Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Quality Control of Xiasangju: A Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula

Abstract

As a traditional Chinese herbal formula, Xiasangju (XSJ) is widely used in China for antipyresis and influenza treatment. However, XSJ still fails to have a comprehensive summary of the research progress in the last decade. This review summarizes the advanced research on the extraction process, phytochemistry, pharmacological activity, and quality control of XSJ. Current research mainly focuses on quality control and the pharmacological effects of single herbs and active ingredients, but many pharmacological mechanisms of the formula are unclear. The development of active ingredients reflects the active characteristics of triterpenes, phenolic acids and flavonoids, but the hepatotoxicity of Prunella vulgaris L. has not been taken into account. XSJ has extensive historical practical experiences, while systematic clinical trials remain lacking. Therefore, it is necessary to study the active ingredients and define the mechanisms of XSJ to develop multiple applications, and further studies on the dose range between its hepatoprotective activity and hepatotoxicity are necessary to improve the safety of the clinical application. In this review, the current problems are discussed to facilitate the reference basis for the subsequent research on the development of XSJ and future application directions.

Ethnopharmacology of Five Flowers herbal Tea, a popular traditional beverage in South China

“…Over half of the parcels (63.6%) contain it. Prunella vulgari is renowned in the heat clearing function, and as a major ingredient in another popular herbal tea Xiasangju [12].…”

Chromosome‐level genome assembly of Prunella vulgaris L. provides insights into pentacyclic triterpenoid biosynthesis

“…P. vulgaris is also known as ‘self‐heal’ for its wound‐healing usages (Akkol et al., 2022; Rasool & Ganai, 2013). In Chinese Pharmacopoeia , the spikes of P. vulgaris are recorded as the medicinal parts and recommended as an ace medicine for cleansing and protecting the liver, particularly for the treatment of liver‐fire symptoms, such as night pain of eyes, dizziness, sore throat, and antipyresis (Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission, 2020; Qu et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2022). Since P. vulgaris has a wide variety of bioactivities, such as anti‐microbia, anti‐inflammation, immunoregulation, anti‐oxidation, anti‐tumor, and anti‐hypertension, it is also used as a traditional folk medicine in many other Asian countries and some European countries (Mir et al., 2022; Rasool et al., 2010; Rasool & Ganai, 2013; Wang et al., 2019).…”

Xiasangju alleviate metabolic syndrome by enhancing noradrenaline biosynthesis and activating brown adipose tissue

“…The plant names have been verified using http://mpns.kew.org . XSJ is intended for the anti-inflammatory treatment of respiratory and liver diseases and has shown potential pharmacological effects in antioxidant, antidiabetic, and immunomodulatory areas ( Wu et al, 2022 ). XSJ has been considered for metabolic disease treatment and its herbal components also have shown good effects in the reduction of blood glucose, lipid levels, and blood pressure ( Peng, 2020 ).…”