Functional analysis concisely summarizes and concentrates on the therapeutic characteristics and features of Chinese herbal medicine. Standardization of the terms for Chinese herbal functions not only plays a key role in modern research and development of Chinese herbal medicine, but also has far-reaching clinical applications. In this paper, a new method for standardizing the terms for Chinese herbal function was proposed. Firstly, functional targets were collected. Secondly, the pathological conditions and the mode of action of every functional target were determined by analyzing the references. Thirdly, the relationships between the pathological condition and the mode of action were determined based on Chinese medicine theory and data. This three-step approach allows for standardization of the terms for Chinese herbal functions. Promoting the standardization of Chinese medicine terms will benefit the overall clinical application of Chinese herbal medicine.

Objective To investigate the role of p38MAPK in the differentiation of murine osteoblasts, and to observe the expressions of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG). Methods The calvarial osteoblasts of newborn BALB/c mice were cultured in MEM medium containing 10% NCS. Raloxifene (10~(-7) mol/L) and 17β-estradiol (10~(-8) mol/L) were added respectively when cells reached 70%-80% confluence combined with or without 5 μmol/L SB202190, an inhibitor of p38MAPK. The osteoblasts alkaline phosphatase activity assays were performed 72 hours later using PNPP method, and mRNA levels of alkaliphosphatase (ALP), OPG and RANKL were determined by RT-PCR. Results 17β-estradiol and raloxifene increased ALP activity and ALP mRNA level in osteoblasts in vitro which were blocked by p38MAPK inhibitor.The mRNA levels of RANKL and OPG were up-regulated by 17β-estradiol and raloxifene while the ratio of OPG/RANKL kept constant. SB202190 (5 μmol/L) inhibited the highly expressed RANKL and OPG in osteoblasts, and obviously decreased the ratio of OPG/RANKL. Conclusions p38MAPK inhibition blocked the differentiation of osteoblasts and decreased the up-regulated OPG and RANKL expressions in osteoblasts significantly (P<0.05).

"Prescription embodied in Preparation", Chinese medicine preparation, aims to study the specific form of Chinese medicine from raw materials to preparation for acting on patients directly. Its development has gone through three stages according to the characteristics of raw materials pretreatment, including "direct smash and initial extraction for Chinese materia medica", "Extensive extraction and preliminarily impurity for Chinese materia medica" and "Refining and purification for Chinese materia medica". With the development of new technologies and new theories, Chinese medicine preparation emerged in a new stage: structural components of Chinese medicine, with the characteristics of definited material basis, clear mechanisms, determined ADME/T properties, reasonable drug release system designs and scientific productions quality controls. This requires multidisciplinary to solve systemly the problems of Chinese medicine preparation. In this article, we reviewed the development of Chinese medicine preparation in different times, and analyzed the development and the characteristics of Chinese medicine preparation; and mainly focused on a fact that multidisciplinary promoted the study and development of Chinese medicine preparation, especially in structural components of Chinese medicine. It provides development direction and theoretical basis for Chinese medicine preparation.
Materia Medica ; isolation & purification ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Technology, Pharmaceutical

BACKGROUND: Recently biodegradable hydrogel has been extensively used to delivery anticancer drug and bioactive macromolecule. However, to protect the activity of the bioactive macromolecule, we need to obtain series of hydrogel which have milder hydrogelation conditions and shorter hydroglation time.OBJECTIVE: To prepare enantiomeric poly(L-Lactic acid) (PLLA)-poly(ethylene glycol (PEG)-PLLA/ poly(D-Lactic acid) (PDLA)-PEG-PDLA stereocomplex hydrogel which has shorter hydroglation time, to physically encapsulate a model drug-lysozyme and sustained release it from the hydrogel. METHODS: Triblock copolymers of PLLA-PEG-PLLA and PDLA-PEG-PDLA were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of L(D)-lactide using PEG as the initiator and Sn(Oct)2 as the catalyst. The triblock copolymers were characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, FT-IR and X-Ray diffractometry. A hydrogel was prepared from an aqueous mixture of PLLA20-PEG227-PLLA20 and PDLA21-PEG227-PDLA21 (10 wt% concentration) at room temperature for 12 hours. X-Ray diffractometry test was used to research the gelation mechanism. The release profile of the lysozyme as a model drug from the hydrogel was tested. The morphology of the freeze-dried hydrogel was investigated by scanning electron microscope. The cytotoxicity of the hydrogel was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Triblock copolymers of PLLA-PEG-PLLA and PDLA-PEG-PDLA were obtained. Both the PEG and PLA blocks in the copolymers could crystallize, but the crystallization of the PEG block was predominant. The stereocomplex formation between the PLLA and PDLA blocks within the hydrogel was confirmed by the X-Ray diffractometry analysis. The release profile of the lysozyme from the hydrogel exhibited a sustained-release pattern with a duration period of 7 days. The hydrogel exhibited a 3D interconnected porous structure with 50-100 μm pore size after being freeze-dried. The mouse fibroblast cell viability percentage was 99.3% after the cells contacted with the 100% extracted liquid for 72 hours.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of different composition structures of total paeony glycoside (TPG) component and total phenolic acid of Ligusticum chuanxiong ( TLPA) on sodium dithionite (Na2S2O4) -induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) hypoxic injury. The baseline geometric proportion was used to design different components structure. And then the best structure of components by cell injury model were optimized.

METHODA HUVEC hypoxic injury model was established by being induced of Na2S2O4. Cell viability was measured by MTI colorimetric method, intracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate dehydrogenase( LDH) levels, nitric oxide (NO) contents were measured by kits. At last, Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of two proteins, Bcl-2 and Bax.

