Affiliation:
1. School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
Abstract
Background:
Panax Japonicus (PJ) is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine, functional
food and tonic. However, its origin has a great influence on the quality of PJ, and with the increasing
demand for PJ, fake and inferior products, such as Panax Stipuleanatus (PS), often appear. The
identification of the origin and authenticity of PJ is critical for ensuring the quality, safety and effectiveness
of drugs.
Objective:
Proposing a strategy to identify the origin, authenticity, and quality of PJ using HPLC
fingerprints, chemometrics, and network pharmacology.
Method:
The chromatographic fingerprint method was established to analyze the origin and authenticity
of PJ. Multiple chemometric methods were performed to analyze the fingerprints, including
a Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Counter
Propagation Artificial Neural Network (CP-ANN). Finally, the network pharmacology method was
used to construct the "active ingredient-target" network, predict and assist in analyzing potential Qmarkers
in PJ.
Result:
Ward’s method was used for the HCA. The results showed that PJ samples from different
origins had significant regional differences and could be accurately distinguished from PS. The
PCA classification results are consistent with the HCA classification results, further illustrating the
model's accuracy. The CP-ANN model can analyze and predict PJ and PS and accurately obtain PJ
and PS chemical markers to identify PJ and PS correctly. The network pharmacology of PJ was
constructed, and three PJ Q-markers, namely, ginsenoside Ro, ginsenoside Rb1, and chikusetsu saponin
Ⅳa, were identified, which lays a foundation for the establishment of PJ quality standards.
Conclusion:
This research provides a feasible platform for the quality evaluation of PJ in the future.
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Subject
Organic Chemistry,Computer Science Applications,Drug Discovery,General Medicine