Chemical and biological assessment of a traditional chinese herbal decoction prepared from Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae Sinensis: orthogonal array design to optimize the extraction of chemical constituents

• Published in: Planta medica Vol. 70; no. 12; p. 1222
• Main Authors: Song, Zong H, Ji, Zhao N, Lo, Chun K, Dong, Tina T X, Zhao, Kui J, Li, Olive T W, Haines, Christopher J, Kung, Shain D, Tsim, Karl W K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01-12-2004
• Subjects: Alkaline Phosphatase; Angelica; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - chemistry; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - therapeutic use; Cell Line, Tumor - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - administration & dosage; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - chemistry; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; Humans; Osteosarcoma - pathology; Phytotherapy; Plant Roots; Platelet Aggregation - drug effects; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - chemistry; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - pharmacology; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - therapeutic use
• DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-835855
• ISSN: 0032-0943

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is a simple decoction, having about 800 years of usage in China to treat menopausal irregularity in women, which contains two herbs: Radix Astragali (Huangqi) and Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Danggui). Traditionally, boiling water has been used for preparing DBT; however, the optimized conditions of extraction have not yet been determined. Here, the amounts of Radix Astragali-derived astragaloside IV, calycosin, formononetin, and Radix Angelicae Sinensis-derived ferulic acid and ligustilide were determined in DBT, which were extracted according to an orthogonal array experimental design having three variable parameters: extraction time, extraction volume and number of repeats of the extraction. Our results suggest that extraction time and number of repeats of the extraction are two crucial factors, while extraction volume is a subordinate factor. The optimized conditions for extraction were therefore established. Besides the chemical composition, the estrogenic and anti-platelet aggregation activities of DBT were determined in different groups of the extraction, and the results of bioassays were in line with the amounts of the analyzed chemical ingredients. The results provide a model system for establishing the quality assurance of the herbal preparation.