Identification of the Absorbed Components of Shaoyao-Gancao Decoction

Shaoyao-Gancao decoction (SGD), a popular traditional Chinese medicine and called Shakuyaku-Kanzo-to in Japanese, was first recorded in Shanghan Lun in the Han Dynasty of Chinese history (202 BC–AD 220). Its recipe is composed of two herbs, Paeoniae Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix, mainly used for the treatment of abdominal pain and dysmenorrhea disease. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated that SGD carries various attractive biological activities. Despite the popular use of SGD, little information is known about its metabolism after oral administration. Several analytical methods have been reported for the measurement of major components in SGD preparations, but the bioactive ingredients in vivo and metabolites of SGD are still not well understood. We have established the chemical fingerprint of SGD, characterized 58 compounds by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, and assigned their source herbs. Forty-four ingredients were identified from Glycyrrhizae Radix and fourteen from Paeoniae Radix. Thus it is of significance to systematically analyze the chemical constituents and in vivo metabolites of SGD to interpret its material basis responsible for therapeutic effects.