ABSTRACT
Chaihu Shugansan is a representative prescription for soothing the liver and relieving depression in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Chaihu Shugansan is from Jingyue Quanshu.Chaihu Shugansan has been widely used in clinic since Ming dynasty because of its exact curative effect.Chaihu Shugansan has the effect in soothing the liver and relieving depression through multiple components, multiple ways and multiple targets.At present, the mechanism of Chaihu Shugansan has been interpreted based on its multiple effect on neurotransmitters, cytokines, neuronal injury signal pathways, neuroendocrine, oxidative stress and so on.This paper summarizes the progress of clinical studies on source, pharmacology of single herbs and effective components of Chaihu Shugansan, in aspects of cardiovascular system, neuropsychiatric system, digestive system, reproduction-related systems, analyses and summarizes relevant literatures of Chaihu Shugansan published in recent years, and discusses about current development and shortcomings of Chaihu Shugansan, so as to provide ideas for the studies in the future.Beneficial explorations will be conducted in large-sample-size, standardized, clinical and experimental mutual verification.In proteomics research technology, network pharmacology, supramolecular theory of TCM and other fields, Chaihu Shugansan and liver depression syndrome will be organically connected from the microscopic perspective.And comprehensive studies will be conduct to TCM, metabonomics, proteomics, genomics and other disciplines, in order to clarify Chaihu Shugansan prescriptions, syndromes, therapeutics and its mechanism.