Geju Hugan Tablets Ameliorate Alcohol-induced Liver Injury in Mice by Regulating NF-κB and Bcl-2/Bax Signaling Pathways / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Geju Hugan tablets on the liver of mice with alcohol-induced liver injury， and explore the underlying mechanism based on nuclear factor-κB p65 （NF-κB p65） and B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）/Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） signaling pathways. MethodAccording to the body weight， 60 SPF-grade male ICR mice were randomized into normal， model， Compound Yiganling tablets （0.16 g·kg-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （0.2， 0.4， 0.8 g·kg-1， respectively） Geju Hugan tablets groups. The drugs were administrated at the corresponding doses by gavage， and the normal and model groups with equal volume of pure water once a day for 28 consecutive days. On day 29， the mice in other groups except the normal group were administrated with liquor （53% Vol） by gavage twice a day at the doses of 20， 10 mL·kg-1 and with the interval of 6 h. Samples were harvested on day 30. The histopathological changes in the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the ultrastructural changes in hepatocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of malonaldehyde （MDA）， reduced glutathione （GSH）， and triglycerides （TG） in the liver tissue and the levels of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） in the serum. Western blotting was employed to determine the protein levels of NF-κB p65， phosphorylated p-inhibitor kappa B alpha （p-IκBα）， Bcl-2， and Bax in the liver tissue. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed increases in the ALT， AST， MDA， and TG levels， a decrease in the GSH level， and increases in the liver injury scores evaluated based on the HE， oil red O， and transmission electron microscopy （P<0.01）. Moreover， the model group showed up-regulated expression of NF-κB， p-IκBα， and Bax （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.05） in the liver tissue. Compared with the model group， Geju Hugan tablets of all the doses lowered the ALT， AST， MDA， and TG levels and elevated the GSH level （P<0.01）. The liver injury scores assessed based on HE staining and transmission electron microscopy in the medium- and high-dose Geju Hugan tablets groups were lower than those in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， medium- and high-dose Geju Hugan tablets down-regulated the protein levels of NF-κB， p-IκBα， and Bax （P<0.01） and all doses of Geju Hugan tablets up-regulated the protein level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. ConclusionGeju Hugan tablets protect mice from alcohol-induced liver injury by down-regulating NF-κB signaling pathway to alleviate inflammation in the liver tissue and down-regulating the expression of Bax and up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 to inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis.

Effect and mechanism of Puerariae Lobatae Radix in alleviating insulin resistance in T2DM db/db mice based on intestinal flora / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to examine the effect and underlying mechanism of Puerariae Lobatae Radix on insulin resistance in db/db mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) based on the analysis of intestinal flora. Fifty db/db mice were randomly divided into a model group(M group), a metformin group(YX group), a high-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group(YGG group), a medium-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group(YGZ group), and a low-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group(YGD group). Another 10 db/m mice were assigned to the normal group(K group). After continuous administration for eight weeks, body weight and blood sugar of mice were measured. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect glycosylated serum protein(GSP) and fasting serum insulin(FINS), and insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR) was calculated. The histopathological changes in the pancreas were observed by HE staining. Tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α expression in the pancreas was detected using immunohistochemistry. The structural changes in fecal intestinal flora in the K, M, and YGZ groups were detected by 16S rRNA. Western blot was used to detect the expression of farnesoid X receptor(FXR) and takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5(TGR5) in the ileum, cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1) and sterol 27α-hydroxylase(CYP27A1) in the liver, and G protein-coupled receptors 41(GPR41) and 43(GPR43) in the colon. Compared with the K group, the M group showed increased body weight, blood sugar, serum GSP, fasting blood glucose(FBG), and FINS, increased HOMA-IR, inflammatory infiltration of islet cells, necrosis and degeneration of massive acinar cells, unclear boundary between islet cells and acinar cells, disturbed intestinal flora, and down-regulated FXR, TGR5, CYP7A1, CYP27A1, GPR41, and GPR43. Compared with the M group, the YX, YGG, YGZ, and YGD groups showed decreased body weight, blood sugar, serum GSP, FBG, and FINS, islet cells with intact and clumpy morphology and clear boundary, necrosis of a few acinar cells, and more visible islet cells. The intestinal flora in the YGZ group changed from phylum to genus levels, and the relative abundance of intestinal flora affecting the metabolites of intestinal flora increased. The protein expression of FXR, TGR5, CYP7A1, CYP27A1, GPR41, and GPR43 increased. The results show that Puerariae Lobatae Radix can improve the inflammatory damage of pancreatic islet cells and reduce insulin resistance in db/db mice with T2DM. The mechanism of action may be related to the increase in the abundance of Actinobacteria, Bifidobacterium, and Bacteroides in the intestinal tract and the protein expression related to metabolites of intestinal flora.

