotation, and chimeric detection. In the two lab-made mock samples, all labeled ingredients in the Wuhu San prescription were successfully detected, and the positive control, Panax quinquefolius L., was detected in the HSZY172 mock sample. Three species, namely Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz. ex Ledeb.) Schischk., and Carthamus tinctorius L., belonging to three labeled ingredients, Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Danggui), Saposhnikoviae Radix (Fangfeng), and Carthami Flos (Honghua), were detected in the three commercial samples. Angelica dahurica (Hoffm.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex Franch. & Sav., the original Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Baizhi) species, was only detected in WHS003. Arisaema erubescens (Wall.) Schott, Arisaema heterophyllum Blume, or Arisaema amurense Maxim., the original Arisaematis Rhizoma (Tiannanxing) species, were not detected in any of the commercial samples, which could be attributed to the fact that this medicinal material underwent extensive processing. In addition, the Saposhnikovia divaricata adulterant was detected in all the commercial samples, while 24 fungal genera, including Aspergillus, were identified in both the lab-made and commercial samples. This study showed that shotgun metabarcoding provided alternative strategy and technical means for identifying prescribed ingredients in traditional herbal patent medicine and displayed the potential to effectively complement traditional methods.

Establishment of Raman Fingerprints and Localization of Main Components of Radix Angelicas sinensis from Different Origins

In this paper, confocal micro-Raman spectrum (CMR) was used to investigate the distribution of main components (ferulic acid and nicotinic acid) in Radix Angelicae sinensis (RAS). The ferulic acid and nicotinic acid were scanned to obtain their Raman spectra of single component; the RAS from different origins were scanned to obtain the Raman spectrum of RAS, and the Raman spectrum was compared with single component. The Raman spectrum of a single component was introduced into the map review to localize ferulic acid and nicotinic acid in RAS. In the results, the RAS from different origins showed strong similarity, with obvious characteristic peaks at 120 cm–1 140 cm–1210 cm–1,480 cm–1 and 1050 cm–1. The characteristic peaks of ferulic acid are mainly concentrated in the spectrum range of 100-1100 cm1 with obvious characteristic peaks around 160 cm150 cm–1 and 1800 cm–1 while the peaks of nicotinic acid mainly concentrated in the spectrum range of 100-1100 cm–1, with obvious characteristic peaks around 120 cm–1, 140 cm–1,810 cm–1and 1050 cm–1 The red and the green color represent the locations of ferulic acid and nicotinic acid, respectively. In conclusion, CMR can be used to establish the Raman fingerprint library of RAS for a quick and accurate identify, and locate the known active components.

