ABSTRACT
In this study, a combination of metabolomics and network pharmacology was used to study the pharmacodynamic substances and mechanism of action of Yiyi Fuzi powder (YYFZ) on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rats. The animal experiments were conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval number: TCM-LAEC2021241). The metabolomic analysis using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS technique identified 22 metabolites, including arachidonic acid, tryptophan, linoleic acid, phenylalanine, as significant biomarkers for the treatment of RA with YYFZ, and they were significantly regressed after YYFZ treatment. The analysis of YYFZ blood components also revealed that 11 blood components, including hypaconitine, benzoylhypaconitine, and deoxyaconitine, may be the components that exert direct pharmacological effects in YYFZ in vivo, and further network pharmacological analysis of blood components obtained that YYFZ may exhibit anti-inflammatory effects through acting on PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, estrogen signaling pathway, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway. The results of this study provide implications for the clinical application of YYFZ.
ABSTRACT
Coicis Semen is a common traditional Chinese medicine for medicine and food homology, with high nutritional value, known as "the King of Gramineae". It contains fatty acids and esters, polysaccharides, flavonoids, triterpenes, alkaloids, sterols, lactams, starch and other compounds, which exerts different effects in the treatment of diseases of Coicis Semen to achieve the purpose of treatment. Recent research has found that Coicis Semen not only has a good effect of removing dampness and diuresis in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, but also can treat a variety of cancers, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. Furthermore, it can enhance immunity and regulate intestinal flora. It also can be used as the treatment for medicinal diet auxiliary diseases, and the clinical adverse reactions are less, and the medication is safer. Kanglaite injection with Coicis Semen oil as the main raw material has been widely used in the clinical treatment of a variety of cancers, and many health foods and medicinal diets are also under development. This paper mainly discusses the research progress on the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Coicis Semen, hoping to provide reference for the further study of Coicis Semen.