Study On The Changes Of Chemical Composition,Efficacy And Toxicity Of Shengma Gegen Decoction Caused By Sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba

This study was carried out systematically to investigate the effects on chemical constituents,efficacies and toxicities of Shengma Gegen Decoction caused by sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba,providing some scientific evidences for comprehensively evaluating the qualities of Shengma Gegen Decoction�The results showed that the main chemical compositions had qualitative and quantitative changes with the appearance of new chemical constituents in Shengma Gegen Decoction after sulfur-fumigation to Paeoniae Radix Alba by qualitative analyses of their HPLC fingerprints,UFLC/Q-TOF-MS,and also HPLC quantitative analyses of their main active compounds.A sensitive and specific method was developed by using UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS for simultaneous determination and comparison of the pharmacokinetic parameters and differences of paeoniflorin,ferulic acid,isoferulic acid,and liquiritin in rat plasmas through oral administration of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sun-dried and sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba in vivo.The results showed that oral administration of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba could result in the significantly decreased Cmax of paeoniflorin,the slightly increased Cniax of isoferulic acid,and the decreased Cmax of ferulic acid and liquiritin to a certain extent,compared to that of Gegen Decoetion contained sun-dried Paeoniae Radix Alba.Therefore,sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba might have the direct effect to absorption into the blood of some active components in Shengma Gegen Decoction.Electronic tongue technology was employed to identify the chemical components of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sun-dried and sulftur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba,which provided a rapid and effective detection method for the non-destructive identification of Shengma Gegen Decoction.Meanwhile,as an objective sensory system does not depend on the biological taste,it can realize the objective analysis of the overall quality of the liquid samples.The technique was rapid and accurate,providing a simple,fast,intuitive and effective detection method for the identification of sulfur-fumigated Chinese herbal compound decoctions.The results indicated that the efficacies of the groups of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba were decreased compared to those of the groups of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sun-dried Paeoniae Radix Alba by antipyretic,anti-inflammatory and analgesic experiments.Through the experimental investigations of acute and chronic toxicities to Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sun-dried and sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba,the results of acute toxicity showed that the toxicity of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba was stronger than that of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sun-dried Paeoniae Radix Alba.The results of chronic toxicity showed that the body weights and food intakes of rats were of little differences between the groups of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sun-dried and sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba.The results of routine blood test showed that the high dosage group of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba has a significant influence on mean hematocrit and cholesterol.The blood biochemical indexes showed that Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba might affect excretion,metabolism,and the indexes of total bilirubin and albumin.The results of histopathology of chronic toxicity showed that the toxicity to rats' liver with the groups of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba might be reversible under given dosages,and the toxicity to rats' reproductive organs including testis and epididymis with the groups of Shengma Gegen Decoction contained sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba might be irreversible under given dosages.