Integrative Chinese-Western medicine strategy to overcome docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) have emerged as a promising complementary therapy in the management of prostate cancer (PCa), particularly in addressing resistance to Docetaxel (DTX) chemotherapy.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This review aims to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the development of resistance to DTX in PCa and explore the innovative approach of integrating TCMs in PCa treatment to overcome this resistance. Key areas of investigation include alterations in microtubule proteins, androgen receptor and androgen receptor splice variant 7, ERG rearrangement, drug efflux mechanisms, cancer stem cells, centrosome clustering, upregulation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, enhanced DNA damage repair capability, and the involvement of neurotrophin receptor 1/protein kinase C.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

With "Prostate cancer", "Docetaxel", "Docetaxel resistance", "Natural compounds", "Traditional Chinese medicine", "Traditional Chinese medicine compound", "Medicinal plants" as the main keywords, PubMed, Web of Science and other online search engines were used for literature retrieval.

RESULTS

Our findings underscore the intricate interplay of molecular alterations that collectively contribute to the resistance of PCa cells to DTX. Moreover, we highlight the potential of TCMs as a promising complementary therapy, showcasing their ability to counteract DTX resistance and enhance therapeutic efficacy.

CONCLUSION

The integration of TCMs in PCa treatment emerges as an innovative approach with significant potential to overcome DTX resistance. This review not only provides insights into the mechanisms of resistance but also presents new prospects for improving the clinical outcomes of patients with PCa undergoing DTX therapy. The comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms lays the foundation for future research and the development of more effective therapeutic interventions.

Determination of fifteen illegal colorants in traditional Chinese medicines by two hydrophobic DES-based microextraction methods coupled with an HPLC-DAD

The dyeing and adulteration of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are continuously updated. Valuable analytical methods for the daily inspection of illegal colorant additives in TCMs and the preparations are in demand. Two deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (VA-LLME) and ultrasonic-assisted solid-liquid microextraction (UA-SLME) were developed for the sample pretreatment of ten water-soluble colorants and five water-insoluble colorants, respectively, followed by an HPLC-DAD detection. Fifteen colorants were analyzed at four detection wavelengths within 40 min of gradient elution. The optimal DES of VA-LLME and UA-SLME were screened from 23 homemade DESs. The factors affecting the extraction efficiency of VA-LLME and UA-SLME were optimized systematically. Under the optimal conditions, ten water-soluble colorants analyzed by DES-based VA-LLME-HPLC-DAD showed good linearity (R ≥ 0.9995) within the optimal linear range. The LODs and LOQs were 0.2-1.0 μg g-1 and 0. 5-5.0 μg g-1, respectively. The recoveries of spiked samples were 80.2%-104.7 %, with RSDs ≤ 4.39 %. Five water-insoluble colorants of Sudan I‒IV and Sudan 7B analyzed by DES-based UA-SLME-HPLC-DAD showed good linearity (R ≥ 0.9995) within the optimal linear range. The LODs and LOQs were 0.8-8.0 μg g-1 and 4.0-40.0 μg g-1, respectively. The recoveries of spiked samples were 94.2%-103.1 %, with RSDs ≤ 4.81 %. The proposed DES-based VA-LLME-HPLC-DAD was successfully applied to analyze six water-soluble yellow colorants in Cuscutae Semen, salted Cuscutae Semen, and four water-soluble red colorants in Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus. The proposed DES-based UA-SLME-HPLC-DAD was successfully applied to analyze five water-insoluble red colorants in Dieda pills. The study provides analytical method options for routine tests of water-soluble, water-insoluble, or both water-soluble/-insoluble illegal colorant additives in herbal medical materials and preparations by the relevant proposed DES-based sample pretreatment method or a combination of the two proposed DES-based methods.

Targeting lipid reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment by traditional Chinese medicines as a potential cancer treatment

In the last ten years, there has been a notable rise in the study of metabolic abnormalities in cancer cells. However, compared to glucose or glutamine metabolism, less attention has been paid to the importance of lipid metabolism in tumorigenesis. Recent developments in lipidomics technologies have allowed for detailed analysis of lipid profiles within cancer cells and other cellular players present within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its bioactive components have a long history of use in cancer treatments and are also being studied for their potential role in regulating metabolic reprogramming within TME. This review focuses on four core abnormalities altered by lipid reprogramming in cancer cells: de novo synthesis and exogenous uptake of fatty acids (FAs), upregulated fatty acid oxidation (FAO), cholesterol accumulation, which offer benefits for tumor growth and metastasis. The review also discusses how altered lipid metabolism impacts infiltrating immune cell function and phenotype as these interactions between cancer-stromal become more pronounced during tumor progression. Finally, recent literature is highlighted regarding how cancer cells can be metabolically reprogrammed by specific Chinese herbal components with potential therapeutic benefits related to lipid metabolic and signaling pathways.

Optimization of ultrasonic pretreatment and analysis of chlorogenic acid in potato leaves

Chlorogenic acid (CA) is an effective ingredient that can strengthen immunity during following the COVID-19 era. The current cost of CA is high owing to its complex purification process and low yield (approximately 2%). In this study, a one-step path orthogonal experiment was designed based on the results from Gauss calculation, which consisted of acidity, coordination, and hydrolysis in molecules. The optimized extraction conditions were 60 ℃, 60 min, 1:20 liquid ratio, and 40% ethanol in a nitrogen atmosphere controlled using a device of our own design, which led to CA yields of up to 6.35% from potato leaves. The purified CA was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and molecular fluorescence. This accurate and reproducible method can not only be used to obtain high yields of CA but can also be used for the quality control of active plant products and their isomers.

Chinmedomics: a potent tool for the evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine efficacy and identification of its active components

As an important part of medical science, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) attracts much public attention due to its multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics in treating diseases. However, the limitations of traditional research methods pose a dilemma for the evaluation of clinical efficacy, the discovery of active ingredients and the elucidation of the mechanism of action. Therefore, innovative approaches that are in line with the characteristics of TCM theory and clinical practice are urgently needed. Chinmendomics, a newly emerging strategy for evaluating the efficacy of TCM, is proposed. This strategy combines systems biology, serum pharmacochemistry of TCM and bioinformatics to evaluate the efficacy of TCM with a holistic view by accurately identifying syndrome biomarkers and monitoring their complex metabolic processes intervened by TCM, and finding the agents associated with the metabolic course of pharmacodynamic biomarkers by constructing a bioinformatics-based correlation network model to further reveal the interaction between agents and pharmacodynamic targets. In this article, we review the recent progress of Chinmedomics to promote its application in the modernisation and internationalisation of TCM.

Rapid screening and identification of superoxide dismutase activators from traditional Chinese medicines based on affinity ultrafiltration mass chromatography combined with molecular docking

In the present study, a comprehensive strategy integrating affinity ultrafiltration high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UF-HPLC-Q-TOF-MS), in silico molecular docking and bioassays was established to rapidly screen natural SOD activators from traditional Chinese medicines. As illustrative case studies, Schisandra chinensis, Fructus cnidii and Radix ophiopogonis were chosen to develop and verify the strategy. The HPLC-Q-TOF-MS was used to identify the compounds in comparison with reference standards and literature data. A total of eight compounds, including four biphenyl-cyclooctene ligands from Schisandra chinensis and four coumarins from Fructus cnidii, were found to potentially increase SOD activities. No ligands were found in the extract of Radix ophiopogonis. Then, in silico molecular docking was performed to investigate the binding site and binding affinity of the candidates on SOD. Compared to the nonspecific ligands screened from the extract, the specific ligands presented stronger binding affinities. In addition, the activity and kinetic parameters of the SOD-ligand were investigated through an improved pyrogallol autoxidation method. Gomisin J and xanthotoxin showed a stronger ability to increase SOD activities. The present study indicated that combining UF-HPLC-Q-TOF-MS and in silico molecular docking offers a powerful and meaningful tool to rapidly screen SOD activators from traditional Chinese medicines.

Critical quality appraisal of randomized controlled trials with traditional Chinese medicines for the coronavirus disease 2019

OBJECTIVE

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) play an indispensable role during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with an increasing number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) designed and performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM for COVID-19. This study aimed to critically appraise the quality of currently available RCTs of TCM for COVID-19.

