Chinmedomics facilitated quality-marker discovery of Sijunzi decoction to treat spleen qi deficiency syndrome
Authors: Aihua Zhang
Xijun Wang
Guangli Yan
Hui Sun
Liang Liu
Qiqi Zhao
Ying Han
Wenxiu Li
Xin Gao
Journal: Frontiers of medicine (2020)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: Chinmedomics; Sijunzi decoction; quality-marker; spleen qi deficiency syndrome; traditional Chinese medicine.
Affiliations: National Chinmedomics Research Center, Sino-America Chinmedomics Technology Collaboration Center, National TCM Key Laboratory of Serum Pharmacochemistry, Laboratory of Metabolomics, Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China., State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau, China., National Chinmedomics Research Center, Sino-America Chinmedomics Technology Collaboration Center, National TCM Key Laboratory of Serum Pharmacochemistry, Laboratory of Metabolomics, Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China. ., State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau, China. ., National Engineering Laboratory for the Development of Southwestern Endangered Medicinal Materials, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plant, Nanning, 530023, China. .

Abstract:  Sijunzi decoction (SJZD) is a Chinese classical formula to treat spleen qi deficiency syndrome (SQDS) and has been widely used for thousands of years. However, the quality control (QC) standards of SJZD are insufficient. Chinmedomics has been designed to discover and verify bioactive compounds of a variety of formula rapidly. In this study, we used Chinmedomics to evaluate the SJZD's efficacy against SQDS to discover the potential quality-markers (q-markers) for QC. A total of 56 compounds in SJZD were characterized in vitro, and 23 compounds were discovered in vivo. A total of 58 biomarkers were related to SQDS, and SJZD can adjust a large proportion of marker metabolites to normal level and then regulate the metabolic profile to the health status. A total of 10 constituents were absorbed as effective ingredients that were associated with overall efficacy. We preliminarily determined malonyl-ginsenoside Rb2 and ginsenoside Ro as the q-markers of ginseng; dehydrotumulosic acid and dihydroxy lanostene-triene-21-acid as the q-markers of poria; glycyrrhizic acid, isoglabrolide, and glycyrrhetnic acid as the q-markers of licorice; and 2-atractylenolide as the q-marker of macrocephala. According to the discovery of the SJZD q-markers, we can establish the quality standard that is related to efficacy. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 The authors describe a rat model of SQDS (Spleen Qi Deficiency Syndrome) in which rats are dosed with senna extract to give them diarrhea -- evidently replicating one of the possible symptoms of Spleen Qi Deficiency, which are diverse: * Symptoms, such as anorexia, abdominal distention, loose stools, and fatigue are the main manifestations. Other symptoms include common diarrhea, epigastric pain, abdominal pain, edema, asthma, flaccidity syndrome, childrenu2019s chancre, Western medicine chronic gastroenteritis, chronic nephritis, chronic bronchitis, and bronchial asthma. * This sounds rather symptom-driven, and not as holistic as one might expect. It was not clear to me whether the animals spleen function was assessed, or how their Qi levels were measured to test for a deficiency. ![file] * The distinguished points of SQDS compared with qi deficiency syndrome can be summarized as yellowish face, decreased food consumption, loose stool, slow pulse, and pale tongue with whitish coating. * The color of the rats faces, the state of their tongues, and the speed of their pulses were not recorded, so can we be sure that they were not just suffering from the more general Qi Deficiency Syndrome? The study involved 20 control rats (in two groups), 20 senna-dosed rats with SQDS (in two groups), and one group of 10 that were dosed **instead** with Sijunzi decoction, SJZD: ![file] It is not clear to me how a comparison of poisoned animals with unpoisoned but SQDS-dosed animals clarifies the mechanism by which  Sijunzi decoction [treats] spleen qi deficiency syndrome . ,