METHODOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE MATERIAL BASIS FOR THE EFFICACY OF THE TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE WUZHUYU DECOCTION

AIM: To develop a method of ascertaining the material basis for the efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicine Wuzhuyu decoction. METHODS: Nine different combinations of Wuzhuyu decoction were prepared according to the orthoganol layout L₉(3⁴). Reversed phase HPLC analysis and analgesia and antiemesis experiments of the respective solutions were carried out. Stepwise regression analysis was adopted to estimate the relationship between the chemical and the pharmacological data. RESULTS: The material basis of the Wuzhuyu decoction was found to be produced chiefly by the chemical constituents contained in No. X₄, X₉ (rutaecarpine), X₁₀ and X₁₂ chromatographic peaks. CONCLUSION: The method can also be applied to the determination of the material basis of other traditional Chinese medicine recipes.