METHODS

RCTs of TCM for COVID-19 were searched from three databases by two investigators and selected according to pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria. General information of included studies was presented by applying descriptive statistics. The methodological and reporting quality of eligible RCTs was critically evaluated based on the risk of bias assessment tool 2 (RoB2) and CONSORT Extension for TCM (CONSORT-CHM Formulas 2017), respectively. The differences of risks and main general information were compared between RCTs published in English and Chinese journals. Microsoft Excel 2019 and SPSS were used for the statistical analysis. A result with p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

This study finally included 64 RCTs with a total of 10858 participants investigating TCM for COVID-19. All 64 RCTs were evaluated as moderate-to-low RoB including 27 RCTs with high bias, 26 RCTs with some concerns, and 11 with low bias. Results of reporting quality appraisal by CONSORT-CHM Formulas 2017 showed that 61 (95%) RCTs reported more than 18 (50%) items, and 14 (22%) RCTs reported more than 26 (70%) items among all 38 items. Forty-two RCTs were approved by ethics committees and 47 RCTs reported the informed consent information. Twenty-five RCTs and 39 RCTs provided information on trial registration and funding resources, respectively. The quality of 44 RCTs published in Chinese was significantly worse than that of 20 RCTs published in English, especially in the following considerations including the overall RoB, ethics approved, informed consent, trial register, and reporting quality with CONSORT-CHM Formulas 2017.

CONCLUSION

The overall quality of RCTs investigating TCM for COVID-19 was appraised as moderate-to-high that was substandard and needs to be continuously improved, especially for RCTs published in Chinese, in the future.

Doped nanomaterial facilitates 3D printing target plate for rapid detection of alkaloids in laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

This work aims to rapidly detect toxic alkaloids in traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) using laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). We systematically investigated twelve nanomaterials (NMs) as matrices and found that MoS2 and defect-rich-WO3 (D-WO3) were the best NMs for alkaloid detection. MoS2 and D-WO3 can be used directly as matrices dipped onto conventional ground steel target plates. Additionally, they can be conveniently fabricated as three-dimensional (3D) NM plates, where the MoS2 or D-WO3 NM is doped into resin and formed using a 3D printing process. We obtained good quantification of alkaloids using a chemothermal compound as an internal standard and detected related alkaloids in TCM extracts, Fuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata), Caowu (Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix), Chuanwu (Aconiti Radix), and Houpo (Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex). The work enabled the advantageous "dip and measure" method, demonstrating a simple and fast LDI-MS approach that achieves clean backgrounds for alkaloid detection. The 3D NM plates also facilitated mass spectrometry imaging of alkaloids in TCMs. This method has potential practical applications in medicine and food safety. Doped nanomaterial facilitates 3D printing target plate for rapid detection of alkaloids in laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

Fu-Zheng-Xuan-Fei formula promotes macrophage polarization and Th17/Treg cell homeostasis against the influenza B virus (Victoria strain) infection

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Fu-Zheng-Xuan-Fei formula (FF) is a prescription that has been clinically used through the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating viral pneumonia. Although FF possesses a prominent clinical therapeutic effect, seldom pharmacological studies have been reported on its anti-influenza B virus (IBV) activity.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Influenza is an acute infectious respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus, which has high annual morbidity and mortality worldwide. With a global decline in the COVID-19 control, the infection rate of influenza virus is gradually increasing. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop novel drugs for the effective treatment of influenza virus. Apart from conventional antiviral drugs, TCM has been widely used in the clinical treatment of influenza in China. Therefore, studying the antiviral mechanism of TCM can facilitate the scientific development of TCM.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK) and BALB/c mice were infected with IBV, and FF was added to evaluate the anti-IBV effects of FF both in vitro and in vivo by Western blotting, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and pathological assessment.

RESULTS

It was found that FF exhibited anti-viral activity against IBV infection both in vivo and in vitro, while inducing macrophage activation and promoting M1 macrophage polarization. In addition, FF effectively regulated the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway-mediated Th17/Treg balance to improve the lung tissue damage caused by IBV infection-induced inflammation. The findings provided the scientific basis for the antiviral mechanism of FF against IBV infection.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that FF is a potentially effective antiviral drug against IBV infection.

Recent discovery of tyrosinase inhibitors in traditional Chinese medicines and screening methods

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tyrosinase, the key rate-limiting enzyme for melanogenesis, is one of the main targets for skin senescence and some pigmented skin diseases, such as albinism and melanoma. Tyrosinase inhibitors are capable of reducing melanin generation and deposition in the skin through blocking the reaction chain of formation. Thus, it has been used for anti-melanoma and showed the potential to be developed into novel skin whitening and spot removing products. With the trend of back-to-nature, natural tyrosinase inhibitors are receiving more and more attention. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) as the promising source of novel chemotypes and pharmacophores, are huge treasures for the discovery of natural tyrosinase inhibitors characterized with green, safe, and highly efficient.

AIM OF THIS REVIEW

This review aims to provide a systematic overview of natural tyrosinase inhibitors and a detailed summary of the types of TCMs from which they originate. In addition, this paper also highlights the screening methods developed for exploring tyrosinase inhibitors in recent years, compares the advantages and disadvantages of various methods under the guidance of different screening principles, and predicts their applications in the future.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant literature have been obtained using the keywords "tyrosinase inhibitors", "traditional Chinese medicines", "whitening", and "screening" in scientific databases, such as "PubMed", "SciFinder", "Web of Science", "Elsevier", "China Knowledge Resource Integrated databases". Information was also collected from Chinese pharmacopoeia, Chinese herbal classics books, "Google Scholar", "Baidu Scholar", and other literature sources, etc. RESULTS: An overview about the tyrosinase inhibitors derived from TCMs since 2002 has been compiled via the above-mentioned sources. Up to now, 186 components, mainly belonging to flavonoids, lignans, terpenoids, Diels-Alder adducts, simple phenylpropanoids and stilbenes, from 61 kinds of TCMs have been reported to possess tyrosinase inhibitory activity, among which flavonoids are mainly focused on. Furthermore, on the basis of bioactive detection strategies, the screening methods for tyrosinase inhibitors have been classified into bioaffinity-based, intrinsic enzymatic-based, and computer-aided drug design (CADD). Precisely because screening approaches are essential for rapid identification of tyrosinase inhibitors from TCMs, the principles, advantages and disadvantages, and specific applications of each method are presented along with a comparison of applicability.

CONCLUSIONS

The summary of TCMs-derived inhibitors gives a clue on the discovery of candidates with the property to whiten the skin. Meanwhile, the outlook of developed screening methods provides technical references for the efficient exploration of safer and more effective tyrosinase inhibitors from TCMs.

Integration of metabolomics and transcriptomics to reveal anti-chronic myocardial ischemia mechanism of Gualou Xiebai decoction

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Gualou Xiebai decoction (GLXB), a well-known classic traditional Chinese medicine formula, is a recorded and proven therapy for the management of cardiac diseases. However, its pharmacological characteristics and mechanism of action are unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The effects of GLXB and its mechanism of action in an isoprenaline-induced rat model of chronic myocardial ischemia (CMI) were investigated by incorporating metabonomics and transcriptomics. Meanwhile, the echocardiographic evaluation, histopathological analysis, serum biochemistry assay, TUNEL assay and western blot analysis were detected to revealed the protective effects of GLXB on CMI.

RESULTS

The results of echocardiographic evaluation, histopathological analysis and serum biochemistry assay revealed that GLXB had a significantly cardioprotective performance by reversing echocardiographic abnormalities, restoring pathological disorders and converting the serum biochemistry perturbations. Further, the omics analysis indicated that many genes and metabolites were regulated after modeling and GLXB administration, and maintained the marked "high-low" or "low-high" trends. Meanwhile, the results from integrated bioinformatics analysis suggested that the interaction network mainly consisted of amino acid and organic acid metabolism. The results of TUNEL assay and western blot analysis complemented the findings of integrated analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggested that GLXB has a curative effect in isoproterenol-induced CMI in rats. Integrated analysis based on transcriptomics and metabolomics studies revealed that the mechanism of GLXB in alleviating CMI was principally by the regulation of energy homeostasis and apoptosis, which was through a multi-component and multi-target treatment modality.

[Virtual screening of active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine in treating COVID-19 based on molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation]

We aim to screen out the active components that may have therapeutic effect on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from the severe and critical cases' prescriptions in the "Coronavirus Disease 2019 Diagnosis and Treatment Plan (Trial Ninth Edition)" issued by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China and explain its mechanism through the interactions with proteins. The ETCM database and SwissADME database were used to screen the active components contained in 25 traditional Chinese medicines in 3 prescriptions, and the PDB database was used to obtain the crystal structures of 4 proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Molecular docking was performed using Autodock Vina and molecular dynamics simulations were performed using GROMACS. Binding energy results showed that 44 active ingredients including xambioona, gancaonin L, cynaroside, and baicalin showed good binding affinity with multiple targets of SARS-CoV-2, while molecular dynamics simulations analysis showed that xambioona bound more tightly to the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 and exerted a potent inhibitory effect. Modern technical methods are used to study the active components of traditional Chinese medicine and show that xambioona is an effective inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein, which provides a theoretical basis for the development of new anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs and their treatment methods.