Hyperspectral imaging technology distinguishes between Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Lobatae Caulis / 中国中药杂志

Puerariae Lobatae Radix, the dried root of Pueraria lobata, is a traditional Chinese medicine with a long history. Puerariae Lobatae Caulis as an adulterant is always mixed into Puerariae Lobatae Radix for sales in the market. This study employed hyperspectral imaging(HSI) to distinguish between the two products. VNIR lens(spectral scope of 410-990 nm) and SWIR lens(spectral scope of 950-2 500 nm) were used for image acquiring. Multi-layer perceptron(MLP), partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), and support vector machine(SVM) were employed to establish the full-waveband models and select the effective wavelengths for the distinguishing between Puerariae Lobatae Caulis and Puerariae Lobatae Radix, which provided technical and data support for the development of quick inspection equipment based on HSI. The results showed that MLP model outperformed PLS-DA and SVM models in the accuracy of discrimination with full wavebands in VNIR, SWIR, and VNIR+SWIR lens, which were 95.26%, 99.11%, and 99.05%, respectively. The discriminative band selection(DBS) algorithm was employed to select the effective wavelengths, and the discrimination accuracy was 93.05%, 98.05%, and 98.74% in the three different spectral scopes, respectively. On this basis, the MLP model combined with the effective wavelengths within the range of 2 100-2 400 nm can achieve the accuracy of 97.74%, which was close to that obtained with the full waveband. This waveband can be used to develop quick inspection devices based on HSI for the rapid and non-destructive distinguishing between Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Lobatae Caulis.

Analysis of Chemical Constituents in Puerariae Lobatae Radix Dispensing Granules by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveA rapid method for identification of chemical constituents in Puerariae Lobatae Radix dispensing granules was established in order to clarify the material basis. MethodThe chemical constituents of Puerariae Lobatae Radix dispensing granules was qualitatively analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS） under positive and negative ion modes， and the chromatographic conditions were on an ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column（2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.8 μm） with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（A）-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile solution（B） as mobile phase for gradient elution（0-4 min， 5%-10%B； 4-10 min， 10%-15%B； 10-20 min， 15%-16%B； 20-27 min， 16%-31%B； 27-33 min， 31%-59%B； 33-42 min， 59%-95%B； 42-42.1 min， 95%-5%B； 42.1-45 min， 5%B）， the flow rate was 0.35 mL·min-1， the column temperature was 40 ℃， the injection volume was 5 μL， and electrospray ionization（ESI） was selected. Then these chemical constituents were comprehensively identified based on PeakView 1.2， PubChem， ChemicalBook， ChemSpider， comparative control profiles and literature information. ResultA total of 128 chemical constituents were identified from the dispensing granules， including 60 flavonoids， 26 organic acids， 7 glycosides， 6 coumarins， 3 nucleosides and 26 other compounds. By focusing on the cleavage patterns of flavonoids， organic acids， glycosides， coumarins， nucleosides and other compounds， 12 compounds that have not been reported in Puerariae Lobatae Radix species were identified from the dispensing granules. ConclusionThe established method can systematically and rapidly identify the chemical constituents in Puerariae Lobatae Radix dispensing granules， and cleared it composition is mainly flavonoids and organic acids. Laying a foundation for the study of the material basis， mechanism of action and clinical application of the dispensing granules.

