Cheung H P, Wang S W, Ng T B, Zhang Y B, Lao L X, Zhang Z J, Tong Y, Chung F W S, Sze S C W
School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China.
School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, SAR China.
Chin Med. 2017 Jan 3;12:1. doi: 10.1186/s13020-016-0123-8. eCollection 2017.
Identification of bioactive standard chemicals is a major challenge in the study of the Chinese medicinal formula. In particular, the chemical components may interact differently depending on the preparative methods, therefore affecting the amounts of bioactive components and their pharmacological properties in the medicinal formula. With the use of Erxian decoction (EXD) as a study model-a well-known Chinese medicinal formula for treating menopausal symptoms, a novel and rapid approach in seeking standard chemicals has been established by differentially comparing the HPLC profiles and the menopause-related biochemical parameters of combined decoction of EXD (EXD-C) and mixtures of the decoctions of its individual herbs (EXD-S).
The levels of six chemicals, which exerted actions on the HPO axis, have been measured in EXD-C and EXD-S by HPLC. Twelve-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were employed and treated with EXD-C and EXD-S. Their endocrine functions after treatment were evaluated by determining the ovarian mRNA levels of aromatase, a key enzyme for estradiol biosynthesis. The effect of the antioxidant regimen was determined by the hepatic superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx-1) mRNA levels.
The amounts of mangiferine, ferulic acid, jatrorrhizine and palmatine in EXD-S were twofold higher than those in EXD-C. EXD-S was more effective in stimulating ovarian aromatase and the expression of the antioxidant enzymes compared with EXD-C.
Mangiferine, ferulic acid, jatrorrhizine and palmatine are suitable for use as standard chemicals for quality evaluation of EXD according to our approach. EXD-S could be more effective than EXD-C.
生物活性标准化学物质的鉴定是中药复方研究中的一项重大挑战。特别是化学成分可能因制备方法的不同而产生不同的相互作用,从而影响复方中生物活性成分的含量及其药理特性。以二仙汤(EXD)作为研究模型——一种治疗更年期症状的著名中药复方,通过差异比较EXD合煎剂(EXD-C)及其单味药煎剂混合物(EXD-S)的高效液相色谱(HPLC)图谱和更年期相关生化参数,建立了一种新颖且快速的寻找标准化学物质的方法。
采用HPLC测定了EXD-C和EXD-S中六种对下丘脑-垂体-卵巢(HPO)轴有作用的化学物质的含量。选用12月龄雌性Sprague-Dawley大鼠,分别用EXD-C和EXD-S进行处理。通过测定雌激素生物合成关键酶芳香化酶的卵巢mRNA水平,评估处理后它们的内分泌功能。通过肝脏超氧化物歧化酶-1(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPx-1)的mRNA水平,确定抗氧化方案的效果。
EXD-S中芒果苷、阿魏酸、药根碱和巴马汀的含量比EXD-C中的高出两倍。与EXD-C相比,EXD-S在刺激卵巢芳香化酶和抗氧化酶表达方面更有效。
根据我们的方法,芒果苷、阿魏酸、药根碱和巴马汀适合用作EXD质量评价的标准化学物质。EXD-S可能比EXD-C更有效。