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Component analysis and antiasthmatic effects of Huashanshen dripping pill

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Abstract

Huashanshen dripping pill (HSS), a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used in China due to its properties of antiasthma, expectorant, and antitussive. However, it was less in-depth understanding of the chemical composition, their absorption in plasma and potential biological mechanism. In this research, ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed to simultaneously identify the chemical constituents and absorption in rat plasma after oral administration of HSS. IgE-sensitized to ovalbumin was induced in BALB/c mice. ELISA and molecular docking analysis were carried out to identify their antiasthmatic mechanisms. As a result, 11 compounds were tentatively characterized by comparing the retention time, ion fragments, and the accurate mass measurement of [M + H]+ ions in the HSS. Two alkaloids including d-anisodamine and l-anisodamine were identified in the rat plasma after oral administration of HSS. The pills alleviated airway inflammation in lung tissues, and inhibited IgE, IL-4, and IL-5 in the serum. Furthermore, there were several amino acid residues involved in anisodamine-targeting receptors of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions via molecular docking indication. All in all, anisodamine would be the main component in the HSS whose antiasthmatic effects based on the inhibition of IgE, IL-4, and IL-5 production.

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Abbreviations

DM:

dexamethasone

ELISA:

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

HSS:

huashanshen dripping pill

IgE:

immunoglobulin E

IL:

interleukins

MS:

mass spectrometry

OVA:

ovalbumin

RT:

the retention time

UHPLC-QTOF-MS:

ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants 81673647, 81673535, and 81503086 from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industry Microbiology, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Metabolic Control Fermentation Technology, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Food Nutrition/Safety and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China

    Shuli Man, Nina Cui, Xuanshuo Liu & Long Ma

  2. The State Key Laboratories of Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin, 300193, China

    Changxiao Liu

  3. Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery and High Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Wenyuan Gao

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  1. Shuli Man
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  2. Nina Cui
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  3. Xuanshuo Liu
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  4. Long Ma
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  5. Changxiao Liu
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Correspondence to Shuli Man or Wenyuan Gao.

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Man, S., Cui, N., Liu, X. et al. Component analysis and antiasthmatic effects of Huashanshen dripping pill. Med Chem Res 29, 75–82 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00044-019-02460-z

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