Protective Effect of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Puerariae Lobatae Radix Extract on SH-SY5Y Cells Injured by Oxygen-glucose Deprivation/Reoxygenation / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the protective effect of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Puerariae Lobatae Radix （SP） extract on oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation （OGD/R）-injured SH-SY5Y cells based on oxidative stress and apoptosis. MethodThe extracts of the two medicinal materials mixed in different ratios were prepared. Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were cultured in vitro and the injury was induced by OGD/R. Cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to screen the optimal ratio of the two medicinals and then the extract was used for further experiment. SH-SY5Y cells were classified into normal control group， OGD/R group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose SP （2∶1） extract groups （10， 30， 100 mg·L-1， respectively）. Cells in the groups， except the normal control group， were rapidly reoxygenated for 12 h after 4 h OGD for modeling. Then cell viability was detected by CCK-8 and cell morphology was observed under the microscope. The release rate of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity， and content of glutathione （GSH） and malondialdehyde （MDA） were determined by spectrophotometry. The level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） was detected with 2，7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate （DCFH-DA） and mitochondrial membrane potential with JC-1 assay. The nuclear morphology was observed based on Hoechst 33342 staining， and apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry combined with Annexin V-FITC/PI staining. ResultThe viability of the cells was highest in the presence of the extract of the two medicinals mixed at the ratio of 2∶1. Compared with normal control group， OGD/R group showed damaged cell morphology， high release rate of LDH and levels of ROS and MDA （P<0.01）， low SOD activity and GSH level （P<0.01）， low mitochondrial membrane potential， and high apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. Compared with OGD/R group， SP extract improved cell viability and cell morphology and reduce cell LDH release rate in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.01）. In addition， SP extract at 30， 100 mg·L-1 reduced the level of intracellular ROS and increased SOD activity and GSH level （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and SP extract at 100 mg·L-1 decreased the content of MDA （P <0.05）. Moreover， SP extract increased mitochondrial membrane potential， and SP extract at 30， 100 mg·L-1 lowered the apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Radix Puerariae mixed at 2∶1 shows better protective effect on OGD/R-injured SH-SY5Y cells. The mechanism is the likelihood that it alleviates oxidative damage of cells and inhibits cell apoptosis.

Protective Effect of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Puerariae Lobatae Radix Extract on SH-SY5Y Cells Injured by Oxygen-glucose Deprivation/Reoxygenation / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the protective effect of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Puerariae Lobatae Radix （SP） extract on oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation （OGD/R）-injured SH-SY5Y cells based on oxidative stress and apoptosis. MethodThe extracts of the two medicinal materials mixed in different ratios were prepared. Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were cultured in vitro and the injury was induced by OGD/R. Cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to screen the optimal ratio of the two medicinals and then the extract was used for further experiment. SH-SY5Y cells were classified into normal control group， OGD/R group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose SP （2∶1） extract groups （10， 30， 100 mg·L-1， respectively）. Cells in the groups， except the normal control group， were rapidly reoxygenated for 12 h after 4 h OGD for modeling. Then cell viability was detected by CCK-8 and cell morphology was observed under the microscope. The release rate of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity， and content of glutathione （GSH） and malondialdehyde （MDA） were determined by spectrophotometry. The level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） was detected with 2，7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate （DCFH-DA） and mitochondrial membrane potential with JC-1 assay. The nuclear morphology was observed based on Hoechst 33342 staining， and apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry combined with Annexin V-FITC/PI staining. ResultThe viability of the cells was highest in the presence of the extract of the two medicinals mixed at the ratio of 2∶1. Compared with normal control group， OGD/R group showed damaged cell morphology， high release rate of LDH and levels of ROS and MDA （P<0.01）， low SOD activity and GSH level （P<0.01）， low mitochondrial membrane potential， and high apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. Compared with OGD/R group， SP extract improved cell viability and cell morphology and reduce cell LDH release rate in a concentration-dependent manner （P<0.01）. In addition， SP extract at 30， 100 mg·L-1 reduced the level of intracellular ROS and increased SOD activity and GSH level （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and SP extract at 100 mg·L-1 decreased the content of MDA （P <0.05）. Moreover， SP extract increased mitochondrial membrane potential， and SP extract at 30， 100 mg·L-1 lowered the apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Radix Puerariae mixed at 2∶1 shows better protective effect on OGD/R-injured SH-SY5Y cells. The mechanism is the likelihood that it alleviates oxidative damage of cells and inhibits cell apoptosis.

