Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Myocardial fibrosis is a common manifestation of end-stage cardiovascular disease, but there is a lack of means to reverse fibrosis. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), the major active component of Astragalus membranaceus Fisch. ex Bunge Fabaceae, possesses diverse biological activities that have beneficial effects against cardiovascular disease.

This systematic review aims to summarize the anti-fibrosis effect of AS-IV in animal models (rats or mice only) and its underlying mechanisms, and provide potential directions for the clinical use of AS-IV.

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang database, and SinoMed were searched from inception to 31 December 2024. The following characteristics of the included studies were extracted and summarized: animal model, route of administration, dose/concentration, measurement indicators, and potential mechanisms. The quality of the included studies was assessed used a 10-item scale from SYRCLE.

AS-IV represents a promising multi-target candidate for myocardial fibrosis treatment in the 24 eligible studies included in the analysis. This systematic review is the first to comprehensively evaluate the anti-fibrosis mechanisms of AS-IV across heterogeneous cardiovascular disease animal models, including myocardial infarction, hypertension, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and myocarditis. The underlying mechanisms of the anti-fibrosis effects of AS-IV may include collagen metabolism, anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammation and, pyroptosis, antioxidants, improving mitochondrial function, regulating senescence, etc. Current evidence remains preclinical, with critical gaps in toxicological profiles, human safety thresholds, and clinical adverse reaction data. Future research must integrate robust toxicological evaluations, optimized combination therapies, and adaptive clinical trials to validate translational potential.

This study investigates the consistency between the formula granule decoction of stir-fried Bombyx Batryticatus(JC-DGD) and its traditional decoction (JC-TD) counterpart, using roasted Bombyx Batryticatus as a representative example.First, used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to establish the fingerprints of JC-TD and JC-DGD from four manufacturers (A, B, C, and D) and assess their similarity. There was no significant difference between the two (P > 0.05).Quantified five key index components, including uracil.Compared the protein and crude polysaccharide contents using the Coomassie Brilliant Blue and phenol-sulfuric acid methods. The mean total content of index components, proteins, and crude polysaccharides in 10 batches of JC-TD was set as 1. The contents of index components in different categories - JC-DGD-provincial standard(JC-DGD-PS), JC-DGD-enterprise standard(JC-DGD-ES), TD, DGD, and DGCM from manufacturers A, B, C, and D-were 1.23, 0.38, 1.00, 0.72, 1.28, 0.58, 0.45, and 0.27, respectively. The protein contents were 1.51, 0.46, 1.00, 0.88, 1.43, 0.93, 0.35, and 0.66, respectively. The crude polysaccharide contents was 9.01, 0.74, 1.00, 4.05, 10.57, 1.96, 0.38, and 1.77, respectively. We identified 32 differential volatile organic compounds, including fenugreek lactone, using GC-IMS. Then evaluated the anticonvulsant effects of JC-TD and JC-DGD using an acute convulsion mouse model induced by pentylenetetrazole. The results showed that JC-DGD-A > JC-TD ≈ JC-DGD-B (P > 0.05)) were superior to those of JC-DGD-C and JC-DGD-D (P < 0.01). Finally, calculate the recommended equivalent ratio of Chinese medicine formula granules (DGCM). The manufacturers A, B, C, and D were adjusted from 1:3, 1:10, 1:10, and 1:11-1:4.54 ± 0.51, 1:5.24 ± 2.22 (JC-B3 without adjustment: 1:3.6), 1:5.17 ± 0.49, and 1:3.44 ± 0.59, respectively. The overall, and the consistency between the two was analyzed through correlation analysis, cluster analysis, and multi-index dimensionality reduction discriminant analysis.Comprehensive results indicated that the quality of JC-DGD-A was significantly higher than that of JC-TD, while JC-DGD-B exhibited similar quality to JC-TD. In contrast, the quality of JC-DGD-C and JC-DGD-D was significantly lower than that of JC-TD. To enhance product quality and ensure the scientific rationality of clinical applications, manufacturers must adhere to national and provincial standards for formula granule drugs.

This study aims to evaluate differences in chemical composition and intelligent sensory information between Angelica sinensis-Ligusticum chuanxiong dispensing granule decoction (DGD) and traditional decoction (TD), providing a reference for quality control of formula granules. Twelve batches of Angelica sinensis and Ligusticum chuanxiong dispensing granules from four manufacturers (A, B, C, and D) were analyzed, alongside 12 batches of decoction pieces randomly combined into drug pairs. HPLC established the characteristic chromatograms, and differences in chemical components were evaluated by comparing chromatographic similarity, composition types, index component content, and common peak areas. The electronic nose and tongue were used to assess differences in sensory information, focusing on taste and smell. No significant differences were observed in chromatographic fingerprint similarity between DGD and TD (P > 0.05). Seven index components were identified, and, except for adenosine, the overall content of these components was higher in TD than DGD (P < 0.01). After equivalent correction using the Criteria Importance through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method, no significant differences in index component content were found (P > 0.05). Regarding sensory information, a significant difference was observed in B-bitterness 2 between TD and DGD (P ＜0.05). Differences between DGD and TD primarily due to component content, with TD generally exhibiting higher quality. After equivalent correction, DGD approaches the quality of TD. Correlations between electronic tongue data and chemical composition suggest that electronic tongue technology can rapidly distinguish these dosage forms.