Mechanism of Danggui Sini Decoction in treatment of primary dysmenorrhea based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Network pharmacology, molecular docking and in vivo experiments were used to explore the pharmacodynamic basis and potential mechanism of Danggui Sini Decoction in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea(PD). The chemical constituents of Danggui(Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Guizhi(Cinnamomi Ramulus), Tongcao(Tetrapanacis Medulla), Baishao(Paeoniae Radix Alba), Xixin(Asari Radix et Rhizoma), Gancao(Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), and Dazao(Jujubae Fructus) from Danggui Sini Decoction were retrieved through TCMSP(Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database), and the action targets of Danggui Sini Decoction were collected through DrugBank. "Primary dysmenorrhea" and "dysmenorrhea" were used as the key words to search the corresponding targets in the GeneCards, OMIM and TTD databases, and then the intersection targets of Danggui Sini Decoction and the primary dysmenorrhea targets were taken for reverse screening to obtain the corresponding active ingredients. Cytoscape 3.6.1 software was used to construct a traditional Chinese medicine-compound-target-disease network; STRING database was used to build a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network; Gene ontology(GO) function enrichment analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were conducted by using DAVID database. The action mechanism of the intersection targets were then predicted, and a histogram chart and bubble chart were drawn for visualization. Then the top five targets in the PPI network were used for docking with the most compounds. In animal experiments, Sprague Dawley(SD) female rats were used to establish a primary dysmenorrhea model by intraperitoneal injection of diethylstilbestrol once a day. A total of 60 SD female rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, namely control group, model group, Danggui Sini Decoction low(1.5 g·kg~(-1)), medium(3.0 g·kg~(-1)), high(6.0 g·kg~(-1)) dose groups, and ibuprofen(20 mg·kg~(-1)) positive control group, with 10 rats in each group. From day 4, except for the control group, rats in the other groups were given intragastric administration of corresponding drugs, and the control group received intragastric administration of normal saline for 7 consecutive days. The number of writhing before and after the administration, the ute-rine contraction inhibition rate and the uterine index after administration were observed, and ELISA assay was used to detect the levels of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2) and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA) in the tissues of each group as well as the levels of serum inflammatory factors interleukin 1(IL-1), interleukin 6(IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α). According to network analysis, 7 Chinese medicines contained 114 active ingredients, 149 targets, and 30 common target genes with PD were obtained. The key targets included VEGFA, IL6, PTGS2, TNF, etc.; GO function enrichment analysis showed a total of 399 terms(P<0.05) were obtained, 353 of which were biological process(BP) terms, 21 were cell composition(CC) terms, and 25 were molecular function(MF) terms. In KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, 14 signaling pathways were obtained, 3 of which were related to inflammation, namely arachidonic acid metabolism, MAPK signaling pathway and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. The compounds in Danggui Sini Decoction can play a therapeutic role in the treatment of PD by acting on VEGFA, IL-6, PTGS2, TNF and other targets to regulate arachidonic acid and inflammatory signaling pathways.

Analysis on quality value transfer of substance benchmarks of Qingwei San

By preparing 10 batches of substance benchmarks freeze-drying powder( lyophilized powder),the methodology of the characteristic spectrum and the content of index component for substance benchmarks of Qingwei San was established. The characteristic peaks and the similarity range of the characteristic spectrum,the contents and the transfer rate range of isoferulic acid,palmatine and paeonol,and the paste-forming rate range were determined to define key quality attributes of substance benchmarks of Qingwei San. In the10 batches of substance benchmarks of Qingwei San,the similarity of characteristic spectrum was higher than 0. 90. In further comparison of the characteristic peak information,a total of 16 characteristic peaks were identified,including 5 characteristic peaks from Cimicifugae Rhizoma,5 characteristic peaks from Coptidis Rhizoma,2 characteristic peaks from Angelicae Sinensis Radix and 4 characteristic peaks from Moutan Cortex. The content of isoferulic acid was 0. 10%-0. 18%,with the average transfer rate of 49. 82%±4. 02%. The content of palmatine was 0. 17%-0. 31%,with the average transfer rate of 15. 84% ±2. 39%. The content of paeonol was 0. 41%-0. 75%,with the average transfer rate of 23. 41%±3. 23%. The paste-forming rate of the 10 batches of substance benchmarks were controlled at 27%-33%,with the transfer rate between the theoretical paste-forming rate and the actual paste-forming rate was 86. 59%±3. 39%. In this study,the quality value transfer of substance benchmarks of Qingwei San was analyzed by the combination of characteristic spectrum,the content of index component and the paste-forming rate. A scientific and stable evaluation method was preliminarily established,so as to provide the basis for subsequent development and quality control of relevant preparations of Qingwei San.

Quality assessment and traceability study of Angelicae Sinensis Radix via binary chromatography, triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry, and multivariate statistical analysis.