Regulatory Effect of Herbal Pair Astragali Radix-Puerariae Lobatae Radix on PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 Signaling Pathway in Rats with T2DM Based on Network Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of herbal pair Astragali Radix-Puerariae Lobatae Radix （AR-PLR） against type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） based on network pharmacology and experimental verification. MethodThe active ingredients and targets of AR and PLR were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP）. The related targets of T2DM were retrieved from disease databases and the common targets of drugs and diseases were extracted. The protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was analyzed and constructed by STRING and the network topology of key targets was analyzed by Cytoscape 3.7.1. Then gene ontology（GO） and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes（KEGG） enrichment analyses of core targets were carried out by DAVID to explore its possible molecular mechanism. The T2DM model was induced in rats by the high-fat diet combined with tail intravenous injection of streptozocin. The rats were divided into a normal group，a model group，a metformin group，and high-，medium- and low-dose AR-PLR groups. After four weeks of intragastric administration，the serum levels of fasting blood sugar （FBS），fasting insulin（FINS），aspartate aminotransferase（AST），alanine aminotransferase（ALT），triglyceride（TG），total cholesterol（TC），low-density lipoprotein cholesterin（LDL-C），high-density lipoprotein cholesterin （HDL-C），interleukin-6（IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） of rats in each group were measured. The protein expression of insulin receptor substrate-2（IRS-2），phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase（PI3K），protein kinase B（Akt）， and forkhead box transcription factor O1（FoxO1） in rat liver was detected by Western blot. ResultA total of 131 core targets of AR-PLR in the treatment of T2DM were screened out by network pharmacology， where Akt1，mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 （MAPK1），TNF-α，and IL-6 were critical. As revealed by KEGG enrichment analysis， AR-PLR exerted the hypoglycemic effect mainly through the PI3K/Akt，TNF， and FoxO signaling pathways. Compared with the model group，the high- and medium-dose AR-PLR groups showed reduced FBS and FINS levels and increased glycogen level （P<0.05，P<0.01），all the AR-PLR groups showed decreased levels of AST，ALT，TG， and LDL-C （P<0.05，P<0.01）， the high- and low-dose AR-PLR groups showed decreased TC levels （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the high- and medium-dose AR-PLR groups showed reduced levels of IL-6 and TNF-α（P<0.05，P<0.01）， and the high-dose AR-PLR group showed increased expression of IRS-2， Akt， p-Akt， PI3K， and p-PI3K， and decreased expression of FoxO1 protein（P<0.05）. ConclusionAR-PLR has the characteristics of multi-component，Multi-target and multi-pathway in the treatment of T2DM. This herbal pair may regulate the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway through IL-6， TNF-α， and other targets to affect insulin resistance， glycogen synthesis， gluconeogenesis， glucose transport， inflammation， immune response， and other processes， thereby treating T2DM.

Comparative study of rat serum pharmacochemistry between Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS / 中国中药杂志

UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and serum pharmacochemistry were employed to study the migrating components in rat sera after intragastric administration of the water extracts of Puerariae Lobatae Radix(PLR) and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix(PTR). After the respective intragastric administration of PLR and PTR extracts, blood samples were collected from the orbital vein. The serum samples were treated by protein precipitation method with methanol and acetonitrile at a ratio of 1∶1 and then passed through Agilent ZORBAX RRHD SB-C_(18) column(3 mm×100 mm, 1.8 μm) and Agilent SB-C_(18) pre-column(3 mm×5 mm, 1.8 μm) with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A)-acetonitrile(B) as the mobile phase. The elution was performed at the flow rate of 0.25 mL·min~(-1), the column temperature of 40 ℃, and the injection volume of 2 μL. By comparison of the total ion chromatogram and secondary fragment ion information of PLR and PTR water extracts, PLR-and PTR-containing sera, and blank serum, we found 42 migrating components(including 17 prototype components and 25 metabolites) in the sera of rats treated with PLR and 35 migrating components(including 15 prototype components and 20 metabolites) in the sera of rats treated with PTR. Thirty-three common components were shared by the two treatments, including 13 prototype components and 20 metabolites. The differences of migrating components in the PLR-and PTR-treated rat sera provide a scientific basis for further study of the active components and quality markers of PLR and PTR.

Role of Puerariae Lobatae Radix in Gegen Decoction for treatment of primary dysmenorrhea / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the characteristic role of Puerariae Lobatae Radix(PLR) in Gegen Decoction for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea(PD). Estrogen(E_2) was combined with oxytocin to establish a mouse model of PD. The mice were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a Gegen Decoction group, a PLR-free Gegen Decoction group, a PLR group, and a positive drug group(ibuprofen). Writhing response times and writhing incubation of mice in each group were tested by behavio-ral assessment, and the serum levels of prostaglandin F_(2α)(PGF_(2α)), prostaglandin E_2(PGE_2), E_2, and progesterone(PROG) were detected by ELISA kits. Western blot method was adopted to detect cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) and estrogen receptor alpha(ER_α) expression levels in uterine tissues. Doppler ultrasound was employed to detect changes in uterine artery blood flow in mice, including peak systolic blood flow velocity(maximum velocity), end-diastolic velocity(minimum velocity), peak systolic blood flow velocity/end-diastolic velocity(S/D), pulsatility index(PI), and resistive index(RI). Histopathological changes in the uterus were detected by HE staining. Based on the oxytocin-induced isolated uterine contraction model, the effects of Gegen Decoction, PLR-free Gegen Decoction, and PLR on the amplitude, frequency, and activity of isolated uterine contraction were compared to investigate the role of PLR in Gegen Decoction for the treatment of PD. The results showed that compared with the Gegen Decoction group, the PLR-free Gegen Decoction improved the indicators of PD except for E_2 content, ER_α expression, and uterine artery blood flow. PLR could significantly down-regulate the serum content of E_2 and the protein expression of uterine ER_α, and improve the uterine artery blood flow. The data suggested that PLR, as the sovereign drug of Gegen Decoction, might function in Gegen Decoction for the treatment of PD by mediating E_(2 )and improving the uterine artery blood flow.

