Mass spectrometry‐based urinary metabolomics for exploring the treatment effects of Radix ginseng‐Schisandra chinensis herb pair on Alzheimer's disease in rats

Abstract

Herb pairs are the unique combinations of two relatively fixed herbs, intrinsically convey the basic idea of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions. The compatibility of Radix ginseng and Schisandra chinensis has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating Alzheimer's disease for many years. However, there are few studies on Radix ginseng‐Schisandra chinensis herb pair, and the underlying action mechanism is still unclear. In this study, the mechanism of Radix ginseng‐Schisandra chinensis herb pair on Alzheimer's disease was investigated by using the mass spectrometry‐based urinary metabolomics method. Sixteen urinary endogenous metabolites were identified as potential biomarkers. Meanwhile, 10 biomarkers were quantified with tandem mass spectrometry. The study result showed that the brain pathologic symptoms of model rats were improved and the potential biomarkers were adjusted backward significantly after the herb pair administration. The metabolic pathways linked to the herb pair‐regulated endogenous biomarkers included phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, purine metabolism, and so on. The above metabolic pathways reflected that Radix ginseng‐Schisandra chinensis herb pair mainly regulates abnormal energy metabolism, reduces inflammation, and regulates gut microbiota and neurotransmitters in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

A Review on the Research Progress of Mechanism of <em>Panax ginseng C. A. meyer </em>in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

“…Abnormal amino acid metabolisms, including alanine (Ala), aspartate (Asp) , glutamate (Glu), D-glutamine (D-Gln) , D-glutamate (D-Glu), and tryptophan (Trp) metabolisms, have been repeatedly reported in the pathogenesis of AD. Rg3 could regulate disordered amino acid metabolism of AD [81].In addition, P. ginseng related herb pairs (Ginseng Schisandra chinensis) can prevent abnormal metabolism of phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), and tryptophan (Trp) by regulating intestinal microbiota disorder [82]. Ginsenosides can improve the cognitive impairment of Alzheimer's disease, which has been reported, and it is considered to be a potential drug for the treatment of AD.…”

Rapid identification of chemical compositions of three species of Schisandra chinensis by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole‐orbitrap‐mass spectrometry

“…SS contains several chemical components, including lignans, volatile oils, organic acids, terpenoids, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and inorganic elements, among which lignans are the main active components [3]. SS has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including antidepressant, amelioration of liver damage, modulation of the nervous system, regulation of blood glucose, amelioration of dyslipidemia, and protection of the kidneys and cardiovascular system [4][5][6][7][8]. In addition to being a common clinical Chinese medicinal material, SS is also one of the most important Chinese medicinal materials in the daily healthy food industry [9].…”

Dihuang-Yinzi Alleviates Cognition Deficits via Targeting Energy-Related Metabolism in an Alzheimer Mouse Model as Demonstrated by Integration of Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology

“…In the recent decade, many metabolomics studies had been performed to discover and identify differential metabolites or biomarkers to facilitate understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis of AD, and evaluating of the therapeutic efficacy of drugs against AD by using plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, and urine samples (Oresic et al, 2011;Tsuruoka et al, 2013;Mapstone et al, 2014). Since urinary metabolomics analysis has many advantages, such as non-invasive, sensitive, convenient, rapid, etc., it has received great attention in AD treatment, diagnosis, and drug evaluation (Liu et al, 2019;Wei et al, 2019;Wang et al, 2021).…”