A comparative study on the traditional versus modern yellow rice wine processing methods using Taohong Siwu Decoction for pharmaceutical production

Taohong Siwu Decoction: a classical Chinese prescription for treatment of orthopedic diseases

The pathogenesis of orthopedic diseases is intimately linked to blood stasis, frequently arising from damage to primary and secondary blood channels. This disruption can lead to "blood leaving the meridians" or Qi stagnation, resulting in blood stasis syndrome. Taohong Siwu Decoction (THSWD) is a renowned classical Chinese medicinal formula extensively used to promote blood circulation and mitigate blood stasis. Clinical studies have demonstrated its significant therapeutic effects on various orthopedic conditions, particularly its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, as well as its efficacy in preventing deep vein thrombosis post-surgery. Despite these findings, research on THSWD remains fragmented, and its interdisciplinary impact is limited. This review aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy and pharmacological mechanisms of THSWD in treating common orthopedic diseases. Additionally, we employ bibliometric analysis to explore research trends and hotspots related to THSWD. We hope this review will enhance the recognition and application of THSWD in orthopedic treatments and guide future research into its pharmacological mechanisms.

Mechanism of action of Taohong Siwu decoction in the alleviation of primary dysmenorrhea

Background

As one of the most common gynecological disorders, PD significantly impacts the quality of life for women. TSD, a well-known traditional Chinese medical prescription, has gained popularity for its use in treating gynecological cold coagulation and blood stasis syndromes such as PD. However, the lack of comprehensive data hinders our understanding of its molecular mechanism.

Purpose

The objective of the present study is to investigate the therapeutic effects of TSD on PD and elucidate its plausible mechanism.

Methods

HPLC was employed to confirm the presence of the principal metabolites of TSD. The rat model of PD was induced by OT exposure following IWM and EB pretreatment, and subsequently treated with TSD via gastric gavage. The effects and potential mechanisms of TSD on PD rats were explored, encompassing general behavior, morphological alterations in the uterus and ovaries, biochemical indicators in the uterus and serum, and levels of proteins related to the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Results

Gallic acid, hydroxysafflower yellow A, albiflorin, paeoniflorin, and ferulic acid were determined to be the primary active metabolites of TSD. The pharmacological studies yielded results indicating the successful establishment of the PD model in rats. Additionally, TSD demonstrated its ability to protect PD rats by ameliorating general behavior, mitigating pathological damage to uterine and ovarian tissues, and modulating the expression levels of correlated factors (PGE2, PGF2α, Ca2+, TXB2, IL-6, TNF-α, NO, and COX-2) as well as p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT proteins.

Conclusion

TSD exhibited protective effects against PD in rats through its interaction with multiple targets including P13K/AKT signaling pathway, indicating that TSD holds therapeutic potential for PD treatment and providing evidence supporting the rational utilization of TSD.

Exploring the potential mechanism of Taohong Siwu decoction in the treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Based on network pharmacology and molecular docking, this study seeks to investigate the mechanism of Taohong Siwu decoction (THSWD) in the treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head (AVNFH). The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database was used in this investigation to obtain the active ingredients and related targets for each pharmaceutical constituent in THSWD. To find disease-related targets, the terms "avascular necrosis of the femoral head," "necrosis of the femoral head," "steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head," "osteonecrosis," and "avascular necrosis of the bone" were searched in the databases DisGeNET, GeneCards, Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, and MalaCards. Following the identification of the overlap targets of THSWD and AVNFH, enrichment analysis using gene ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, Reactome, and WikiPathways was conducted. The "THSWD-drug-active compound-intersection gene-hub gene-AVNFH" network and protein-protein interaction network were built using Cytoscape 3.9.1 and string, and CytoHubba was used to screen hub genes. The binding activities of hub gene targets and key components were confirmed by molecular docking. 152 prospective therapeutic gene targets were found in the bioinformatics study of ONFH treated with THSWD, including 38 major gene targets and 10 hub gene targets. The enrichment analysis of 38 key therapeutic targets showed that the biological process of gene ontology analysis mainly involved cytokine-mediated signaling pathway, angiogenesis, cellular response to reactive oxygen species, death-inducing signaling complex. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling pathway mainly involves TNF signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, and the Recactome pathway mainly involves Signaling by Interleukins, Apoptosis, and Intrinsic Pathway for Apoptosis. WikiPathways signaling pathway mainly involves TNF-related weak inducer of apoptosis signaling pathway, IL-18 signaling pathway. According to the findings of enrichment analysis, THSWD cured AVNFH by regulating angiogenesis, cellular hypoxia, inflammation, senescence, apoptosis, cytokines, and cellular proliferation through the aforementioned targets and signaling pathways. The primary component of THSWD exhibits a strong binding force with the key protein of AVNFH. This study sheds new light on the biological mechanism of THSWD in treating AVNFH by revealing the multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway features and molecular docking mechanism of THSWD.

