OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of danggui-chuanxiong herb pair with different prescription proportions and formulas on nourishing and tonifying blood (NTB), activating blood circulation and dissolving blood stasis (ADBS), regulating menstruation and relieving pain (RMRP) in an all-round way, in order to reveal the correlation between the effect and constituents and their degrees.

METHODFirst, the indexes of effect were standardized. All effects were integrated by using multi-index aggregative index method. The weight coefficients of each index were worked out by the combining the statistics of testing frequency of each effect index given by the specialist-scored method and in relevant literatures released in the latest 10 years. Then, the total effect values were obtained by multiplying the standardized value of each index with the weight coefficients and then adding their results together. Finally, a fitting analysis was made on the contents of seven major active components in danggui-chuanxiong herb pair, total aromatic acids and total phthalide lactones and their total effect by using the artificial neural network, respectively.

RESULTWater extracts of danggui-chuanxiong (1.5:1) had the best effect on total NTB; alcohol extracts of danggui-chuanxiong herb pair (1:1) had the best effect on total ADBS; alcohol extraction of danggui-chuanxiong herb pair (1.5:1) had the best effect on RMRP. By using the same extraction method, extracts of danggui had better effect on total NTB than Chuanxiong; while extracts of chuanxiong had better effect on total ADBS and RMRP than danggui. With the same prescription proportion, water extracts of danggui-chuanxiong herb pair had the best effect on total NTB; alcohol extracts of danggui-chuanxiong herb pair had the best effect on total ADBS and RMRP. Aromatic acids were the main effective components for NTB, especially chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid. Both aromatic acids and phthalide lactones were active components for ADBS, particular chlorogenic acid and senkyunolides I and H showed greater effect on ADBS. Both aromatic acids and phthalide lactones were also the important active constituents for the effect of RMRP, especially ligustilide, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and senkyunolide I showed greater effect on RMRP.

CONCLUSIONBoth aromatic acids and phthalide lactones of danggui-chuanxiong herb pair contributed to NTB, ADBS and RMRP. Aromatic acids laid particular stress on NTB and ADBS, while phthalide lactones laid particular stress on RMRP. In this study, determined effect indexes of the herbal medicines were integrated by using multi-index aggregative index method, and a fitting correlation analysis was made on the component content of the herbal medicines and their integration effect by using the artificial neural network, in order to specify the active constituents of the herbal medicines with different effects and their contributions to the general efficacy and provide new ideas and methods for basic study on complicated active constituents of the herbs medicines.