Traditional Chinese medicines as effective agents against influenza virus-induced pneumonia

Influenza virus-induced pneumonia (IVP) is a high morbidity and contagiousness pulmonary infectious disease caused by invasion of the influenza virus into the lower respiratory tract. Currently, the treatment of IVP is mainly based on an anti-influenza virus infection strategy, which includes the use of anti-influenza vaccines and drugs. However, the clinical use of these treatment options is limited as the influenza virus has a high level of variability and drug resistance may occur. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for the treatment of IVP have unique advantages, a variety of precise curative effects and have been widely used in clinical practice in China both historically and in the present day. However, there are only few literature reviews on the prevention and treatment of IVP using TCMs. Therefore, we conducted a review of relevant literature from the past 10 years and a comprehensive analysis of various databases containing reports on TCMs used for IVP prevention and treatment to provide basic data for future research and development of drugs against IVP. Herein, we summarize research progress on the pathogenesis of IVP, the TCMs effective in prevention or treatment of IVP, their underlying molecular mechanisms and active components. Overall, we provide a theoretical basis for the clinical use of TCM in the prevention and treatment of IVP. Furthermore, we provide a reference for the development of new multi-component, multi-target, low-toxicity drugs, which is of great academic and clinical significance.

Sequencing and comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes of three medicinal plants: Gentiana manshurica, G. scabra and G. triflora

Three species of Gentiana (Gentiana manshurica kitag., Gentiana scabra bunge., and Gentiana triflora pall.) were the main source for an important traditional Chinese medicine, "Longdan", which was first mentioned in " Shennong materia medica Sutra " 2000 years ago. Until recently, there were very few reports on taxonomic classification of these three traditional medicinal Gentiana species. In the current study, chloroplast genomes of the three Gentiana species were sequenced and the phylogenetic analyses were performed in combination with 31 NCBI downloaded Gentiana species sequences and two species of Swertia as outgroup. Based on the phylogenetic results, a new taxonomic classification for Gentiana was proposed, including 4 independent clades with 6 subdivisions (Group 1-Group 6). All the general features, SSR characteristics and gene composition of Gentiana chloroplast genomes strongly supported such a new classification system for Gentiana, which could lay a theoretical foundation for Gentiana in the molecular evolutionary research. Finally, phylogenetic analyisis also demonstrated that the three examined species from Gentiana could cluster together into one group (Group 6), which was far away from the evolutionary position of the medicinal species, Gentiana rigescens Franch, which was consistent with the traditional classification in traditional medicinal uses and taxonomy.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01217-0.

Progress in the design and quality control of placeboes for clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine

In recent years, new preparations of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have been developed, increasing the need for their clinical trials. Using placeboes rather than control drugs is increasingly popular in clinical trials of TCMs, as the therapeutic effects of the tested TCMs can be more properly judged. The basic attributes of TCM placeboes include similarity, safety, applicability and controllability. In particular, it is necessary to have similarities in appearance, color, smell and taste between the tested TCMs and placeboes. This is quite difficult for some TCMs due to their distinctive smell and taste. On the other hand, according to the TCM theory on homology of medicine and food, many foods also have certain bioactivities, potentially further complicating the selection of materials for TCM placeboes. In this review, firstly, studies on the special smell and taste of TCMs were introduced. Then, the preparation quality evaluation processes for TCM placeboes were summarized and discussed, based on the relevant literature published in recent years and the research results from our own lab. This review will facilitate the further research and development of TCM placeboes.

Exploration of habitat-related chemomarkers for Magnoliae officinalis cortex applying both global and water-soluble components-based metabolomics method

BACKGROUND

The quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) has been closely related to their growth regions. The geo-herbalism of TCMs is just like the protected destination of origin on foodstuffs and wines, telling us the specific geographic regions could yield TCMs with superior quality. However, the impact of habitat on TCMs could hardly been indicated in current quality evaluation, defects were as follows: (1) few studies involved the effect of environmental factors, (2) more attentions were paid to several abundant compounds, while global components especially water-soluble compounds were prone to be ignored.

PURPOSE

A new integrated metabolomics analysis based on global and water-soluble components was proposed aiming to explore habitat-related chemomarkers for TCMs combined with correlation analysis to environmental factors. The geo-herbalism of Magnoliae officinalis cortex (MOC) was studied as an example.

METHODS

Multi-metabolomics approach based on UPLC/Q-TOF-MS and GC-MS combined with LC-2ECD were employed to analyze global components and accurately quantified water-soluble compounds, respectively. Meanwhile, decision tree, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) as well as hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) heat map was applied to classify different samples and explore habitat-related chemomarkers. In addition, support vector machines model was used to verify the importance of screened out chemomarkers in predicting sample classification, and the impact of environmental factors on the markers were also demonstrated by correlation analysis.

RESULTS

By analyzing 148 batches of MOC samples from 21 habitats, 238 variables were picked and 84 of them were identified by UNIFI, meanwhile, seven water-soluble compounds were accurately quantified. Among them, thirteen markers including Var.1, magnolignan E, magnoloside N isomer, α-agarofuran, γ-eudesmol, β-eudesmol, magnolosides A, B, D, F, H, L and M were suggested importance in grouping Chuan-po and the other MOC samples. Support vector machines model also indicated well prediction performance with an accuracy of 96.97%. Most markers belong to water-soluble compounds and temperature and precipitation contributed to such chemical differences.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed strategy based on multi-metabolomics analysis could aid exploration of habitat-related chemomarkers for TCMs. Meanwhile, the screened out water-soluble compounds could perform equivalent functions in recognition of Daodi medicinal materials (DMMs) and non-DMM samples compared to the global components to some extent.

Discovering inhibitor molecules for pathological crystallization of CaOx kidney stones from natural extracts of medical herbs

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Kidney stones is one of the common diseases of the urinary system. The primary cause of kidney stone formation is the thermodynamic supersaturation of lithogenic solutes in urine, which desaturates by nucleation, crystal growth and aggregation of minerals and salts, mainly Calcium oxalate (CaOx). One of the potential therapies is to develop drug molecules to inhibit or prevent CaOx crystallization in urine. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) provided an efficient approach for the treatment of kidney stones with a specialized-designed recipe of medicinal herbs. But the action details of these herbs were poorly understood due to their complex components, and whether the effective constituents of herbs have an inhibitory effect on the process of stone formation has not been evaluated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to develop and identify inhibitor substitutes from a library of kidney stone prescriptions in traditional Chinese medicines to prevent pathological kidney stone formation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

As many as twenty Chinese medicines were extracted and separated into five different polar extracts, the inhibition performance of which on CaOx crystallization was explored by recording and comparing crystallization kinetics. The potential inhibitor molecules in the inhibitory extracts were confirmed by HPLC and their retardation efficacy was evaluated by quantifying nucleation and growth kinetics using colorimetry. Then the inhibitor-COM crystal interactions and specificity were examined by morphology evolution and surface structure analysis. In vitro inhibition performance of inhibitors on crystal growth and attachment of CaOx crystals to human renal epithelial cells were further evaluated by recording the nucleation and adhesive crystal numbers.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Water- and n-butanol- soluble extracts from 20 kinds of herbs show almost 100% inhibition percentage, and the n-butanol extracts was found better than commercial drug citrate. Twenty-one molecule substitutes were identified from these extracts, and among them polyphenols display the best inhibition efficacy to retard CaOx crystallization. The high-throughput colorimetric assay and morphology examinations reveals thirteen out of 21 molecules show inhibition potential and disrupt growth of CaOx monohydrate crystals by interacting with exposed Ca²⁺ and C₂O₄^2- on the (100) and (010) surfaces. Moreover, these inhibitors also display pronounced performance in protecting renal epithelial cells by inhibiting nucleation and adhesion of CaOx crystals to cells, thus reducing stone formation. The structure-performance correlation among 19 screened molecules that inhibitors having pKa<3.5, logD (pH = 6) <0, H-number>0.1 mmol are the best in suppressing CaOx crystallization. Our findings provide a novel solution to design and manufacture inhibitor drugs from Chinese medicines for preventing pathological kidney stones formation.

