Application of Chemometrics in Quantitative Characterization of Traditional Chinese Medicine / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

With the deepening of modernization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the method of quantification and standardization of TCM (i.e., quantitative characterization of TCM) has been more and more widely accepted by researchers. Chemometrics processes complicated data of TCM through applied mathematics, statistics and com-puter technology. And multivariable study was introduced into the quantitative characterization of TCM with great achievements. This article reviewed existed problems of quantitative characterization in TCM, the principles, char-acteristics, limitations, commonly used statistical methods and application conditions on quantitative characteriza-tion of TCM. With this review, a reference for further study of quantitative characterization of TCM was provided and a further research idea of combination with main methods of chemometrics was given.

Pharmacokinetics effect of shaoyao gancao compound with different decocting methods on characteristic ingredients in rat plasma after oral administration / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the pharmacokinetic effect of Shaoyao Gancao compound on rats using different decocting methods, and to pharmacokinetically detect the the compatibility of the component compounds of the Shaoyao Gancao compound from the pharmacokinetic viewpoint.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Based on the established HPLC analytical method of plasma effective constituents, rats were orally administered with a single or mixed decoction of Shaoyao and Gancao. Blood at different times after administering these decoctions were collected, and then variance analysis was made for pharmacokinetic parameters.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The results of all six rats indicated that the absorption of the mixed decoction of Shaoyao and Gancao was greater than that of the single decoction. While, the absorption of the characteristic peaks at the retention time of 5.2, 11.0, 12.0, 14.6 min had statistical significance.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Shaoyao Gancao compound was proved better than that of the single decoction from the pharmacokinetic viewpoint.</p>

Correlation between physical characteristics of sticks and quality of traditional Chinese medicine pills prepared by plastic molded method / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To quantify the physical characteristics of sticks of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) honeyed pills prepared by the plastic molded method and the correlation of adhesiveness and plasticity-related parameters of sticks and quality of pills, in order to find major parameters and the appropriate range impacting pill quality.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Sticks were detected by texture analyzer for their physical characteristic parameters such as hardness and compression action, and pills were observed by visual evaluation for their quality. The correlation of both data was determined by the stepwise discriminant analysis.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Stick physical characteristic parameter l(CD) can exactly depict the adhesiveness, with the discriminant equation of Y0 - Y1 = 6.415 - 41.594l(CD). When Y0 < Y1, pills were scattered well; when Y0 > Y1, pills were adhesive with each other. Pills' physical characteristic parameters l(CD) and l(AC), Ar, Tr can exactly depict smoothness of pills, with the discriminant equation of Z0 - Z1 = -195.318 + 78.79l(AC) - 3 258. 982Ar + 3437.935Tr. When Z0 < Z1, pills were smooth on surface. When Z0 > Z1, pills were rough on surface.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The stepwise discriminant analysis is made to show the obvious correlation between key physical characteristic parameters l(CD) and l(AC), Ar, Tr of sticks and appearance quality of pills, defining the molding process for preparing pills by the plastic molded and qualifying ranges of key physical characteristic parameters characterizing intermediate sticks, in order to provide theoretical basis for prescription screening and technical parameter adjustment for pills.</p>

Study on HPLC characteristic fingerprint of active components of dachuanxiong fang in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish an accurate and simple qualitative analytical method in vivo in the study on HPLC characteristic fingerprint of active components of dachuanxiong fang in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, in order to lay a foundation for studies on components found in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid and provide basis for compatible regularity of initiators.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>HPLC characteristic fingerprint of active components of dachuanxiong fang in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid was established.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The similarity of fingerprints of all of six batches of samples was above 0.85, RSD of their relative retention times in common peaks was less than 2. 0%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The fingerprints of active components of dachuanxiong fang in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were stable and accurate that they can be used in qualitative analysis on in vivo components.</p>

Pharmacokinetics study on characteristic ingredients of different-dose herbs of shaoyao-gancao decoction / 药学学报

The paper is to report the observation of pharmacokinetic changes of the characteristic ingredients in the combinations of different-dose herbs of Shaoyao-Gancao decoction. After the establishment of HPLC analytical method of plasma effective constituents, rats were orally administered with different-dose herbs of Shaoyao-Gancao decoction. Blood samples at different times after administering these decoctions were collected, and then were analyzed by HPLC fingerprints technology. Pharmacokinetic parameters of characteristic peaks were analyzed by SPSS 15.0 software and DAS 2.0. At last, we looked for the correlation of those pharmacokinetic parameters and the dosage of Gancao. The best dose of Shaoyao-Gancao decoction was at the ratio of 4 to 4, which was consistent with the dose commonly used in ancient times. The absorption of characteristic peaks from Shaoyao-Gancao decoction was related with the dosage of Gancao, and there existed interaction between each characteristic ingredients. There existed the right dose-ratio of Shaoyao and Gancao to get the best effect. The absorptions of effective constitutents were mutual waxing and waning in order to increase biological effects together. It's demonstrated the compatibility connotation at a right dose-ratio of Shaoyao-Gancao decoction through the angle of pharmacokinetics.