Angelicae Sinensis Radix is a world-renowned herbal medicine originating in China. Owing to many environmental and geographical factors, Angelicae Sinensis Radix from various origins may have a difference in the content of ingredients, which made the confusion in the clinical practice and market. Herein, a binary chromatographic fingerprinting analysis method is developed via hydrophilic interaction chromatography and reversed-phase liquid chromatography to obtain more chemical information. Following that, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method is furnished to simultaneously detect 17 ingredients of Angelicae Sinensis Radix gathered from six geographic zones in China. Eventually, the principal component analysis is successfully carried out to classify and differentiate the Angelicae Sinensis Radix from different origins, meanwhile the quantitative volcano plots was used to observe the changes of ingredient trends vividly. Accordingly, the proposed binary chromatography and triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry coupled with multivariate statistical analysis can be utilized as a facile and reliable method for origin tracing and quality control of Angelicae Sinensis Radix.

Rapid Geographical Origin Identification and Quality Assessment of Angelicae Sinensis Radix by FT-NIR Spectroscopy.

Angelicae Sinensis Radix is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine and spice in China. The purpose of this study was to develop a methodology for geographical classification of Angelicae Sinensis Radix and determine the contents of ferulic acid and Z-ligustilide in the samples using near-infrared spectroscopy. A qualitative model was established to identify the geographical origin of Angelicae Sinensis Radix using Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy. Support vector machine (SVM) algorithms were used for the establishment of a qualitative model. The optimum SVM model had a recognition rate of 100% for the calibration set and 83.72% for the prediction set. In addition, a quantitative model was established to predict the content of ferulic acid and Z-ligustilide using FT-NIR. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) algorithms were used for the establishment of a quantitative model. Synergy interval-PLS (Si-PLS) was used to screen the characteristic spectral interval to obtain the best PLSR model. The coefficient of determination for calibration (R2C) for the best PLSR models established with the optimal spectral preprocessing method and selected important spectral regions for the quantitative determination of ferulic acid and Z-ligustilide was 0.9659 and 0.9611, respectively, while the coefficient of determination for prediction (R2P) was 0.9118 and 0.9206, respectively. The values of the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) of the two final optimized PLSR models were greater than 2. The results suggested that NIR spectroscopy combined with SVM and PLSR algorithms could be exploited in the discrimination of Angelicae Sinensis Radix from different geographical locations for quality assurance and monitoring. This study might serve as a reference for quality evaluation of agricultural, pharmaceutical, and food products.

Systems bioinformatic approach to determine the pharmacological mechanisms of radix astragali and radix angelicae sinensis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background: Earlier meta-analysis has publicized that Radix Astragali (RA) and Radix Angelicae sinensis (RAS) are valuable to pulmonary function and exercise capacity in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Objectives: The objective of the study was to regulate the pharmacological mechanism of RA and RAS in IPF treatment. Materials and Methods: Microarray datasets for IPF were examined in the Gene Expression Omnibus database and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were recognized. Active compounds and target genes of RA and RAS were recognized using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology platform. The DEGs were combined with the active target genes to construct a medicine-compound-gene network and a protein–protein interaction network using Cytoscape software. Gene ontology function enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment were studied using RGUI. A gene-pathway network was established using Cytoscape and molecular docking was done using AutoDock Tool and AutoDock Vina software. Results: We recognized 1566 DEGs and 40 candidate target genes of RA and RAS acting on IPF. The six key active compounds prophesied were quercetin, kaempferol, stigmasterol, 7-O-methylisomucronulatol, formononetin, and beta-sitosterol. Following network construction and enrichment, the two main pathways were acknowledged, namely the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway and advanced glycation end (AGE) products receptor for AGE signaling pathway. Preliminary molecular docking to confirm interactions between key compounds and their protein targets in the pathways was carried out. Conclusion: The pharmacological mechanisms of RA and RAS in IPF treatment have been further elucidated, which could show valuable in future studies on their mechanisms of action for the treatment of IPF.

