The effects of borneol on the pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of tanshinone IIA, salvianolic acid B and ginsenoside Rg1 in Fufang Danshen preparation in rats

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.

Recent Research Progress (2015-2021) and Perspectives on the Pharmacological Effects and Mechanisms of Tanshinone IIA

Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is an important characteristic component and active ingredient in Salvia miltiorrhiza, and its various aspects of research are constantly being updated to explore its potential application. In this paper, we review the recent progress on pharmacological activities and the therapeutic mechanisms of Tan IIA according to literature during the years 2015-2021. Tan IIA shows multiple pharmacological effects, including anticarcinogenic, cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, urinary, digestive, and motor systems activities. Tan IIA modulates multi-targets referring to Nrf2, AMPK, GSK-3β, EGFR, CD36, HO-1, NOX4, Beclin-1, TLR4, TNF-α, STAT3, Caspase-3, and bcl-2 proteins and multi-pathways including NF-κB, SIRT1/PGC1α, MAPK, SREBP-2/Pcsk9, Wnt, PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways, TGF-β/Smad and Hippo/YAP pathways, etc., which directly or indirectly influence disease course. Further, with the reported targets, the potential effects and possible mechanisms of Tan IIA against diseases were predicted by bioinformatic analysis. This paper provides new insights into the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Tan IIA against diseases.