Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences (Oct 2022)
Identification of the material basis of the medicinal properties in Curcuma Longa L. to enhance targeted clinical application
Abstract
Objective: To identify the relationship between the active compounds in turmeric (Curcuma Longa L., C. Longa) and their medicinal properties, and clarify the chemical material basis of the medicinal properties in C. Longa. Methods: High throughput screening models of the thermo-transient receptor potentials (thermo-TRPs) and human taste type 2 receptors (hTAS2Rs) were established to evaluate the activity of the active compounds in C. Longa. The biological processes and distributions of the related targets of the active compounds were acquired by data mining. The above results were then used as basic data to comprehensively analyze the material basis of the medicinal properties of turmeric. Results: Curcumin inhibited TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV3, and TRPA1, while demethoxycurcumin (DMC) inhibited TRPV3, TRPA1, and TRPM8. In terms of the 21 hTAS2Rs, the response values of hTAS2R38, hTAS2R16, and hTAS2R44 intervened by curcumin were ranked top three; the response values of hTAS2R3, hTAS2R1, and hTAS2R9 by DMC were in top three; the response values of hTAS2R47, hTAS2R39, and hTAS2R43 by bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) were in top three. The biological processes related to active compounds primarily involved blood circulation, ossification, and regulation of the inflammatory response. Conclusion: Curcumin, DMC, and BDMC were identified as the material basis of the property of Chinese materia medica of C. Longa. Among these, curcumin and DMC may contribute to its warming effect in the four qi. Curcumin, DMC, and BDMC may lead to its bitter flavor, and the three active compounds were consistent with the meridian entry of C. Longa. Although different compounds play diverse roles in the four qi, five flavors, and meridian entry, they all were relevant to the efficacy of C. Longa. It is helpful to further understand the important role of the property of Chinese materia medica for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine.