Preliminary screening of the potential active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicines using the Ussing chamber model combined with HPLC-PDA-MS

An in vitro intestinal absorption model combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-photo diode array-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA-MS) was used for preliminary screening of potential active ingredients from complex multi-component traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) system. Oral administration is one of the main administration methods for TCMs. Only the ingredients that could be absorbed have the opportunity to play a role. Thus, these were defined as potential active ingredients. Studying of intestinal absorption can provide a theoretical basis for the mechanism of TCMs. The Caco-2 cell model, the everted rat gut sac model, and the Ussing chamber model were established for TCMs. The degree of anastomosis between the in vitro intestinal model and the actual intestinal absorption of TCMs were evaluated by the gavage method in rats. The Ussing chamber model was best fit for oral experiments in rats and was selected as the research means to preliminarily screen potential active ingredients from eight TCMs, including Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Astragalus propinquus Schischkin, Plantago asiatica L, Fallopia multiflora (Thunb.) Harald, Epimedium brevicornu Maxim, Moutan Cortex, Citrus reticulata Blanco, and Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen ex C. H. Chow. A total of 44 components were absorbed and screened as the potential active ingredients from the 80 components identified in eight TCMs by HPLC-PDA-MS.

Traditional Chinese medicine reverses cancer multidrug resistance and its mechanism

Chemotherapy is one of the most commonly used clinical treatments among the currently available cancer therapies. However, the phenomenon of Multidrug resistance (MDR) has become a challenge in the treatment process, weakening the impact of chemotherapy. Extensive research on elucidating the development of cancer MDR has identified the following mechanisms that play a critical role in the development of several MDR reversal agents: abnormal expression of cell membrane transporters, adaptation of cancer cells to the microenvironment, regulation of hypoxia, repair of DNA damage and reduction of apoptosis, the enhancement of the EMT process, the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), and the abnormal activation of key signaling pathways. However, they failed to demonstrate significant efficacy due to severe side effects during their clinical trials. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are known to play an important anti-cancer role since they have low toxicity, high efficacy, and safety and can reverse MDR. TCMs reversal agents can be divided into Chinese medicine monomers, synthetic monomers, analogs, or derivatives. Several studies have shown that TCMs can effectively overcome cancer MDR and can be effectively used for treating cancer patients.

Characterization of natural herbal medicines by thin-layer chromatography combined with laser ablation-assisted direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry

The characterization and quality control of natural herbal medicines, such as traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), is of great significance to ensure their potential efficacy and avoid severe side effects. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a simple and classic approach for examining quality marker of natural products. Nevertheless, it is more difficult to further characterize the compounds adsorbed on the TLC plate. Herein, we reported a simple setup of laser ablation-assisted direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (LA-DART-MS), in which the coupling of mass spectrometry information to provide a predominant dimension in the identification of unknown chemical compositions separated on standard TLC plates, and it was applied for rapid characterization of various kinds of natural herbal medicines. The results showed that the introduction of low-cost small laser pointer had significantly improved the desorption process. The system was successfully applied in the analysis of alkaloids, flavonoids, anthraquinones, volatile oils, glycosides, organic acids, and eight different TCMs including Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma, Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex, Picrasmae Ramulus et Folium, Gynura Japonica, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Dendrobii Caulis. The obtained limits of detection (LODs) of this method for various types of reference substances were in the range of 4.6-162.2 ng/band on TLC plates. Furthermore, the quality control and identification of different species of Dendrobii Caulis herb was achieved. This study combines the advantages of TLC and ambient mass spectrometry to provide a good choice for the screening and identification of active ingredients and the quality evaluation of botanical samples.

An integrated strategy for the identification and screening of anti-allergy components from natural products based on calcium fluctuations and cell extraction coupled with HPLC-Q-TOF-MS

Allergic diseases are a significant public health problem worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) with reported anti-allergy effects may be important sources for the development of new anti-allergy drugs. Thus, establishing an analytical method that can simultaneously identify and screen anti-allergic compounds in TCMs is important. The increased concentrations of intracellular calcium ions resulting in mast cell degranulation releasing active mediators play a key role in allergic diseases, which can be used as a potential index to identify anti-allergic herbs and compounds. In this study, we provide a new strategy that was applied to screening natural anti-allergic compounds based on fluorescence calcium ion (Ca²⁺) fluctuation integrated with cell extract and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). A low-cost, convenient fluorescence detection Ca²⁺ signaling method was established and successfully applied to identify three herbs. Then, the method was integrated with biospecific cell fishing and HPLC-MS to screen potential active components that have the effect of stabilizing the cell membrane of rat basophilic leukemia granulocytes (RBL-2H3). Seven components, namely, albiflorin and paeoniflorin from Radix Paeoniae Alba, ononin and formononetin from Radix Astragali, cimifugin, 4'-O-β-D-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol, and prim-O-glucosylcimifugin from Radix Saposhnikoviae were fished. These seven compounds have the effect of inhibiting cell Ca²⁺ influx. 4'-O-β-D-Glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol, prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, paeoniflorin, ononin, and formononetin significantly inhibit the release of β-hexosaminidase, which is equivalent to the positive drug. In conclusion, the integrated strategy of fluorescence detection calcium ion kinetic method binding with biospecific cell fishing was an effective mode to identify and screen natural anti-allergic compounds.

A strategy of utilizing Cu2+-mediating interaction to prepare magnetic imprinted polymers for the selective detection of celastrol in traditional Chinese medicines

In this work, a novel strategy to prepare molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) functionalized magnetic carbon nanotubes (MCNTs) via a facile sol-gel polymerization by adopting Cu²⁺-mediating interaction was presented for selective recognition of celastrol (Cel), in the traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). Firstly, template Cel, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as monomer and Cu²⁺ (co-monomer) were mixed to form a self-assembled pre-complex, in which Cu²⁺ could coordinate with Cel. Meanwhile, APTES plays a role of bridge between APTES and Cel. Secondly, carboxyl modified MCNTs as substrate was added into the pre-complex solution. After that, a multi-step sol-gel polymerization process was occurred in the presence of tetraethylorthosilicate as cross-linker and acetic acid as catalyst. Finally, MIPs layer was formed on the surface of the MCNTs (Cel-MIPs@MCNTs) after the removal of template with methanol/acetic. The morphology and structure of Cel-MIPs@MCNTs was investigated by various characterization techniques. The adsorption performance of Cel-MIPs@MCNTs to Cel was illustrated by kinetic, isothermal and selective binding experiments. The results displayed that the Cel-MIPs@MCNTs possessed fast kinetic equilibrium time (40 s), high adsorption capacity (13.35 μg mg^-1), good imprinting factor of 3.41, and high magnetic responsivity (44.38 emu·g^-1), which can be used as an ideal adsorbent for rapid isolation and enrichment of target analytes. A selective and sensitive method based on Cel-MIPs@MCNTs coupling with HPLC was developed for Cel determination including a wide linear range (0.15-200 μg mL^-1) with correlation coefficient of 0.9998, a low limit of detection (0.05 μg mL^-1). Furthermore, the applicability of Cel-MIPs@MCNTs was demonstrated to isolate and determine Cel in TCM samples with satisfactory recoveries ranged from 84.47% to 91.5% (RSD<5.35%). The results revealed that Cel-MIPs@MCNTs offer great potential as an adsorbent for selective and efficient isolation of Cel from complex TCM samples.

Schaftoside Suppresses Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Seizures in Zebrafish via Suppressing Apoptosis, Modulating Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress

The lack of disease-modifying therapeutic strategies against epileptic seizures has caused a surge in preclinical research focused on exploring and developing novel therapeutic candidates for epilepsy. Compounds from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have gained much attention for a plethora of neurological diseases, including epilepsy. Herein, for the first time, we evaluated the anticonvulsive effects of schaftoside (SS), a TCM, on pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced epileptic seizures in zebrafish and examined the underlying mechanisms. We observed that SS pretreatments significantly suppressed seizure-like behavior and prolonged the onset of seizures. Zebrafish larvae pretreated with SS demonstrated downregulation of c-fos expression during seizures. PTZ-induced upregulation of apoptotic cells was decreased upon pretreatment with SS. Inflammatory phenomena during seizure progression including the upregulation of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) were downregulated upon pretreatment with SS. The PTZ-induced recruitment of immunocytes was in turn reduced upon SS pretreatment. Moreover, SS pretreatment modulated oxidative stress, as demonstrated by decreased levels of catalase (CAT) and increased levels of glutathione peroxidase-1a (GPx1a) and manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD). However, pretreatment with SS modulated the PTZ-induced downregulation of the relative enzyme activity of CAT, GPx, and SOD. Hence, our findings suggest that SS pretreatment ameliorates PTZ-induced seizures, suppresses apoptosis, and downregulates the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, which potentially protect against further seizures in zebrafish.