Comparative study on Angelica sinensis after different processing with yellow rice wine in color, aromas, chemical components, and antioxidant activities

This study aimed to explore the differences in raw Angelica Sinensis (RAS), wine washing AS (WAS), and wine stir-frying AS (WSAS). The results showed there were differences among the three AS in color and aroma, and 34 aroma compounds were identified. The content determination results revealed the ferulic acid and Z-ligustilide levels of RAS decreased after processing, and those in WAS were higher than in WSAS. Furthermore, 85 representative common components and 37 unique components were tentatively identified in three AS. Finally, the free radical scavenging assay results indicated the antioxidant capacity of RAS was reduced after processing, and the antioxidant capacity of WAS was better than WSAS. Collectively, the RAS undergoes significant changes in color, aromas, components, and antioxidant ability after processing, and the different processing methods also result in significant differences between WAS and WSAS.

A New Therapeutic Trend: Natural Medicine for Ameliorating Ischemic Stroke via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

Ischemic stroke (IS) is an acute cerebrovascular disease caused by sudden arterial occlusion, which is characterized by a high morbidity, mortality, and disability rate. It is one of the most important causes of nervous system morbidity and mortality in the world. In recent years, the search for new medicine for the treatment of IS has become an attractive research focus. Due to the extremely limited time window of traditional medicine treatment, some side effects may occur, and accompanied by the occurrence of adverse reactions, the frequency of exploration with natural medicine is significantly increased. Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway is a classical pathway for cell metabolism, growth, apoptosis, and other physiological activities. There is considerable research on medicine that treats various diseases through this pathway. This review focuses on how natural medicines (including herbs and insects) regulate important pathophysiological processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and the role it plays in improving IS. We found that many kinds of herbal medicine and insect medicine can alleviate the damage caused by IS through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, the prescription after their combination can also achieve certain results. Therefore, this review provides a new candidate category for medicine development in the treatment of IS.

Yishen Capsule Alleviated Symptoms of Diabetic Nephropathy via NOD-like Receptor Signaling Pathway

PURPOSE

To explore the mechanism of Yishen capsule against diabetic nephropathy (DN) based on the analysis of transcriptomics.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

SD rats (Male, SPF grade) were randomly divided into four groups, the normal group, the DN group, the Yishen capsule group and the resveratrol group. Urine and renal tissue samples were collected after feeding with physiological saline and above drugs for 8 weeks. 24-hour urine microalbumin protein was detected by ELISA. HE staining and PAS staining were performed on renal tissues. Differential gene expression in renal tissues was analyzed by transcriptome sequencing. The differentially expressed genes were analyzed by GO enrichment and KEGG enrichment, and verified by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry staining.

RESULTS

The level of 24-hour urinary microalbumin in DN group was increased, while Yishen capsule treatment reversed the increasement of urinary microalbumin. Mesangial cell proliferation, matrix accumulation, edema and vacuolar degeneration of renal tubular epithelial cells and glycogen accumulation were observed in DN group. However, pathological phenotypes mentioned above were alleviated after Yisen capsule administration. This result indicates that Yishen capsule reversed pathological phenotypes of DN in rats. The expression of 261 genes were changed in Yishen capsule group compared with DN group. GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis showed that these genes were implicated in pathways, including mineral absorption, adipocytokine signaling pathway, fatty acid biosynthesis, thyroid hormone synthesis, renin-angiotensin system, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. Based on previous reported study, the expression of key factors in NOD-like receptor signaling pathway was verified. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry staining showed that the expression of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1β in renal tissues of DN group were increased (P < 0.05), which were decreased in Yishen capsule group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Yishen capsule reduced microalbuminuria and alleviated pathological changes in DN rats, which may be achieved by regulating NOD-like receptor signaling pathway.