OBJECTIVETo find a research method suitable to multi-component multi-index composition-activity relationship of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) with the antioxidant activity of four compatible active constituents of TCMs as the subject.

METHODLARS-based regression algorithm and comprehensive weight coefficient method were adopted to study in vitro clearance of DPPH and polyaromatic hydrocarbon with different doses of four compatible active constituents--total flavonoids of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (TFG), Ginkgo Folium extract (GBE), total flavonoids of Epimedii Folium (TFE) and astragaloside (AST) according to the comprehensive efficacy assessment procedures, that is test design, efficacy test and mathematical modeling (model verification).

RESULTLARS and comprehensive weight coefficient method was adopted to assess the optimal comprehensive efficacy of clearing DPPH and polyaromatic hydrocarbon. The results showed that the optimal dose combination of compatible constituents is TFG-GBE-TFE-AST 1: 0.2545: 0.007 6:0.011 5.

CONCLUSIONThe above compatibility of TCMs constituents can effectively clear polyaromatic hydrocarbon and DPPH with a good antioxidation. The uniform design adopted in this experiment, in combination of synthetic weight method, is suitable to the data analysis of "non-linear and small-sample" biotic experiment and the study on screening and assessment of compatibility of TCMs constituents.

Antioxidants ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Biphenyl Compounds ; chemistry ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Picrates ; chemistry ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ; chemistry ; Regression Analysis