Traditional Chinese medicines differentially modulate the gut microbiota based on their nature (Yao-Xing)

BACKGROUND

Property theory is a unique principle guiding traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that classifies various TCMs into four natures (hot, warm, cool, and cold) to reflect their medical actions on the human body. Despite successful application for thousands of years, characterizing the nature of medical TCMs by modern physiological indicators remains a challenge.

PURPOSE

In this study, we investigated the potential relationship between the nature of TCMs and their modulation of the gut microbiota.

STUDY DESIGN

We selected twelve TCMs with hot, warm, cool, or cold natures that possess antidiarrheal effects. Their aqueous extracts were orally administered to C57BL/6 mice at a clinical dose for 4 weeks. The gut microbiota was measured by 16S rRNA-based metagenomics, and the correlation between microbial composition/function and TCM nature was analyzed.

RESULTS

Antidiarrheal TCMs with different natures showed distinct impacts on the gut microbiota. Hot-natured TCMs had no influence on the gut microbiota, warm-natured TCMs had a moderate influence, cool-natured TCMs had a strong influence, and cold-natured TCMs substantially changed the structure of the gut microbial community. The abundance of Anaerotruncus, Tyzzerella and Ruminiclostridium steadily increased, while that of Ruminococcaceae_UCG-010, Parasutterella and Bifidobacterium continuously decreased as the herbal nature turned from cold to hot. Microbiome functional prediction for Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) of proteins and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) categories showed that colder TCMs imposed a stronger influence on microbial functional repertoires. Specifically, the abundance of ABC transporters, key bacterial proteins involved in nutrient absorption and drug resistance, was gradually decreased by colder TCMs.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated that the nature of TCMs could be reflected by their modulation of gut microbes. Cold TCMs may exert their antidiarrheal effects, at least partially, by modulating the gut microbiota, while hot TCMs may alleviate dysentery in other ways.

Metal-organic framework grafted with melamine for the selective recognition and miniaturized solid phase extraction of aristolochic acid Ⅰ from traditional Chinese medicine

Aristolochic acid Ⅰ is a nephrotoxic compound and exist in some traditional Chinese medicines at trace level. Up to now, specific enrichment of aristolochic acid Ⅰ remains important procedure and key problem in its analysis. In this study, melamine was proposed as the recognition unit and grafted on the surface of metal-organic framework to fabricate a specific material for aristolochic acid Ⅰ. This material was prepared by using a two-step strategy and the preparation process was optimized. The physical and chemical properties were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transfer infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption-desorption techniques. Adsorption properties were evaluated by binding experiments. The melamine modified material exhibited a uniform morphology, high specific surface area (460.20 m² g^-1), high adsorption capacity (25.57 mg g^-1), fast mass transfer rate and excellent selectivity. Further, a specific and sensitive method was established by using this material as adsorbent of mini-solid phase extraction. The limit of detection was as low as 0.02 μg mL^-1. Therefore, melamine modified metal-organic framework is an ideal adsorbent for the recognition and enrichment of aristolochic acid Ⅰ.

Biomimetic in vitro respiratory system using smooth muscle cells on ECIS chips for anti-asthma TCMs screening

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) contraction is a major pathophysiological characteristic of asthma. Although β2-adrenoceptor (β2-AR) agonists are currently used as bronchodilators, they cause rapid effect and long-term agonist-induced desensitization. Thus, it is necessary to search for more effective and safer relaxant agents for ASM cells. In this work, bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) were demonstrated to be expressed in primary mouse ASM cells endogenously, and they were considered as new drug targets for asthma treatment. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) contained a wide range of TAS2R agonists and some of them had the efficacy of relieving cough and asthma with less toxic side effects. Then the electronic cell-substrate impedance sensor (ECIS) was used for the first time to establish a method to detect the contraction/relaxation effects of ASM cells. Therefore, we introduced a biomimetic in vitro respiratory system using ASM cells on ECIS chips to screen for potential TCMs against asthma. Quinine, nobiletin, and picfeltarraenin IA screened in this study could effectively inhibit the ASM contraction in a concentration-dependent manner, showing potential value as novel anti-asthma drugs. Furthermore, the effective screening of anti-asthma drugs was realized based on 3D ASM cell arrays and gel imaging system. Consistent results were found and the reliability of the biomimetic in vitro respiratory system for the screening of TCMs against asthma was further verified. The biomimetic system designed in this study has the advantages of operation simplicity, high throughput, non-invasive, real-time, and high sensitivity, and therefore provides a promising drug screening platform for asthma disease.

Chinese medicine formulas for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Overview of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects more than one-quarter of the global population. Due to the lack of approved chemical agents, many patients seek treatment from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas. A variety of systematic reviews have been published regarding the effectiveness and safety of TCM formulas for NAFLD.

AIM

To critically appraise available systematic reviews and sort out the high-quality evidence on TCM formulas for the management of NAFLD.

METHODS

Seven databases were systematically searched from their inception to 28 February 2020. The search terms included “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,” “Chinese medicines,” “systematic review,” and their synonyms. Systematic reviews involving TCM formulas alone or in combination with conventional medications were included. The methodological quality and risk of bias of eligible systematic reviews were evaluated by using A Measure Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2) and Risk of Bias in Systematic Review (ROBIS). The quality of outcomes was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system.

RESULTS

Seven systematic reviews were ultimately included. All systematic reviews were conducted based on randomized controlled trials and published in the last decade. According to the AMSTAR 2 tool, one systematic review was judged as having a moderate confidence level, whereas the other studies were rated as having a low or extremely low level of confidence. The ROBIS tool showed that the included systematic reviews all had a high risk of bias due to insufficient consideration of identified concerns. According to the GRADE system, only two outcomes were determined as high quality; namely, TCM formulas with the HuoXueHuaYu principle were better than conventional medications in ultrasound improvement, and TCM formulas were superior to antioxidants in alanine aminotransferase normalization. Other outcomes were downgraded to lower levels, mainly because of heterogeneity among studies, not meeting optimal information sample size, and inclusion of excessive numbers of small sample studies. Nevertheless, the evidence quality of extracted outcomes should be further downgraded when applying to clinical practice due to indirectness.

CONCLUSION

The quality of available systematic reviews was not satisfactory. Researchers should avoid repeatedly conducting systematic reviews in this area and focus on designing rigorous randomized controlled trials to support TCM formula applications.

1H NMR-based metabolomics study of the dynamic effect of Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu capsules on coronary heart disease rats induced by high-fat diet, coronary artery ligation

An ¹H NMR-based metabolomics approach was conducted to holisticly explore the effect of Xue Fu Zhu Yu (XFZY) capsule (a well-known Chinese herbal medicine) on high-fat diets combined with coronary artery ligation induced coronary heart disease (CHD) model rats. 1H NMR-based metabolomics approach combined with multivariate analysis was performed to explore potential biomarkers, a total of 20 metabolites were confirmed as contributors to the discrimination of model group and sham group. We investigated the dynamic metabolic characteristics of XFZY capsule on CHD rats, lactate, glutamine, pyruvate, citrate, choline and taurine were potential biomarkers of early effect. More potential biomarkers changed after 28 days of medication, XFZY capsules primarily influenced the taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, purine metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis.

Potential drugs for the treatment of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) in China

The fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia (namely COVID-19) that seriously harms human health is a common task for all mankind. Currently, development of drugs against the novel coronavirus (namely SARS-CoV-2) is quite urgent. Chinese medical workers and scientific researchers have found some drugs to play potential therapeutic effects on COVID-19 at the cellular level or in preliminary clinical trials. However, more fundamental studies and large sample clinical trials need to be done to ensure the efficacy and safety of these drugs. The adoption of these drugs without further testing must be careful. The relevant articles, news, and government reports published on the official and Preprint websites, PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases from December 2019 to April 2020 were searched and manually filtered. The general pharmacological characteristics, indications, adverse reactions, general usage, and especially current status of the treatment of COVID-19 of those potentially effective drugs, including chemical drugs, traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), and biological products in China were summarized in this review to guide reasonable medication and the development of specific drugs for the treatment of COVID-19.