RESULTCompared with the model group, TPG component, TLPA component at different composition structures can significantly increase SOD activity and decrease MDA, LDH, NO levels (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Paeoniae Radix Rubra and Chuanxiong Rhizoma components can downregulate the expression of Bax protein and upregulate the expression of Bcl-2 protein. The ratio of Bcl-2 and Bax was significantly increased (P < 0 01, P < 0 05), it means that cell apoptosis was inhibited. The results indicate that among all the component composition structures, TPG and TLPA component at the proportion of 8: 2 had the best protection on hypoxic injury of endothelial cells.

CONCLUSIONTPG component and TLPA component can resist HUVEC hypoxia injury, the protective effect was the most evident under the structure of 8: 2, which may be due to the inhibition of intracellular lipid peroxidation and cell apoptosis.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Glycosides ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hydroxybenzoates ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Hypoxia ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rhizome ; chemistry

Orally disintegrating tablets (ODT), a kind of new solid tablet that rapidly disintegrates to work in the mouth, has became the hot form of new drug research in recent years with many advantages, such as the convenient taking, a widely applicable people, fast acting, high bioavailability, good compliance, and so on. ODT has been widely used in chemical medicines, while the application of it in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) is still in the stage of development The development of TCMs ODT provides a new direction for the research of Chinese medicine new dosage, accelerates the pace of connecting to the world and modernization of Chinese medicine. This dosage has a broad market prospect, and its quality control and assessment standards, taste, the disintegration time in vitro and evaluation method are the key factors that affect the industrialization, standardization of Chinese medicine ODT. Therefore, this paper reviewed the characteristics, preparation, taste masking technology and quality evaluation with new technology of ODT. Meantime, numerous application examples of ODT used in traditional Chinese medicine were described. We expect to provide the reference and utilization for the development of traditional Chinese medicine orally disinteeratine tablets.
Administration, Oral ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Solubility ; Tablets ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Taste

Chinese medicine prescriptions are the wisdom outcomes of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical treatment determinations which based on differentiation of symptoms and signs. Chinese medicine prescriptions are also the basis of secondary exploitation of TCM. The study on prescription helps to understand the material basis of its efficacy, pharmacological mechanism, which is an important guarantee for the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. Currently, there is not yet dissertation n the method and technology system of basic research on the prescription of Chinese medicine. This paper focuses on how to build an effective system of prescription research technology. Based on "component structure" theory, a technology system contained four-step method that "prescription analysis, the material basis screening, the material basis of analysis and optimization and verify" was proposed. The technology system analyzes the material basis of the three levels such as Chinese medicine pieces, constituents and the compounds which could respect the overall efficacy of Chinese medicine. Ideas of prescription optimization, remodeling are introduced into the system. The technology system is the combination of the existing research and associates with new techniques and methods, which used for explore the research thought suitable for material basis research and prescription remodeling. The system provides a reference for the secondary development of traditional Chinese medicine, and industrial upgrading.
Drug Prescriptions ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

The purpose of the secondary exploitation of Chinese medicine is to improve the quality of Chinese medicine products, enhance core competitiveness, for better use in clinical practice, and more effectively solve the patient suffering. Herbs, extraction, separation, refreshing, preparation and quality control are all involved in the industry promotion of Chinese medicine secondary exploitation of industrial production. The Chinese medicine quality improvement and industry promotion could be realized with the whole process of process optimization, quality control, overall processes improvement. Based on the "component structure theory", "multi-dimensional structure & process dynamic quality control system" and systematic and holistic character of Chinese medicine, impacts of whole process were discussed. Technology systems of Chinese medicine industry promotion was built to provide theoretical basis for improving the quality and efficacy of the secondary development of traditional Chinese medicine products.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; economics ; standards ; China ; Drug and Narcotic Control ; economics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; economics ; standards ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; standards ; Quality Control

As the preparation process from Salvia miltiorrhiz herbs to S. miltiorrhiz injection involves complicated technology and has relatively more factors impacting quality safety, the overall quality control is required for its effectiveness and safety. On the basis of the component structure theory, and according to the material basis of S. miltiorrhiz injection, we discussed the multi-dimensional structure and process dynamic quality control technology system of the preparation, in order to achieve the quality control over the material basis with safety and effectiveness of S. miltiorrhiz injection, and provide new ideas and methods for production quality standardization of S. miltiorrhis injection.
Drug Compounding ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; Injections ; Quality Control ; Safety ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

The study on the pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) is a linking science during the modernization of TCMs, and plays an important role in the studies on the complex material base of TCMs, the in vivo process of ingredient/ component and the pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics correlation. However, because of the multi-ingredient/component system of TCMs, how to scientifically reveal the pharmacokinetics that is consistent with TCMs' characteristics has long been a hotspot and difficulty for the exploration. The optimal composition structure of the material basis of TCMs shows the best efficacy, while the difference between the multi-ingredient/component composition structures in the efficacy is closely related to their absorption, transport, metabolism and excretion in vivo. In this article, the authors systematically review the study methods for pharmacokinetics of TCMs and their compounds, and explore the pharmacokinetics of TCMs based on the "component structure theory". As a result, the method for integrating TCM component structure and the TCM pharmacokinetics was proposed to be adopted to intensively study the effect of the component structure on the in vivo TCM multi-ingredient/component pharmacokinetic characteristics, in order to promote the TCM modernization and innovation in China.
Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Pharmacokinetics ; Structure-Activity Relationship