Comparative metagenomics analysis of the rhizosphere microbiota influence on Radix Angelica sinensis in different growth soil environments in China

Abstract We studied the correlation between the soil microbial status and the crop yield or medicinal properties of Angelica s.. Soil from different counties of China were collected and used in this study. Readfq, SOAP denovo, MetaGeneMark, and DIAMOND Resistance Gene Identifier (RGI) software were used in the analysis. A total of 131,345 genes of high quality were obtained, with the number of genes in all samples ranging from 483-42,545 and the average length ranging from 354.88-523.47. The acidobacteria in the non-sterilized group were significantly increased by comparing with the sterilized group, while actinobacteria in the non-sterilized group were significantly reduced by comparing with the sterilized group. There was a strong correlation between the two groups of the planting group and the two groups of the non-planting group, while the correlation between the planting and non-planting group was very weak. There were significant differences in the soil microbial community structure between Min county and Yunnan, as well as significant differences between the dominant genera of Min county and Yunnan. In summary, our study showed that the soil microbial flora in different areas affected the characteristics of Angelica s. roots, while sterilized soil was not conducive to the growth of Angelica s.

Potential mechanism of Astragali radix-Angelicae sinensis radix in the treatment of spinal cord injury based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Potential mechanism of Astragali radix-Angelicae sinensis radix in the treatment of spinal cord injury based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Modulation of the Gut Microbiota by Shen-Yan-Fang-Shuai Formula Improves Obesity Induced by High-Fat Diets.

Obesity and related metabolic disorders are associated with intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, disrupted intestinal barrier and chronic inflammation. Shen-Yan-Fang-Shuai formula (SYFSF) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula composed of Astragali Radix, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Rheum Officinale Baill, and four other herbs. In this study, we identified that SYFSF treatment prevented weight gain, low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. SYFSF also substantially improved gut barrier function, reduced metabolic endotoxemia, as well as systemic inflammation. Sequencing of 16S rRNA genes obtained from fecal samples demonstrated that SYFSF attenuated HFD-induced gut dysbiosis, seen an decreased Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratios. Microbial richness and diversity were also higher in the SYFSF-treated HFD group. Furthermore, similar therapeutic effects and changes in gut microbiota profile caused by SYFSF could be replicated by fecal microbiota transfer (FMT). Taken together, our study highlights the efficacy of SYFSF in preventing obesity and related metabolic disorders. Its therapeutic effect is associated with the modulation of gut microbiota, as a prebiotic.

Analysis of classical prescription Jinshui Liujun Jian based on ancient literature

To provide the ancient literary evidence support for the clinical application and development of classical prescription based on systematical collection and analysis of the ancient Chinese medical literature containing Jinshui Liujun Jian, including its origin and development. Bibliometric analysis was used and information of Jinshui Liujun Jian in ancient Chinese medical literature was then collected for statistical analysis of formula compositions, main indications, dosage, preparation methods, etc. A total of 151 valid items of data were obtained from 48 ancient Chinese medicine books. Jinshui Liujun Jian was first recorded in Jingyue Quanshu written by ZHANG Jiebin. This prescription consisted of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Pinelliae Rhizome, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Poria and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizome Praeparata cum Melle, and it was mainly used to treat the deficiency of lung and kidney, edema and excess production of phlegm, or Yin deficiency in the old, insufficient blood-qi, wind-cold evil, cough and disgusting, asthma and excessive phlegm. Doctors in later dynasties mostly followed the prescription compositions, dosages and indications in Jingyue Quanshu, and extended the clinical application of this prescription.

Exploration of the potential mechanism of the Tao Hong Si Wu Decoction for the treatment of postpartum blood stasis based on network pharmacology and in vivo experimental verification