Current strategies against COVID-19

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) recently was declared a pandemic by world health organization (WHO) Due to sudden outbreaks, currently, no completely effective vaccine or drug is clinically approved. Several therapeutic strategies can be envisaged to prevent further mortality and morbidity. Based on the past contribution of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and immune-based therapies as a treatment option in crucial pathogen outbreaks, we aimed to summarize potential therapeutic strategies that could be helpful to stop further spread of SARS-CoV-2 by effecting its structural components or modulation of immune responses. Several TCM with or without modification could be effective against the structural protein, enzymes, and nucleic acid should be tested from available libraries or to identify their immune-stimulatory activities to enhance several antiviral biological agents for effective elimination of SARS-CoV-2 from the host. TCM is not only effective in the direct inhibition of virus attachment and internalization in a cell but can also prevent their replication and can also help to boost up host immune response. Immune-modulatory effects of TCMs may lead to new medications and can guide us for the scientific validity of drug development. Besides, we also summarized the effective therapies in clinical for controlling inflammation. This review will be not only helpful for the current situation of COVID-19, but can also play a major role in such epidemics in the future.

Rapid bioluminescence assay for monitoring rat CES1 activity and its alteration by traditional Chinese medicines

In traditional Chinese medicine herbs (TCM), including Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (Danshen), Radix Puerariae Lobatae (Gegen), Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Danggui), and Rhizoma Chuanxiong (Chuanxiong) are widely used for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and also often co-administered with Western drugs as a part of integrative medicine practice. Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) plays a pivotal role in the metabolisms of pro-drugs. Since (S)-2-(2-(6-dimethylamino)-benzothiazole)-4,5-dihydro-thiazole-4-carboxylate (NLMe) has recently been identified by us as a selective CES1 bioluminescent sensor, we developed a rapid method using this substrate for the direct measurement of CES1 activity in rats. This bioluminescence assay was applied to determine CES1 activity in rat tissues after a two-week oral administration of each of the four herbs noted above. The results demonstrated the presence of CES1 enzyme in rat blood and all tested tissues with much higher enzyme activity in the blood, liver, kidney and heart than that in the small intestine, spleen, lung, pancreas, brain and stomach. In addition, the four herbs showed tissue-specific effects on rat CES1 expression. Based on the CES1 biodistribution and its changes after treatment in rats, the possibility that Danshen, Gegen and Danggui might alter CES1 activities in human blood and kidney should be considered. In summary, a selective and sensitive bioluminescence assay was developed to rapidly evaluate CES1 activity and the effects of orally administered TCMs in rats.

Fractionation analysis and health risk assessment of heavy metals in six traditional Chinese medicines

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are widely used to treat various diseases in China and some countries, and TCM products are becoming increasingly available and popular worldwide. But TCMs are facing the challenge of heavy metal pollution. In this work, we examined the total contents and fractionations of Pb, Cd, Hg, and Cu in six TCMs (Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR), Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CR), Polygonati Rhizoma (PR), Astragali Radix (AR), Carthami Flos (CF), and Paeoniae Radix Rubra (PRR)) and evaluated the health risk of four heavy metals in these TCMs. The results showed that Cd, Pb, and Cu contents were considerably high and the amount of Cd in six TCMs, Pb in CR, ASR, AR, and CF, and Hg in ASR, PR, and PRR exceeded the limit values. The predominant fractions of Pb, Cd, and Cu were exchangeable and carbonate fractions in six TCMs; Hg mainly existed in organic and residual fractions. The average daily intake dose (ADD) and target hazard quotient (THQ) of Pb based on total content and total THQ of four heavy metals based on bioaccessible fractions in AR and PRR exceeded the safety guideline. These results indicated that the potential health risk could occur by taking these TCMs.

Toxicity and risk assessment of mercury exposures from cinnabar and Baizi Yangxin Pills based on pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Baizi Yangxin Pills (BZYXP), a popular cinnabar (α-HgS) contained Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) is widely used in clinical trials. However, mercury is one of the most toxic elements. The adverse effects of cinnabar-containing TCMs have been occasionally reported in recent years, leading to the growing concerns about their toxicity and safety.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The health risks of BZYXP and cinnabar related to the mercury exposures were evaluated through blood pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The distribution of absorbed mercury in rats' blood and tissues were measured by the developed cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometric method. And the tissue damages were determined through the histopathological examinations. For single dose study, the low and high oral doses were equivalent to 1 and 10-fold therapeutic dose, respectively. The multiple doses study was conducted at low and high dose levels every 12 h for 30 consecutive days.

RESULTS

Significant differences of mercury blood pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution characteristics were observed between the corresponding BZYXP and cinnabar groups. The herbal ingredients in BZYXP promoted the absorption of bio-accessible mercury of cinnabar and prolonged the elimination process, posing potential health risks. Although mercury was found easily accumulated in kidney, liver and brain tissues, kidney and liver didn't show obvious damages even after 30 days consecutive administration of BZYXP or cinnabar at 10-fold clinically equivalent doses. But brain did show some histopathological changes, and autonomic activities of rats decreased, pointing the potential neurotoxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Mercury tend to be accumulated especially when over-dose or prolonged medication with cinnabar-containing TCMs are given. The mercury exposures even at therapeutic doses of BZYXP or cinnabar do pose health risks from the neurotoxicity point of view.

Pharmacodynamic material basis of traditional Chinese medicine based on biomacromolecules: a review

Biomacromolecules, the first components of bioactive substances in traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have wide bioactivity-related efficacy but have not yet been fully appreciated compared to small molecule components. The present review brings a novel and systemic point of view to deepen the understanding of the pharmacodynamic material basis of TCM based on biomacromolecules (polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids). Biomacromolecules have been, are and will have considerable roles in the efficacy of Chinese medicine, as evidenced by the number of biological activities related to traditional clinical efficacy. The direct and indirect mechanisms of biomacromolecules are further accounted for in a variety of neurotransmitters, hormones, and immune substances to maintain immune function in both sensitive and stable equilibrium. The biological functions of biomacromolecules have been elaborated on in regard to their roles in the process of plant growth and development to the relationship between primary metabolism and secondary metabolism and to the indispensable role of polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids in the quality formation of TCM. Understanding the functional properties and mechanisms of biological macromolecules will help to demystify the drug properties and health benefits of TCM.

Online coupling of the Ussing chamber, solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography for screening and analysis of active constituents of traditional Chinese medicines

A semi-automated online platform was established successfully for preliminary screening of potential active flavonoids of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) in multicomponent system. Online coupling of the in vitro intestinal absorption model, solid phase extraction (SPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was actualized at the first time. The Ussing chamber model was selected to absorb the constituents of TCMs. A mini chromatographic column filled with C18 was used as a SPE column for online enrichment of flavonoids. HPLC was applied to analyze the constituents screened by platform. With the use of rutin as a model flavonoid, the specifications of SPE column, eluting solvent, elution time and flow rate of eluent were systematically investigated to optimize online system. Under the optimal conditions, the linear range of rutin was 0.125-368 µg/mL with the correlation coefficient (R²) greater than 0.9947. The limit of detection (LOD) was as low as 0.0500 µg/mL and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.125 µg/mL. The intra-day relative standard deviation (RSD) and inter-day RSD was 2.5% and 3.8%, respectively. The recoveries of rutin in the intestinal absorption samples ranged from 93.2% to 94.0%. Finally, the online system was applied to screen the potential active flavonoids of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Huangqin, HQ) and Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix (Huzhang, HZ). A total of 14 flavonoids of these two TCMs were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and 12 flavonoids of them were screened as the potential active components by online Ussing chamber-SPE-HPLC. In comparison with offline method and gavage in rats, the online system can screen the active constituents from TCMs more accurately and completely. The results demonstrated that the online system was reliable and sufficiently accurate for screening and determination of the potential active flavonoids of TCMs in multicomponent system.