Preparation and properties of sustained-release pellets of active components from Ligusticun chuanxiong / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To prepare sustained-release pellets of active components from Ligusticun chuanxiong by coating in the fluid-bed.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The fast-release pellets were prepared by the extrusion-spheronization process. The coating formulation was optimized with the release of ferulic acid as criteria. The micromeritic properties and drug dissolution behaviors of the prepared pellets were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The pellets presented perfect sphericity. The obviously sustained-release effects were shown in 12 h. The coating weight gain was the major factor impacting drug release.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The coating pellets show the obviously sustained-release effects.</p>

In vivo transmigration of active ingredients from Gastrodia elata in dachuanxiong fang / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the substance basis of Gastrodia elata in Dachuanxiong Fang (DF) by serum pharmacochemistry, so that the quality of DF as well as its preparations can be effectively and systemically controlled.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The chromatographic peaks of blank plasma, blank cerebrospinal fluid, drug-contained plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were compared by HPLC fingerprints. The absorbed ingredients of the active parts extracted from G. elata were structurally identified by HPLC-DAD-MS".</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Two components, which were definitely detectable in rat plasma following the oral administration of the active parts from G. elata, were identified as gastrodin and parishin. In rat cerebrospinal fluid, there are, however, no obvious peaks that belong to the ingredients from G. elata.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Research on in vivo transmigration of ingredients from G. elata is favorable to the clarification of its active substance basis.</p>

Component analysis and acute hepatotoxicity of volatile oils from argy wormwood leaf extracted by different methods / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the chemical composition and compare acute hepatotoxicity of essential oils extracted from argy wormwood leaf in Guangdong by four different methods.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Four extraction methods, including hydrodistillation extraction, supercritical fluid CO2 extraction, petroleum ether ultrasonic extraction and petroleum ether microwave extraction, were employed to prepare essential oil from argy wormwood leaf in Guangdong. The products were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using GC-MS and GC-FID. Sixty mice were divided into 5 groups according to different essential oils and took the same dose orally, then after 5 hours, hepatic functional parameters in serum were detected such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and so on, and morphologic change of hepatic tissues was observed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The extraction rate of the four methods and identified compounds was 1.02%, 80 (hydrodistillation extraction), 2.46%, 56 (supercritical fluid CO2 extraction), 3.17%, 45 (petroleum ether ultrasonic extraction) and 3.32%, 78 (petroleum ether microwave extraction) respectively. Totally 153 compounds were identified from those essential oils. Compared with that of the control group, some hepatic functional parameters of hydrodistillation and supercritical fluid CO2 extraction groups rose significantly (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), and hepatic tissues of hydrodistillation group were damaged significantly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The essential oils extracted from argy wormwood leaf by different methods may have not only different chemical composition, but also different acute hepatotoxicity, and monoterpenes and benzenes in the essential oils might induce acute hepatotoxicity.</p>

Studies on changes of in vitro and in vivo material base of Shaoyao Gancao decoction based on HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the changes of the in vitro and in vivo material base of Shaoyao Gancao decoction (SGD) based on HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS, and confirm the migrational constituents in plasma.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Kormasil C18, (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm with protection column) was employed; acetonitrile and 0.5% acetic acid/water was used as mobile phase for gradient elution, flow rate was set at 0.8 mL x m min(-1), column temperature was 25 degrees C, and methanol was used to remove the protein. A LCQdeca mass spectrometer system equipped with an electrospray ionization iontrap source was used as the detector and operated in the positive ion mode. Ions was scanned from the m/z 100 to m/z 1000, and characteristic ion were secondary schizolysised to obtain data of second order MS.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The main constitutes of SGD were peoniflorin, Catechin-5-O-glucoside, albiflorin, liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid etc, and glucosides were found in the plasma samples of rats administered with SGD, which were glucuronide conjunctions of liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technology provides a convenient and high speed method to analyze the migrational constituents of plasma of rats administered with SGD, therefore, it has a good value in studies on the changes in the material base of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).</p>

Preparation of total glucosides in paeony sustained-release pellets by fluidized bed coating method / 中草药

Objective To prepare totel glucosides in paeony(TGP) pellets by extrusion-spheronization and to optimize the formulation of TGP sustained-release pellets coated with Eudragit RS 100.Methods The TGP sustained-release pellets were prepared by mini Glatt fluidized bed coating method.The factors to influence the drug release behaviors and their properties were evaluated.Results The optimal TGP sustained-release pellet was shown significant sustained-releasing at the loading weight of copolymers of 6% and the plasticizer concentration of 10%.And the curves of cumulative drug release were fit for Peppas and Higuchi equation.Conclusion The pellets showed an obviously sustained-release effect.