Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2010 Feb 22;5(2):e9339. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009339.
Proving the efficacy and corresponding mode of action of herbal supplements is a difficult challenge for evidence-based herbal therapy. A major hurdle is the complexity of herbal preparations, many of which combine multiple herbs, particularly when the combination is assumed to be vitally important to the effectiveness of the herbal therapy. This issue may be addressed through the use of contemporary methodology and validated animal models.
In this study, two commonly used traditional herbal formulas, Shi Quan Da Bu Tang (SQDB) and Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan (HLXL) were evaluated using a survival assay and oxidative stress biomarkers in a well-established C. elegans model of aging. HLXL is an eleven herb formula modified from a top-selling traditional herbal formula for the treatment of arthritic joint pain. SQDB consists of ten herbs often used for fatigue and energy, particularly in the aged. We demonstrate here that SQDB significantly extend life span in a C. elegans model of aging. Among all individual herbs tested, two herbs Cinnamomum cassia bark (Chinese pharmaceutical name: Cinnamomi Cortex, CIN) and Panax ginseng root (Chinese pharmaceutical name: Ginseng Radix, GS) significantly extended life span in C. elegans. CIN in both SQDB and HLXL formula extended life span via modulation of multiple longevity assurance genes, including genes involved in insulin signaling and stress response pathways. All the life-span-extending herbs (SQDB, CIN and GS) also attenuated levels of H2O2 and enhanced small heat shock protein expression. Furthermore, the life span-extending herbs significantly delayed human amyloid beta (Abeta)-induced toxicity in transgenic C. elegans expressing human Abeta.
CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These results validate an invertebrate model for rapid, systematic evaluation of commonly used Chinese herbal formulations and may provide insight for designing future evidence-based herbal therapy(s).
对于基于证据的草药疗法来说，证明草药补充剂的疗效及其相应作用模式是一项艰巨的挑战。一个主要的障碍是草药制剂的复杂性，其中许多制剂混合了多种草药，尤其是当这种组合被认为对草药疗法的有效性至关重要时。这个问题可以通过使用现代方法和经过验证的动物模型来解决。
在这项研究中，使用生存分析和氧化应激生物标志物，在一个成熟的秀丽隐杆线虫衰老模型中，评估了两种常用的传统草药配方，即十全大补汤（SQDB）和活络效灵丹（HLXL）。HLXL 是一种由一种畅销的传统草药配方改良而来的十一味草药配方，用于治疗关节炎关节疼痛。SQDB 由十种草药组成，常用于治疗疲劳和乏力，特别是在老年人中。我们在这里证明 SQDB 可显著延长衰老秀丽隐杆线虫模型的寿命。在测试的所有单一草药中，肉桂（Chinese pharmaceutical name: Cinnamomi Cortex, CIN）和人参（Chinese pharmaceutical name: Ginseng Radix, GS）两种草药可显著延长秀丽隐杆线虫的寿命。SQDB 和 HLXL 配方中的 CIN 通过调节多个长寿保证基因，包括参与胰岛素信号和应激反应途径的基因，来延长寿命。所有延长寿命的草药（SQDB、CIN 和 GS）还降低了 H2O2 的水平并增强了小热休克蛋白的表达。此外，这些延长寿命的草药还显著延缓了转基因秀丽隐杆线虫中人类淀粉样蛋白β（Abeta）诱导的毒性，这些线虫表达人类 Abeta。
结论/意义：这些结果验证了一种用于快速、系统评估常用中药配方的无脊椎动物模型，并可能为设计未来基于证据的草药疗法提供思路。