Identification of quality control markers in Suhuang antitussive capsule based on HPLC-PDA fingerprint and anti-inflammatory screening

Suhuang antitussive capsule (SH), one of traditional Chinese patent medicines, has been widely used for treating cough variant asthma and postinfectious cough in clinic. The objective of this work is to identify the characteristic and active ingredients as the quality control markers for SH based on high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA) fingerprint and screening of anti-inflammatory components. Similarity analysis (SA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to evaluate 16 different batches of SH. 13 compounds accounting for 36% of the total components in the fingerprint were identified and semi-quantitatively analyzed, which anti-inflammatory activity was tested with the in vitro assay. The results showed that the established chemical fingerprint could clearly distinguish different batches of SH by SA, HCA, and PCA analysis. Furthermore, four known compounds (chlorogenic acid, schisandrin, angeloylgomisin H and praeruptorin A) were screened out to be the most discriminant variables, which could be applied to quality control of SH by quantitative analysis. The semi-quantitative results showed that six compounds were major components, i.e. arctiin (10.28 ± 3.18 mg/g), ephedrine (9.26 ± 1.58 mg/g), schisandrin (3.09 ± 0.83 mg/g), pseudoephedrine (2.34 ± 1.04 mg/g), schisandrin B (1.48 ± 0.16 mg/g), and 1-caffeoylquinic acid (1.36 ± 0.42 mg/g). The anti-inflammatory results showed that SH extract, praeruptorin A, schisandrin, arctigenin and pseudoephedrine could significantly inhibit inflammatory mediator NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. These findings indicated that praeruptorin A, schisandrin, arctiin and pseudoephedrine could be proposed as the quality control markers for SH.

New therapeutic strategies for IPF: Based on the "phagocytosis-secretion-immunization" network regulation mechanism of pulmonary macrophages

Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic and progressive interstitial lung disease of known and unknown etiology. Over the past decades, macrophages have been recognized to play a significant role in IPF pathogenesis. According to their anatomical loci, macrophages can be divided to alveolar macrophages (AMs) subtypes and interstitial macrophages subtypes (IMs) with different responsibility in the damage defense response. Depending on diverse chemokines and cytokines in local microenvironments, macrophages can be induced and polarized to either classically activated (M1) or alternatively activated (M2) phenotypes in different stages of immunity. Therefore, we hypothesize that there is a "phagocytosis-secretion-immunization" network regulation of pulmonary macrophages related to a number of chemokines and cytokines. In this paper, we summarize and discuss the role of chemokines and cytokines involved in the "phagocytosis-secretion-immunization" network regulation mechanism of pulmonary macrophages, pointing toward novel therapeutic approaches based on the network target regulation in the field. Therapeutic strategies focused on modifying the chemokines, cytokines and the network are promising for the pharmacotherapy of IPF. Some Traditional Chinese medicines may have more superiorities in delaying the progression of pulmonary fibrosis for their multi-target activities of this network regulation.

Development of quantitative structure-activity relationship models to predict potential nephrotoxic ingredients in traditional Chinese medicines

The broad use of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and the accompanied incidences of kidney injury have attracted considerable interest in investigating the responsible toxic ingredients. It is challenging to evaluate toxicity of TCMs since they contain complex mixtures of phytochemicals. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) is an efficient tool to predict toxicity and QSAR study on TCMs-induced nephrotoxicity remains lacked. We developed QSAR models using three datasets of 609 compounds: natural products, drugs, and mixed (contained both kinds of data) datasets. Each dataset was used for modelling by utilizing artificial neural networks (ANN) and support vector machines (SVM) algorithms separately. Both internal and external validations were performed on each model. Six QSAR models were developed and yielded reliable performance in the internal validation. For external validation, 30 ingredients in the TCMs were predicted well by the natural product models (accuracy: ANN 96.7%, SVM 93.3%). The mixed models (accuracy: ANN 76.7%, SVM 66.7%) showed a better performance than the drug models (accuracy: ANN 50%, SVM 53.3%). Particularly, natural product models produced the most reliable results. It has the application not only on screening the nephrotoxic ingredients in TCMs, but it is also helpful at prioritizing the subsequent toxicity testing of natural products.

Ionic deep eutectic solvents for the extraction and separation of natural products

Room ionic liquids (ILs) used as green solvents have received considerable attention and wide application in different research and industrial fields, such as chemistry, biology, catalysis, energy, and even environmental sciences. Recently, a new class of sustainable solvents named deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been developed, which share the promising solvent characteristics of ILs, such as thermal and chemical stability, low vapor pressure and design ability. In addition, the major advantages of DESs over ILs are their lower prices and easier preparation. Therefore, DESs have been considered to be a potential alternative to replace conventional organic solvents and ILs. Currently, the developed DESs may be classified into ionic and nonionic liquids. Typically, choline chloride (ChCl)/urea (1:2) is an ionic DES, while glucose/sucrose (1:1) is a nonionic DES. Although several reviews have covered advancements in DESs, in this review, we aim to provide a general insight into DESs, particularly ionic DESs, like choline-based DES, in terms of their preparation and application in the extraction of natural products (NPs) mainly from traditional Chinese medicines and the recovery of extracted compounds from their extracts. Additionally, various factors affecting the extraction efficiency of DESs are discussed.

Differential proteomics for studying action mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicines

Differential proteomics, which has been widely used in studying of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) during the past 10 years, is a powerful tool to visualize differentially expressed proteins and analyzes their functions. In this paper, the applications of differential proteomics in exploring the action mechanisms of TCMs on various diseases including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, liver diseases, kidney disorders and obesity, etc. were reviewed. Furthermore, differential proteomics in studying of TCMs identification, toxicity, processing and compatibility mechanisms were also included. This review will provide information for the further applications of differential proteomics in TCMs studies.

Application of metabolomics in toxicity evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have a long history of use because of its potential complementary therapy and fewer adverse effects. However, the toxicity and safety issues of TCM have drawn considerable attention in the past two decades. Metabolomics is an “omics” approach that aims to comprehensively analyze all metabolites in biological samples. In agreement with the holistic concept of TCM, metabolomics has shown great potential in efficacy and toxicity evaluation of TCM. Recently, a large amount of metabolomic researches have been devoted to exploring the mechanism of toxicity induced by TCM, such as hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity. In this paper, the application of metabolomics in toxicity evaluation of bioactive compounds, TCM extracts and TCM prescriptions are reviewed, and the potential problems and further perspectives for application of metabolomics in toxicological studies are also discussed.

Internationalization of Traditional/Complementary Medicine products: market entry as medicine

Internationalization of Traditional/Complementary Medicine (T&CM) products is important for initiating and sustaining developments in this field. Particularly for traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), the global market continues to expand due to an interest in the potential clinical benefits of traditional approaches that are largely considered lower risk and lower cost than many conventional treatments. While the benefits of internationalization hold clear advantages for the business of T&CM products, keeping abreast of regulatory processes in different countries and regions that regularly revise market entry requirements is challenging. At present, the regulations of T&CM products are country specific and largely based on a risk-based assessment with a focus on protecting the consumer. To date, systematic analysis of these regulatory differences between countries and regions is limited. Publically available information about the legal requirements for the market entry of T&CM products were obtained from the relevant regulatory authority’s websites for selected countries and regions (Macau-China, Hong Kong-China, Singapore, Australia, Canada, the European countries and the US). The market entry requirements in terms of quality, safety and efficacy of T&CM products for each country were analyzed and compared. Major differences were identified in the classification of T&CM products, market entry pathways, requirements of compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices; and level of evidence to demonstrate safety and efficacy based on historical use, non-clinical and clinical studies. Variations in the evaluation standards adopted by regulatory authorities pose a number of barriers and opportunities for the internationalization of T&CM products and have great implications for internationalization of TCMs from the sponsors’ and the regulators’ perspectives.

Traditional Chinese medicine and drug-induced anaphylaxis: data from the Beijing pharmacovigilance database

Background Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the major triggers for drug-induced anaphylaxis (DIA). Objective We aimed to use the Beijing pharmacovigilance database (BPD) to analyze TCM-induced DIAs in Beijing, China. Setting Drug allergy case reports from the BPD provided by the Beijing Center for Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring. Method Drug allergy cases from January 2004 to December 2014 were adjudicated. DIA triggered by TCMs were analyzed and compared with those triggered by non-TCM drugs by calculating the reported risk ratio (RRR). We also calculated the RRRs based on severe DIA and death outcomes. Main outcome measure TCMs implicated in DIAs were identified and compared with non-TCM drugs. Results TCMs accounted for 1651 (18.2%) of the total 9074 allergic cases, in which 84.4% (1393/1651) were triggered by injections. Of the TCM allergic cases, 8.5% (141) were DIAs and 7.3% (120) were severe DIAs, and three patients died from injections. The RRR between TCMs and non-TCM-induced DIAs was 0.63. When anaphylactic cases were compared between TCMs to the top four non-TCM drug triggers, RRRs were 0.73 (95% CI 0.61-0.87) for antibiotics, 0.36 (95% CI 0.29-0.44) for radiocontrast agents, 0.55 (95% CI 0.43-0.68) for chemotherapeutics, and 0.29 (95% CI 0.23-0.37) for biologics. Compared to TCM oral or topic formulations, TCM injections had higher RRRs in each of the above comparisons. Conclusion TCM was associated with a decreased risk of DIA compared to non-TCM drugs in drug allergy cases, and the risk was higher for TCM injections.

