title: Importance of wine-treated Angelica Sinensis Radix in Si Wu Tang, a traditional herbal formula for treating women's ailments.
abstract: Si Wu Tang (Four Agents Decoction), a traditional Chinese decoction composed of Angelica Sinensis Radix, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata in a ratio of 1 : 1 : 1 : 1, has been used to treat women's diseases for more than a thousand years. According to the original description of Si Wu Tang, Angelica Sinensis Radix should be treated with wine. However, the importance of this wine-treated Angelica Sinensis Radix in Si Wu Tang's function has not been identified. In this article, the chemical and biological properties of two decoctions processed in different ways (Si Wu Tang with crude Angelica Sinensis Radix and Si Wu Tang with wine-treated Angelica Sinensis Radix) were compared for examination. The herbal decoction Si Wu Tang prepared from wine-treated Angelica Sinensis Radix contained much different amounts of its active compounds. Compared with Si Wu Tang using crude Angelica Sinensis Radix, Si Wu Tang prepared from wine-treated Angelica Sinensis Radix had better biological responses. Therefore, these findings accentuate the functional importance of herbs treated with wine in the Chinese decoction.
authors: Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Janis Y X
authors: JY
authors: Zhan
authors: Ken Y Z
authors: KY
authors: Zheng
authors: Kevin Y
authors: KY
authors: Zhu
authors: Wendy L
authors: WL
authors: Zhang
authors: Cathy W C
authors: CW
authors: Bi
authors: J P
authors: JP
authors: Chen
authors: Crystal Y Q
authors: CY
authors: Du
authors: Tina T X
authors: TT
authors: Dong
authors: David T W
authors: DT
authors: Lau
authors: Karl W K
authors: KW
authors: Tsim
mesh_terms: D029971:Angelica sinensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008517:Phytotherapy; D018517:Plant Roots; D011817:Rabbits; D014920:Wine; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C403258:si-wu-tang