Discussion on “lifting and lowering” of Chinese materia medica based on supramolecular imprinting template theory / 中草药

Based on the special influence of supramolecular chemistry on the four-character theory of Chinese materia medica (CMM) proposed in the early stage of this laboratory, this paper further analyzes the historical evolution and research situation of CMM lifting and lowering, and uses the supramolecular “imprint template” theory to analyze the “lifting and sinking” of CMM, and proposes evaluation method of CMM floating and sinking. The human body and CMM are “imprinted templates” of the aggregation of imprinting function, under the effect of the “imprinting template”, different types of Chinese native medicine ingredient targets with human targets through “lock-and-key” relationship in non covalent bond, the role of CMM object supramolecular by key can correct human body supramolecular in the processes of self-recognition, self-organization, self-assembly, self-replication when the fever, disorder of qi occurs. The human body has the ability to resist the invasion of external diseases and pathogens, which depends on the normal “rise and fall” of human qi; CMM has the property of floating and sinking, and can eliminate diseases. It depends on its adjustment of qi disorder of human body, or compliance with qi and removing pathogens to enhance the ability of immunity. Based on this, on the basis of analyzing the pharmacological effects of the rise and fall of CMM, the material basis of the lifting and lowering of CMM was explored, and the evaluation method of the lifting and lowering of traditional Chinese medicine was established. The supramolecular “imprinting template” theory is used to analyze the lifting and lowering of CMM, revealing its scientific connotation and promoting the continuous innovation of CMM pharmacology theory.

Approaches and methods of property-flavour material basis of Chinese materia medica based on molecular docking technology of taste and olfactory receptors / 中草药

The theory on the property of Chinese materia medica (CMM) is one of the core contents of CMM theory, among which five flavors theory is the core content of CMM theory. The objective characterization of the five flavors of CMM is the key to the theoretical study of CMM, which is an important way to explain the scientific connotation of CMM. Based on the basic definition of five tastes medicinal properties and the interaction of drug molecules-taste, olfactory receptors, authors put forward the research methods using molecular docking technology and the research approach. In this study, the expression of five tastes drug property was systematically discussed from the aspects of biological mechanisms of taste, olfactory perception, molecular docking, homology modeling, and receptor selection, which provides a reference method for the study of drug property theory from the perspective of taste and smell attribute of five tastes.

Practice and progress on bionic technology in identification on five tastes of Chinese materia medica / 中草药

Four properties and five tastes are the core content of medicinal theory of Chinese materia medica (CMM), and it is important for modern study of CMM to elucidate the scientific connotation of five tastes based on the application of bionic technology. With the development of bionic technology, electronic nose and electronic tongue have become the objective method to determine the taste and smell in recent years. Based on the taste and odour connotation of five tastes of CMM, the working principle, research method, and identification of flavor substances in CMM of electronic nose and electronic tongue were summarized, and the progress on original variety, production place, growth period, storage life and processing technology of CMM were reviewed in this article. Combined with the practice of our research group on the characterization of medicinal properties, the basic research model of the definition and characterization of the five tastes of effective materials basis was proposed, which would provide a reference method for the medicinal research on five tastes of CMM.

Idea and method of regularity knowledge of Chinese materia medica on essential oils as potential penetration enhancers based on drug property characteristics / 中草药

Penetration enhancers (PE) were usually applied as the optimum strategy to improve the percutaneous absorption of active components from pharmaceutical preparations. Essential oils (EOs) were a kind of PE with satisfactory characteristics. Only 34 of among more than 300 EOs are reported to be used as PE. That is to say, about 90% EOs have not been applied until now and EOs possess great potential to act as PE. However, the research of EOs from Chinese materia medica (CMM) mainly followed the strategy of chemical PE. A large amount of studies were carried out to evaluate the transdermal penetration enhancing efficacy and pharmacological activity, resulting in the limited efficiency. EOs of CMM were also the key material basis of CMM pungent flavor. In the theory of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), it was accepted that the pungent flavor could open the striae and interstice. The results of literature investigation revealed that the penetration enhancing efficacy of EOs directly related with drug property characteristics of CMM. Therefore, in the present paper, it was proposed that a rule existed between the penetration enhancing efficacy of EOs and drug property characteristics of CMM. A series of studies were then designed to reveal the rule with the aid of data analysis. The resultant rule will help to find the effective PE from various EOs. Moreover, to facilitate the high-throughput screening of EOs, liposomal artificial skin membrane was prepared and applied to the evaluation of in vitro penetration enhancing efficacy of EOs with optimization of the evaluation parameters. Finally, the results of the study will provide a novel strategy for the research of EOs as PE and the research of the application of TCM theory to the modern pharmaceutical study. In addition, the application of microemulsion technique will be the future trends of EOs as PE to solve the stability problems.

Study on Modern Scientific Connotation of Bitter Taste Property of Chinese Materia Medica Based on Bitter Taste Receptors / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Bitter taste receptors (BTRs) belong to the G protein-coupled receptors, which included 25 subtypes. BTRs, which were distributed in the oral cavity, mediated the bitter taste of mammalian. Furthermore, BTRs were also existed in the extra-oral digestive system such as the stomach and intestine to influence the digestion, absorption and energy regulation. It also can relax airway smooth muscles in the respiratory system and decrease blood pressure in the cardiovascular system. While being strikingly conformed to the latest advancements of BTRs, the efficacy of bitter taste property of Chinese materia medica (CMM) such as“excretion”,“dryness” and“strengthening” have been used in ancient theories of property and flavor in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years in the treatment of multisystem diseases such as digestive, endocrine, respiratory and cardiovascular system. Therefore, applying modern techniques and new methods in the interpretation of the scientific connotation of bitter taste property of CMM based on BTRs should be a feasible way and a new research pattern. It played an important role in the enriching of the property theory in CMM, as well as enhancing the modernization and objectivization of CMM.