ABSTRACT
Erchentang originated from Taiping Huimin Heji Ju Fang written in the Northern Song Dynasty, is recognized as the ancestor prescription of expectorant in past dynasties. The prescription is rigorous and well-matched, which can regulate Qi and expectorate phlegm. It has a definite curative effect on phlegm-drinking syndrome and related diseases. In recent years, the research on the mechanism of action has expanded and deepened. According to the collected data, in recent years, the research on Erchentang is mostly related to the treatment of respiratory diseases. Even other diseases of the system are often treated from the lung through the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, which provides a new way of thinking for the treatment of diseases. Most of the studies on Erchentang are flavored or combined prescriptions of Erchentang. Based on this, through the collection of research data, it is found that the reasons for this characteristic are related to the medication rules of doctors in past dynasties. Pharmacological research has become a hot topic, often involving multiple signal transduction pathways, to explore the multi-target therapeutic effect of Erchentang. Pharmacological research is also focused on the treatment of respiratory diseases, especially chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the research content is particularly detailed. This paper will briefly summarize the research progress of Erchentang from the aspects of literature research, clinical research and pharmacological research. The latest literature research is helpful to understand the meaning of Erchentang, and many researchers have clarified the mechanism of Erchentang in vivo through the latest detection technology.