Pharmacodynamics and intestinal flora research on different processed products of Puerariae Lobatae Radix and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to explore the pharmacodynamic differences of Puerariae Lobatae Radix(PLR), Puerariae Thomsonii Radix(PTR) and their different processed products and the influences of these medical materials on the diversity of intestinal flora. The Sennae Folium-induced diarrhea model, streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetes model and L-nitro-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME)-induced hypertension model were used to compare the pharmacodynamic differences in anti-diarrhea, blood glucose reduction and blood pressure lowering among raw, roasted and vinegar-processed PLR and PTR. The effects of raw and processed PLR and PTR on intestinal flora diversity of rats were evaluated by 16 S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. The roasted PLR and PTR performed better in anti-diarrhea, especially the former. PLR and its processed products all presented the efficacy of reducing blood glucose, and the vinegar-processed PLR was the most outstanding. The raw PTR was not that effective in reducing blood glucose, whereas its efficacy was improved after roasting and vinegar processing. Both PLR and PTR were capable of lowering blood pressure to a certain extent, and PLR is superior to PTR in this aspect. Further, the vinegar-processed PLR showed the best effect. The diversity of intestinal flora was different among rats to which different products of PLR and PTR were administered. The roasted PLR led to the highest abundance of Lactobacillus, which was closely related to its best antidiarrheal effect. The highest abilities of vinegar-processed PLR to lower blood glucose and blood pressure were associated with the high abundance of Blautia and Prevotella_9. This study lays a foundation for elucidating the processing mechanisms of PLR and PTR and provides a basis for their further development and application.

Research Progress in Anti-alcoholic Effect of Puerariae Lobatae Radix / 中国实验方剂学杂志

With advanced brewing technology and contemporary table culture， alcohol drinking， which can be traced back to Dukang wine in the Xia dynasty， is very common in China. However， excessive alcohol intake can easily cause alcohol liver damage， ranging from abdominal pain and venous thrombosis to severe hypoglycemia and fat embolism， coma shock and even life-threatening cases. Puerariae Lobatae Radix has a cool property and sweet taste， with functions of antipyretic， promoting the secretion of saliva or body fluid， rash and hangover alleviation， and so on. It was first recorded in Shen Nong's Materia Medica and has been listed as a special anti-alcoholic medicine in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. For example， the ancient medical book Compendium of Materia Medica and other records claim that Puerariae Lobatae Radix has the effect of relieving alcohol and protecting the liver. At the same time， Puerariae Lobatae Radix has a long history in both medicine and food. It was listed in the List of Articles That Both Serve as Food and Medicine published by the National Health Commission. Therefore， there are many products containing pueraria for hangover and liver protection. Prior to this， many scholars have carried out relevant researches on the anti-alcoholism efficacy of Puerariae Lobatae Radix， but there is a lack of systematic summaries. The author has consulted relevant domestic and foreign literatures in recent years. The related products were summarized and it was found that the anti-alcoholic effect of pueraria root mainly came from puerarin， pueraria flavonoids and pueraria polysaccharide， puerarin polypeptide， pueraria daidzein and its derivatives， including the main mechanisms such as inhibiting alcohol absorption， accelerating metabolism， anti-oxidation， protection of liver and cardiomyocytes， and neuroprotection. Related products are abundant and well evaluated， but research on related genes needs to be deepened. This article reviews the main anti-alcoholic components， mechanism of action and related products of pueraria， and puts forward suggestions for future research directions， hoping to provide reference for further related research.

