Zou Shuting, Xie Bin, An Zhentao, Li Fang, Cui Li, Zhang Zhenhai, Bu Weiquan, He Dandan
Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210028, People's Republic of China.
Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Lishui District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211200, People's Republic of China.
Drug Des Devel Ther. 2025 May 22;19:4275-4295. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S517114. eCollection 2025.
The aroma of the aromatic class of traditional Chinese medicines can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis. This study aimed to explore the mechanisms by which volatile oil from (VOCRPV) alleviates slow-transit constipation (STC).
The main active ingredients in VOCRPV were determined by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Due to poor stability, an olive oil solution was prepared to enhance the volatile oil's stability. A mouse model of STC was induced using loperamide hydrochloride. The mice's body weight was monitored weekly. The number of fecal pellets, fecal water content, and small intestinal propulsion rate were detected. The colon tissues were analyzed using HE staining. The serum content of gastrointestinal hormones was measured using the corresponding ELISA kit. The protein expressions of stem cell factor (SCF) and c-Kit in colon tissues were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry methods. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to detect the intestinal flora.
The contents of p-isopropyl toluene, γ-Terpinene, and d-Limonene were determined by HPLC. VOCRPV and its olive oil solution significantly enhanced body weight, increased the number of fecal pellets, improved fecal water content, and boosted small intestinal propulsion rate in mice with loperamide-induced STC, while also repairing colon mucosa damage. They also increased gastrin (Gas) and motilin (MTL) levels in treated mice, upregulated the expression of SCF and c-Kit proteins, and restored intestinal flora balance in STC mice.
VOCRPV could effectively alleviate STC, and olive oil enhances its therapeutic effect. VOCRPV alleviates STC by elevating Gas and MTL levels, activating the SCF/c-Kit signaling pathway, and modulating intestinal flora.
芳香类中药的香气可促进胃肠蠕动。本研究旨在探讨石菖蒲挥发油（VOCRPV）缓解慢传输型便秘（STC）的机制。
采用高效液相色谱法（HPLC）测定VOCRPV中的主要活性成分。由于稳定性较差，制备了橄榄油溶液以提高挥发油的稳定性。用盐酸洛哌丁胺诱导建立STC小鼠模型。每周监测小鼠体重。检测粪便粒数、粪便含水量和小肠推进率。采用苏木精-伊红（HE）染色分析结肠组织。使用相应的酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）试剂盒测定胃肠激素的血清含量。通过蛋白质免疫印迹法和免疫组织化学方法检测结肠组织中干细胞因子（SCF）和c-Kit的蛋白表达。采用16S核糖体RNA（rRNA）基因测序检测肠道菌群。
通过HPLC测定了对异丙基甲苯、γ-萜品烯和d-柠檬烯的含量。VOCRPV及其橄榄油溶液显著增加了盐酸洛哌丁胺诱导的STC小鼠的体重，增加了粪便粒数，改善了粪便含水量，提高了小肠推进率，同时还修复了结肠黏膜损伤。它们还增加了治疗小鼠胃泌素（Gas）和胃动素（MTL）水平，上调了SCF和c-Kit蛋白的表达，并恢复了STC小鼠的肠道菌群平衡。
VOCRPV可有效缓解STC，橄榄油可增强其治疗效果。VOCRPV通过提高Gas和MTL水平、激活SCF/c-Kit信号通路以及调节肠道菌群来缓解STC。