Ethnopharmacological relevanceTao Hong Si Wu Decoction (THSWD) is a traditional prescription for blood management in traditional Chinese medicine, THSWD consists of Paeoniae Radix Alba (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.), Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC.), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels), Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Conioselinum anthriscoides 'Chuanxiong'), Persicae Seman (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) and Carthami Flos (Carthamus tinctorius L.) at a weight ratio of 3: 4: 3: 2: 3: 2. THSWD is a commonly used prescription in the treatment of postpartum blood stasis disease. Aim of the studyTo explore the potential mechanism of THSWD for the treatment of postpartum blood stasis using network pharmacology and experimental research. Materials and methodsWe extracted the active ingredients and targets in THSWD from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and constructed a herbs-ingredients-targets-disease-network, devised a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, performed GO enrichment analysis, and performed Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis to discover potential treatment mechanisms. A postpartum blood stasis model was established in rats, and the results of network pharmacology were verified by in vivo experiments. ResultsThe results showed that 69 potential active ingredients and 207 THSWD target genes for the treatment of postpartum blood stasis disease were obtained after ADME filtering analysis. The targets were enriched in multiple gene functions and different signaling pathways. By exploring various different signaling pathways, it was found that mitochondrial regulation of oxidative stress plays a potentially important role in the treatment of postpartum blood stasis with THSWD. Compared to model group, THSWD alleviated mitochondrial damage, decreased levels of oxidative stress in the rat model of postpartum blood stasis and reduced apoptosis in uterine cells. ConclusionThe therapeutic effect of THSWD on postpartum blood stasis is likely related to mitochondrial regulation of oxidative stress, which paves the way for further research investigating its mechanisms.

Application research of entropy weight-based grey systematic theory in quality evaluation of Angelicae Sinensis Radix slices

In order to discuss the "entropy weight method" for weighting various indicators in the comprehensive evaluation of Angelicae Sinensis Radix slices(ASR), the quality of ASR was comprehensively evaluated by entropy weight-based gray systematic theory and cluster analysis. In this study, the contents of ferulic acid, volatile oil, polysaccharide, alcohol extract, water extract, moisture, total ash and acid-insoluble ash in 44 batches of ASR from different sources were determined. The entropy weight method was used for objective weighting. With relative correlation(r_i) as a measure, a multi-index comprehensive evaluation model was constructed for the quality of ASR. The results showed that the relative correlation value of 44 batches of ASR ranged from 0.301 9 to 0.662 9. There were certain differences in the quality of ASR from different sources. The ASR S1-S8, traceable and standardized in processing techno-logy, showed a high relative correlation degree and high quality ranking, indicating that the implementation of systemic management of the production chain of Chinese herbal pieces was beneficial to the quality control of ASR. The quality evaluation results of 44 batches of ASR were consistent with those of traditional geo-authentic habitats for ASR and the mainstream varieties of ASR on market, and basically consistent with the results of cluster analysis. This study suggests that the gray systematic theory based on the entropy weighting method can be used for the quality evaluation of ASR. The objective weighting of the entropy weight method improves the reliability of the gray correlation method and the scientificity of ASR quality evaluation.

Anti-inflammatory effect of traditional Chinese medicine preparation Penyanling on pelvic inflammatory disease

Ethnopharmacological relevancePenyanling is made up of Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma (SG, from Smilar glabra Roxb.), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (AS, from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels), Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (SM, from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge), Sargentodoxae Caulis (SC, from Sargentodoxa cuneata (Oliv.) Rehd.et Wils.), Linderae Radix (LR, from Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm.), Paeoniae Radix Rubra (PR, from Paeonia lactiflora Pall.), Sparganii Rhizoma (SR, from Sparganium stoloniferum (Graebn.) Buch.-Ham.), Corydalis Rhizoma (CoR, from Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang), Cyperi Rhizoma (CyR, from Cyperus rotundus Linn.), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (GR, from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.), and Patrinia Scabiosaefolia (PS, from Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch. ex Trev.) recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. It has been used on pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) for more than twenty years.Aim of the study: This study was carried out to illustrate its pharmacological action and clarify its substantial composition. Materials and methodsThe anti-inflammatory effects of Penyanling were studied on a PID rat model and a lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated THP-1 cell line. Histological changes and levels of inflammatory factors in the uterine tube of the PID rat were examined. Levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in the nuclear of THP-1 cells and NF-κB, IκB-α, and FPR2 in the cytoplasm were tested by Western blot analysis. Substances within Penyanling were scanned with liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS). The contents of total flavonoids, phenolics, and saponins were quantified. ResultsThe anti-inflammatory effects of Penyanling were observed on PID rats, such as suppressing the infiltrations of lymphocytes and neutrophils in the uterine tube, decreasing the release of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, and promoting the production of lipoxin A4 (LXA4). On the other hand, Penyanling regulated the activity of NF-κB signal pathway on the LPS-stimulated THP-1 cell line, which suggested the potential mechanism of its anti-inflammatory effect. Besides, it could promote the expression of formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2), which suggested its effect on enhancing the resolution of inflammation. Seventy-six substances were identified by their accurate molecular weights, mass fragment patterns, retention times, and standards if available. Most of these substances were flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, and alkaloids. The contents of total flavonoids, phenolics, and saponins within Penyanling were 0.186, 1.371, and 4.321 mg/mL, respectively. ConclusionPenyanling showed an anti-inflammatory effect on PID, and its potential mechanism involved suppressing NF-κB signal pathway and promoting the resolution of inflammation. The main substances within it were flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, and alkaloids.