Effect of active component compound of Epimedii Folium,Astragali Radix,and Puerariae Lobatae Radix on expression of ADAM17 in HT22 cells by mediating hepcidin / 中国中药杂志

Alzheimer's disease(AD) patients in China have been surging, and the resultant medical burden and care demand have a huge impact on the development of individuals, families, and the society. The active component compound of Epimedii Folium, Astragali Radix, and Puerariae Lobatae Radix(YHG) can regulate the expression of iron metabolism-related proteins to inhibit brain iron overload and relieve hypofunction of central nervous system in AD patients. Hepcidin is an important target regulating iron metabolism. This study investigated the effect of YHG on the expression of a disintegrin and metalloprotease-17(ADAM17), a key enzyme in the hydrolysis of β amyloid precursor protein(APP) in HT22 cells, by mediating hepcidin. To be specific, HT22 cells were cultured in vitro, followed by liposome-mediated siRNA transfection to silence the expression of hepcidin. Real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to examine the silencing result and the effect of YHG on hepcidin in AD cell model. HT22 cells were randomized into 7 groups: control group, Aβ25-35 induction(Aβ) group, hepcidin-siRNA(siRNA) group, Aβ25-35 + hepcidin-siRNA(Aβ + siRNA) group, Aβ25-35+YHG(Aβ+YHG) group, hepcidin-siRNA+YHG(siRNA+YHG) group, Aβ25-35+hepcidin-siRNA+YHG(Aβ+siRNA+YHG) group. The expression of ADAM17 mRNA in cells was detected by real-time PCR, and the expression of ADAM17 protein by immunofluorescence and Western blot. Immunofluorescence showed that the ADAM17 protein expression was lower in the Aβ group, siRNA group, and Aβ+siRNA group than in the control group(P<0.05) and the expression was lower in the Aβ+siRNA group(P<0.05) and higher in the Aβ+YHG group(P<0.05) than in the Aβ group. Moreover, the ADAM17 protein expression was lower in the Aβ+siRNA group(P<0.05) and higher in the siRNA+YHG group(P< 0.05) than in the siRNA group. The expression was higher in the Aβ+siRNA+YHG group than in the Aβ+siRNA group(P<0.05). The results of Western blot and real-time PCR were consistent with those of immunofluorescence. The experiment showed that YHG induced hepcidin to up-regulate the expression of ADAM17 in AD cell model and promote the activation of non-starch metabolic pathways, which might be the internal mechanism of YHG in preventing and treating AD.

Pharmacokinetics of eight active ingredients of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Puerariae Lobatae Radix combination in rats / 中国中药杂志

To reveal the rationality of compatibility of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(SMRR) and Puerariae Lobatae Radix(PLR) from the perspective of pharmacokinetics, this study established a UPLC-MS/MS method for quantitative determination of PLR flavonoids(3'-hydroxy puerarin, puerarin, puerarin 6″-O-xyloside, 3'-methoxy puerarin, puerarin apioside) and salvianolic acids and tanshinones(salvianolic acid B, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinone Ⅱ_A) in plasma of rats. Rats were given SMRR extract, PLR extract, and SMRR-PLR extract by gavage and then plasma was collected at different time. UPLC separation was performed under the following conditions: Eclipse C_(18) column(2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.8 μm), 0.1% formic acid in water(A)-0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile(B) as mobile phase for gradient elution. Conditions for MS are as below: multiple reaction monitoring(MRM), ESI~(+/-). Comprehensive validation of the UPLC-MS/MS method(specifically, from the aspects of calibration curve, precision, accuracy, repeatability, stability, matrix effect, extract recovery) was performed and the result demonstrated that it complied with quantitative analysis requirements for biological samples. Compared with SMRR extract alone or PLR extract alone, SMRR-PLR extract significantly increased the AUC and C_(max) of PLR flavonoids and tanshinones in rat plasma, suggesting that the combination of SMRR and PLR promoted the absorption of the above components. The underlying mechanism needs to be further studied.

Effect of Puerariae Lobatae Radix on Expression of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Related Proteins GRP78 and ATF6 in T2DM Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the effect of Puerariae Lobatae Radix on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats and related mechanism. Method:Ninety SD rats were divided into normal group, model group, metformin group, Puerariae Lobatae Radix high dose group, Puerariae Lobatae Radix medium dose group and Puerariae Lobatae Radix low dose group, 15 rats in each group. The rats in abnormal group were fed with high-fat and high sugar diet for 4 weeks, and then T2DM model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg·kg-1 streptozotocin (STZ). Puerariae Lobatae Radix high-dose group was intragastrically administered with 2.1 g·kg-1 of Puerariae Lobatae Radix extract powder, Puerariae Lobatae Radix medium-dose group was intragastrically administered with 1.4 g·kg-1 of Puerariae Lobatae Radix extract powder, Puerariae Lobatae Radix low-dose group was intragastrically administered with 0.7 g·kg-1 of Puerariae Lobatae Radix extract powder, 0.2 g·kg-1 of metformin hydrochloride in metformin group, distilled water once a day in normal group and model group. After 8 weeks, fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated serum protein (GSP), insulin (FINS), triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (TC) were measured, and insulin resistance index （HOMA-IR） was calculated. The expression of tumor necrosis factor -α(TNF-α) was observed by immunohistochemistry. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of glucose regulatory protein 78 （GRP78）, activated transcription factor 6 （ATF6） in pancreatic tissue. Result:Compared with normal group, the contents of FBG, GSP, TG, TC, FINS, TNF-α in model group were significantly increased (P<0.05), the HOMA-IR was significantly increased (P<0.05), the protein expressions of GRP78 and ATF6 in pancreatic tissue were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with model group, the contents of FBG, GSP, TG, TC, FINS and TNF-α in the metformin group and Puerariae Lobatae Radix high, medium and low dose groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05), HOMA-IR decreased significantly (P<0.05), and the expression of GRP78 and ATF6 protein in pancreatic tissue decreased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion:Puerariae Lobatae Radix can significantly improve insulin resistance in T2DM rats, inhibit the expression of inflammatory factor TNF-α in pancreatic tissue, reduce the protein expression of GRP78 and ATF6 in pancreatic tissue.