Identification of active ingredients mediating anti-platelet aggregation effects of BuyangHuanwu decoction using a platelet binding assay, solid phase extraction, and HPLC-MS/MS

BuyangHuanwu decoction (BHD) is widely used as a traditional herbal medicine because of its antithrombotic effect, which is attributed to the inhibition of platelet aggregation; however, its active compounds remain unknown. In this study, we developed a method involving platelet binding, solid-phase extraction, and HPLC-MS/MS for screening BHD compounds with potential anti-platelet aggregation properties. Five compounds showing platelet binding affinity were identified as 6-hydroxykaempferol-di-O-glucoside, paeoniflorin, calycosin-7-O-β-d-glucoside, galloylpaeoniflorin, and formononetin-7-O-β-d-glucoside. The results of anti-platelet aggregation experiments in vitro confirmed that these compounds inhibited adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation. Our results suggest that a platelet binding assay combined with solid-phase extraction and HPLC-MS/MS is an effective method for screening anti-platelet aggregation agents in traditional Chinese medicines.

Screening potential mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines using a mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method

Mitochondria regulate numerous crucial cell processes, including energy production, apoptotic cell death, oxidative stress, calcium homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Here, we applied an efficient mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method, also known as screening method for mitochondria-targeted bioactive constituents (SM-MBC). This method allowed searching natural mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), including Puerariae Radix (PR) and Chuanxiong Radix (CR). A total of 23 active compounds were successfully discovered from the two TCMs extracts. Among these 23 hit compounds, 17 were identified by LC/MS, 12 of which were novel mitochondria-targeting compounds. Among these, 6 active compounds were analyzed in vitro for pharmacological tests and found able to affect mitochondrial functions. We also investigated the effects of the hit compounds on HepG2 cell proliferation and on loss of cardiomyocyte viability induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. The results obtained are useful for in-depth understanding of mechanisms underlying TCMs therapeutic effects at mitochondria level and for developing novel potential drugs using TCMs as lead compounds. Finally, we showed that SM-MBC was an efficient protocol for the rapid screening of mitochondria-targeting constituents from complex samples such as PR and CR extracts.

Comprehensive metabolite profiling of Plantaginis Semen using ultra high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry coupled with elevated energy technique

Plantaginis Semen is commonly used in traditional medicine to treat edema, hypertension, and diabetes. The commercially available Plantaginis Semen in China mainly comes from three species. To clarify the chemical composition and distinct different species of Plantaginis Semen, we established a metabolite profiling method based on ultra high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry coupled with elevated energy technique. A total of 108 compounds, including phenylethanoid glycosides, flavonoids, guanidine derivatives, terpenoids, organic acids, and fatty acids, were identified from Plantago asiatica L., P. depressa Willd., and P. major L. Results showed significant differences in chemical components among the three species, particularly flavonoids. This study is the first to provide a comprehensive chemical profile of Plantaginis Semen, which could be involved into the quality control, medication guide, and developing new drug of Plantago seeds.

Biospecific isolation and characterization of angiogenesis-promoting ingredients in Buyang Huanwu decoction using affinity chromatography on rat brain microvascular endothelial cells combined with solid-phase extraction, and HPLC-MS/MS

Buyang Huanwu decoction (BHD) was reported to exert angiogenesis-promoting effects, but its active ingredients remain unknown. In this study, we developed a method to screen potential angiogenesis-promoting compounds in BHD, which involved biospecific isolation using live rat brain microvascular endothelial cells (rBMECs) and characterization using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Six compounds showed binding affinity to rBMECs and were further identified as 6-hydroxykaempferol-di-O-glucoside, paeoniflorin, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, galloylpaeoniflorin, formononetin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, and (3R)-7,2'-hydroxy-3',4'-dimethoxy-isoflavan. The results indicated that five of them except 6-hydroxykaempferol-di-O-glucoside showed a protective effect against oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion injury in rBMECs and upregulated the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor, suggesting a mechanism underlying their angiogenic activity. Our findings suggest that biospecific live cell-based isolation combined with SPE and HPLC-MS/MS is an effective method for screening potential bioactive components in traditional Chinese medicines.

A simple method for HPLC retention time prediction: linear calibration using two reference substances

BACKGROUND

Analysis of related substances in pharmaceutical chemicals and multi-components in traditional Chinese medicines needs bulk of reference substances to identify the chromatographic peaks accurately. But the reference substances are costly. Thus, the relative retention (RR) method has been widely adopted in pharmacopoeias and literatures for characterizing HPLC behaviors of those reference substances unavailable. The problem is it is difficult to reproduce the RR on different columns due to the error between measured retention time (t_R) and predicted t_R in some cases. Therefore, it is useful to develop an alternative and simple method for prediction of t_R accurately.

METHODS

In the present study, based on the thermodynamic theory of HPLC, a method named linear calibration using two reference substances (LCTRS) was proposed. The method includes three steps, procedure of two points prediction, procedure of validation by multiple points regression and sequential matching. The t_R of compounds on a HPLC column can be calculated by standard retention time and linear relationship.

RESULTS

The method was validated in two medicines on 30 columns.

CONCLUSION

It was demonstrated that, LCTRS method is simple, but more accurate and more robust on different HPLC columns than RR method. Hence quality standards using LCTRS method are easy to reproduce in different laboratories with lower cost of reference substances.

Evaluation of the combined use of metronomic zoledronic acid and Coriolus versicolor in intratibial breast cancer mouse model

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Coriolus versicolor (CV) is a mushroom traditionally used for strengthening the immune system and nowadays used as immunomodulatory adjuvant in anticancer therapy. Breast cancer usually metastasizes to the skeleton, interrupts the normal bone remodeling process and causes osteolytic bone lesions. The aims of the present study were to evaluate its herb-drug interaction with metronomic zoledronate in preventing cancer propagation, metastasis and bone destruction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mice inoculated with human breast cancer cells tagged with a luciferase (MDA-MB-231-TXSA) in tibia were treated with CV aqueous extract, mZOL, or the combination of both for 4 weeks. Alteration of the luciferase signals in tibia, liver and lung were quantified using the IVIS imaging system. The skeletal response was evaluated using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). In vitro experiments were carried out to confirm the in vivo findings.

RESULTS

Results showed that combination of CV and mZOL diminished tumor growth without increasing the incidence of lung and liver metastasis in intratibial breast tumor model. The combination therapy also reserved the integrity of bones. In vitro studies demonstrated that combined use of CV and mZOL inhibited cancer cell proliferation and osteoclastogenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggested that combination treatment of CV and mZOL attenuated breast tumor propagation, protected against osteolytic bone lesion without significant metastases. This study provides scientific evidences on the beneficial outcome of using CV together with mZOL in the management of breast cancer and metastasis, which may lead to the development of CV as adjuvant health supplement for the control of breast cancer.

In silico Approach for Anti-Thrombosis Drug Discovery: P2Y1R Structure-Based TCMs Screening

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including thrombosis, which is induced by platelet aggregation, are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. The P2Y1 receptor (P2Y1R) facilitates platelet aggregation and is thus an important potential anti-thrombotic drug target. The P2Y1R protein structure contains a binding site for receptor antagonist MRS2500 within its seven-transmembrane bundle, which also provides suitable pockets for numerous other ligands to act as nucleotide antagonists of P2Y1R. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) comprises 499 Chinese Pharmacopoeia-registered herbs and the structure information for 29,384 ingredients. In silico docking of these compounds into the P2Y1R protein structure within the MRS2500 pocket can identify potential antithrombotic drugs from natural medicinal plants. Docking studies were performed and scored to evaluate ligand-binding affinities. In this study, a total of 8987 compounds from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) were filtered by Lipinski's rule of five, and their ideal oral-intake properties were evaluated. Of these, 1656 compounds distributed in 443 herbs docked into the P2Y1R-MRS2500 structure in 16,317 poses. A total of 38 compounds were ranked with a DockScore above 70, and these may have significant potential for development into anti-thrombosis drugs. These computational results suggested that licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch), cimicifugae (Cimicifuga foetida L.), and ganoderma (Ganoderma lucidum Karst) and their chemical constituents, which have not previously been widely used for anti-thrombosis, may have unexpected effects on platelet aggregation. Moreover, two types of triterpene scaffolds summarized from 10 compounds were distributed in these three herbs and also docked into P2Y1R. These scaffold structures may be utilized for the development of drugs to inhibit platelet aggregation.