Anxiolytic-like effect of Suanzaoren-Wuweizi herb-pair and evidence for the involvement of the monoaminergic system in mice based on network pharmacology.

Background: Suanzaoren-Wuweizi herb-pair (SWHP), composed of Zizyphi Spinosi Semen (Suanzaoren in Chinese) and Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus (Wuweizi in Chinese), is a traditional herbal formula that has been extensively used for the treatment of insomnia. The study aimed to explore the targets and signal pathways of Suanzaoren-Wuweizi (S-W) in the treatment of anxiety by network pharmacology, and to verify the pharmacodynamics and key targets of SWHP in mice.

Methods: The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) as well as literature mining were used to obtain the main chemical ingredients of Suanzaoren and Wuweizi.

Anxiolytic Effect of Alcohol-Water Extracted Suanzaoren-Wuweizi Herb-Pair by Regulating ECS-BDNF-ERK Signaling Pathway Expression in Acute Restraint Stress Male Rats.

Herb-pairs are the basic units of composition in Chinese herbal formulae, where the bridge linking Chinese medicine and prescription consists of two Chinese medicine herbs. The Suanzaoren-Wuweizi herb-pair (SWHP) is commonly used as a sedative or tranquilizer. SWHP has been demonstrated to exert an antianxiety effect in animal models of anxiety.

Identification of Bioactive Chemical Markers in Improving Anxiety in Rat by Fingerprint-Efficacy Study.

(ZZX for short) is the root and rhizome of Jones, which is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used to treat various mood disorders for more than 2000 years, especially anxiety. The aim of the present work was to identify the bioactive chemical markers in improving anxiety in rats by a fingerprint-efficacy study. More specifically, the chemical fingerprint of ZZX samples collected from 10 different regions was determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and the similarity analyses were calculated based on 10 common characteristic peaks.