Analysis of HPLC Fingerprint and Their Multicomponent Chemical Pattern Recognition of Puerariae Lobatae Radix from Different Habitats and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To establish HPLC specific chromatograms of Puerariae Lobatae Radix(PLR) and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix(PTR), and make a distinction about their species and different habitats of PLR by chemical pattern recognition, provide reliable methods for scientific evaluation and effective control of their quality. Method: HPLC was employed to determine the contents of chemical ingredients in 23 batches of PLR and PTR.The similarity analyzed with "Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Chinese Materia Medica"(version of 2004A), then a common pattern was established.Based on its chemical fingerprint information, the quality of PLR and PTR was comprehensively analyzed by three kinds of chemical pattern recognition methods. Result: In addition to sample S22(from Shaanxi province), the similarities of 23 batches of samples were more than 0.9, which showed that similarity of PLR and PTR was good, this method can not differentiate them.Principal component analysis(PCA) could only identify PLR and PTR, but partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) could distinguish PLR from PTR and the producing areas of PLR with model interpretation of 96.4% and prediction of 74.6%.The result of hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA) was consistent with PLS-DA. Conclusion: Chemical pattern recognition method can make a distinction between PLR and PTR, as well as different habitats of PLR;it is suitable for quality control of their medicinal materials.

Analysis of Application of Puerariae Lobatae Radix in Health Food / 中国实验方剂学杂志

There are 486 kinds of health food with Puerariae Lobatae Radix as the main raw material, mainly including health food for protecting liver, health food for regulating blood lipid, health food for adjusting blood pressure, health food for regulating blood sugar, and health food for regulating immunity.Based on the establishment of a health food recipe database with Puerariae Lobatae Radix as the main raw material, the Apriori algorithm in association rules was used to explore the formula rule of health food of Puerariae Lobatae Radix.The results showed that among the 174 kinds of hepatoprotective health food, the most used raw materials were Noveniae Fructus and Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus;the common combinations of three raw materials were Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Gardeniae Fructus-Paeoniae Radix Alba, Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Gynostemmatis Pentaphylli Herba-Cassiae Semen, etc.Among the 91 kinds of health food for regulating blood lipid, the most widely used raw materials were Cassiae Semen and Gynostemmatis Pentaphylli Herba;the common combinations of three raw materials were Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Cassiae Semen-Chrysanthemi Flos, Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Alismatis Rhizoma-Mori Folium, etc.Among the 41 kinds of health food for regulating blood pressure, the most widely used raw materials were Eucommiae Cortex and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma;the common combinations of the three raw materials were Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Cassiae Semen-Ostreae Concha, Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Sophorae Flos, etc.Among the 105 kinds of health food for regulating blood sugar, the most widely used raw materials were Dioscoreae Rhizoma and Astragali Radix;the common combinations of three raw materials were Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma-Lycii Cortex, Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Dioscoreae Rhizoma-Poria, Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Dioscoreae Rhizoma-Lycii Cortex, etc.Among the 75 kinds of health food for regulating immunity, the most widely used raw materials were Astragali Radix and Lycii Fructus;the common combinations of three raw materials were Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Gastrodiae Rhizoma-Eucommiae Cortex, Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Mori Fructus-Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, Puerariae Lobatae Radix-Panacis Quinquefolii Radix-Crataegi Fructus, etc.