Fermentation of Danggui Buxue Tang, an ancient Chinese herbal mixture, together with Lactobacillus plantarum enhances the anti-diabetic functions of herbal product

BackgroundDanggui Buxue Tang (DBT), an ancient Chinese herbal decoction containing Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix at a ratio of 5: 1, is prescribed for menopausal women. Flavonoids and its flavonoid glycosides are considered as the major active ingredients within the herbal decoction; however, their amount is not controllable during the preparation. Besides, the aglycons within DBT are believed to have better gut absorption and pharmacological efficacy.MethodsThe herbal extract of DBT was fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum. The amounts of flavonoid glucosides and its aglycones in the fermented product were analyzed by using UPLC-MS/MS. In addition, in vitro assays were employed to evaluate the efficacy of the fermented DBT in regulating the activities of α-glucosidase, α-amylase and lipase, as well as their antioxidant capacity (DPPH and T-AOC assays) and anti-glycation property (BSA-methylglyoxal, BSA-fructose, and arginine-methylglyoxal models).ResultsThe fermentation of DBT with L. plantarum drove a completed conversion of calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside and ononin to calycosin and formononetin, respectively. The chemical transformation could be probably mediated by β-glycosidase within the fermented product. Several in vitro assays corresponding to anti-diabetic functions were compared between parental DBT against its fermented product, which included the activities against α-glucosidase, α-amylase and lipase, as well as anti-oxidation and anti-glycation. The fermented DBT showed increased activities in inhibiting α-glycosidase, suppressing DPPH radical-scavenging and anti-glycation, as compared to the original herbal product.ConclusionThese results suggested that DBT being fermented with the probiotic L. plantarum could pave a new direction for fermentation of herbal extract, as to strengthen its pharmacological properties in providing health benefits.

Study on drug properties and syndrome-symptom-formula-herb network of traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of effort angina pectoris based on data visualization

