title: What caused the changes in the usage of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma from ancient to current times?
abstract: Ancient Chinese medicine treatises on Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (AMR), the rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz, indicated that it possessed an expectorant effect. However, in modern times, it is commonly used as a tocolytic agent. In this study, the components of AMR that are responsible for its expectorant and tocolytic effects were evaluated in order to clarify the differences in its application between ancient and modern times. A decoction of AMR was separated into five fractions, namely, volatile oil (VO), petroleum ether (PE), alcohol eluate from macroporous resin (AE), water eluate from macroporous resin (WE), and polysaccharides (PS), using various separation methods. The expectorant experiment indicated that the VO fraction, which mainly contains atractylone, produced an obvious expectorant effect. The experiment that assessed the irritability of uterine smooth muscle (USM) showed that the PE, which is mainly composed of atractylenolides, and the PS, which is mainly composed of inulin-type polysaccharides, were the active fractions for tocolysis, but the VO fraction had the opposite action. These data suggested that volatile oils are the key components responsible for the usage change of AMR in both ancient and current usage.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, 116600, China.
authors.forename: Xiaotong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, 116600, China.
authors.forename: Linghui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, 116600, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoku
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ran
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, 116600, China. deqiangdou@126.com.
authors.forename: Deqiang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, 116600, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Bingyou
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Miyama 2-2-1, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Miyama 2-2-1, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China. Kuanghx@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Haixue
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuang
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000494:pharmacology; D000473:Alkanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D031174:Atractylodes / Q000378:metabolism*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005100:Expectorants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D027343:Rhizome / Q000378:metabolism; D012997:Solvents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015149:Tocolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D000473:Alkanes; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005100:Expectorants; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D011134:Polysaccharides; D012997:Solvents; D015149:Tocolytic Agents; C004544:naphtha
keywords: Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz; Atractylodis Macrocephala Rhizoma; Expectorant; Tocolysis; Traditional medicine; Volatile oil