Decipherment of ancient literature about fresh use,crude use and processed use of Puerariae Lobatae Radix / 中国中药杂志

Puerariae Lobatae Radix is a traditional Chinese medicine,which was first recorded in Shennong Classic of Materia Medica,and was recorded in many ancient books. Its main effect is to relieve muscles to expel heat,produce saliva and promote eruption,invigorate splenic yang and stop diarrhea. CNKI and Wanfang Data were searched in this paper with the words " Pueraria", " puerarin usage" and " puerarin application" as the key words,and it was found that the puerarin usage characteristics were rarely reported.Therefore,the application characteristics of fresh use,crude use and processed use of Puerariae Lobatae Radix in ancient books were summarized in this paper,in order to provide a reference for the modern development of Puerariae Lobatae Radix.

Quality research of Puerariae Lobatae Radix from different habitats with UPLC fingerprint and determination of multi-component content / 中国中药杂志

To establish ultra performance liquid chromatography( UPLC) fingerprint of Puerariae Lobatae Radix from different habitats and simultaneously determine the contents of six isoflavonoids. The UPLC fingerprint analysis and content determination were performed on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C_(18)( 2. 1 mm×50 mm,1. 7 μm) chromatographic column,with acetonitrile-0. 05% formic acid as mobile phase for gradient elution. The detection wavelength was set at 250 nm; the flow rate was 0. 2 mL·min~(-1); the column temperature was 30 ℃ and the injection volume was 2 μL. Similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) was adopted; principal component analysis( PCA) and discriminant analysis by partial least square method( PLS-DA) in Simca-P software were used to identify the differential components in samples from three habitats. The similarity was over 0. 90 in 29 batches of samples,indicating good consistency of the samples. The samples were clustered into 3 categories by PCA and PLS-DA,and six differential components such as puerarin apioside,daidzin,and isoflavoues aglycone were found. The determination results of 6 isoflavones,including 3'-hydroxy puerarin,puerarin,3'-methoxy puerarin,puerarin apioside,daidzin,and isoflavoues aglycone,showed that the content of the same component and the fluctuation range between different components were all different among different habitats. The total content of 6 isoflavones from different regions was Anhui 11. 21% >Henan 10. 97% >Shannxi 9. 38%. The establishment of UPLC fingerprint combined with simultaneous determination of 6 active components provides a more comprehensive reference for quality control and quality evaluation of Puerariae Lobatae Radix.

Determination of 9 isoflavonoids in Puerariae Lobatae Radix with quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker / 中国中药杂志

A method for determination of 9 isoflavones in Puerariae Lobatae Radix was established and the accuracy and feasibility of the method were verified. The relative correction factors of eight isoflavonoids,3'-hydroxy puerarin,puerarinapioside,3'-methoxy puerarin,puerarin 6″-O-xyloside,daidzin,genistin,formononetin and daidzein were determined by HPLC method with puerarin as the internal standard. The contents of 9 isoflavonoids in 11 batches of samples were determined by external standard method and QAMS.The accuracy and feasibility of the methods were evaluated by comparison of the quantitative results between external standard method and QAMS. The reproducibility of the relative correction factors was good under different experimental conditions,and there was no significant difference between the external standard method of the 9 compounds and the content of QAMS method. The results showed that using puerarin as an internal standard to simultaneously determine the 8 isoflavonoids mentioned above is accurate and feasible. Thus,it can be used as quality control of Puerariae Lobatae Radix.

Hypoglycemic Bioactive Components and Mechanism of Puerariae Lobatae Radix by Network Pharmacology / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To predict the action targets of the hypoglycemic bioactive components of Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix), and investigate the “multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways” mechanism. METHODS: Based on the network pharmacology, the reported 27 active ingredients in Gegen were used to predict the action target and reveal the action mechanism via reversed pharmacophore matching method, database mining, and some other methods. The PharmMapper database and DrugBank database were applied to screen the hypoglycemic drug targets approved by FDA. Additionlly, the information of these targets and their intentions were revealed by the String database. At last the ingredients-targets-pathways network was constructed via the Cytoscape software. RESULTS: Studies found that Gegen contained hypoglycemic components, such as:puerarin, 3'-hydroxypuerarin, 3'-methoxypuerarin, daidzein and so on. Their actions involved in 9 potential targets and 25 energy metabolism or signal transmutation relevant biological processes, e.g. insulin receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). While the mainly metabolism and signal transmutation pathways were HIF-1 signaling pathway, renin-angiotensin system, FoxO signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway and so on. CONCLUSION: From the view of molecular network, this study applied provides network pharmacology methods and technologies to clarify the multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways of Gegen on the hypoglycemic effect, and it provides a theoretical basis and a clue for further exploration of the hypoglycemic mechanism of Gegen.