This article aims to explore drug properties and syndrome-symptom-formula-herb network of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in the treatment of effort angina pectoris based on data visualization, and provide useful references for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Literatures about TCM formula for effort angina pectoris from databases of CNKI, WanFang, VIP, and CBM were retrieved from the database-building to August 31, 2019. The name of syndromes, symptoms, formulas, and herbs were standardized, and the corresponding databases were established. Frequency, four properties, five flavors, and meridian were analyzed. Visualized syndrome-symptom-formula-herb network relationships were constructed by bioinformatic analysis. A total of 202 formulas were included, and 218 kinds of TCM were involved. There were 56 herbs with the use frequency of more than 10, involving 78 syndromes and 162 symptoms. TCM formulas in the treatment of effort angina pectoris mainly included herbs with effects in invigorating blood circulation and eliminating stasis, tonifying deficiency, Qi-regulating, resolving phlegm and relieving cough and asthma, relieving exterior disorder, and heat-clearing. The main properties were warm, cold and mild(accounting for 95%); the main flavors were sweet, bitter and pungent(accounting for 89%); and meridians were mainly spleen, heart, liver, lung, stomach, and kidney(accounting for 89%). Syndrome-symptom-formula-herb network of TCM in the treatment of effort angina pectoris were successfully constructed. The high-frequency syndromes of this disease were Qi deficiency and blood stasis, Qi stagnation and blood stasis, heart blood stasis, and turbid phlegm and blood stasis, and its high-frequency symptoms were chest tightness, chest pain, palpitation, shortness of breath, fatigue, dark purple tongue, spontaneous sweating, and abundant phlegm. High-frequency core formulas of this disease included Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction, Gualou Xiebai Banxia Decoction, Danshen Decoction, Taohong Siwu Decoction, Shengmai Powder, Buyang Huanwu Decoction and Zhigancao Decoction, and their core herbs included Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Astragali Radix, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Trichosanthis Fructus, Allium Macrostemonis Bulbus, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Persicae Semen, Carthami Flos, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Rubra, Poria, Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum. Drug properties and syndrome-symptom-formula-herb networks of TCM in the treatment of effort angina pectoris can realize data visualization, objectively reflect the clinical syndrome differentiation and rule of medication, and provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Quantification Analysis of 13 Organic Components and 8 Inorganic Elements in Angelica Sinensis Radix and Its Different Parts Combined with Chemical Recognition Pattern.

Angelica Sinensis Radix (Danggui, DG) is one of the most commonly prescribed traditional Chinese medicines. The organic components include phthalides and phenolic acids. Meanwhile, inorganic elements play an important role in clinical effect. DG and its different parts have different effects. There is no relevant report on the analysis of organic compounds and inorganic elements among them. Therefore, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry was developed for the simultaneous determination of 13 organic components (8 phthalides and 5 phenolic acids), and 8 inorganic elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The contents of 32 samples were analyzed by orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, and least-significant difference of one-way analysis of variance. The results showed that the differences were significant among DG and its different parts. 11 difference markers (Ca, Z-ligustilide, Mg, Mn, Fe, Na, K, Cu, Zn, coniferyl ferulate, and senkyunolide A) were obtained by variable importance for the project. These difference markers were some different among DG and its different parts, especially Z‐ligustilide, coniferyl ferulate, Mg, Zn, the differences were significant. This study can provide a reference for DG research.

Network Pharmacology Analysis and Molecular Characterization of the Herbal Medicine Formulation Qi-Fu-Yin for the Inhibition of the Neuroinflammatory Biomarker iNOS in Microglial BV-2 Cells: Implication for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

Aberrant microglial activation drives neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study is aimed at investigating whether the herbal formula Qi-Fu-Yin (QFY) could inhibit the inflammatory activation of cultured BV-2 microglia. A network pharmacology approach was employed to predict the active compounds of QFY, protein targets, and affected pathways. The representative pathways and molecular functions of the targets were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment. A total of 145 active compounds were selected from seven herbal ingredients of QFY. Targets (e.g., MAPT, APP, ACHE, iNOS, and COX-2) were predicted for the selected active compounds based on the relevance to AD and inflammation. As a validation, fractions were sequentially prepared by aqueous extraction, ethanolic precipitation, and HPLC separation, and assayed for downregulating two key proinflammatory biomarkers iNOS and COX-2 in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) challenged BV-2 cells by the Western blotting technique. Moreover, the compounds of QFY in 90% ethanol downregulated iNOS in BV-2 cells but showed no activity against COX-2 induction. Among the herbal ingredients of QFY, Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma contributed to the selective inhibition of iNOS induction. Furthermore, chemical analysis identified ginsenosides, especially Rg3, as antineuroinflammatory compounds. The herbal formula QFY may ameliorate neuroinflammation via downregulating iNOS in microglia.