背景:艾灸,传统的中医实践,雇佣了Moxa羊毛,来源于阿尔特米西亚。黄酮类化合物,莫沙羊毛中的关键药理成分,以其抗炎和镇痛特性而闻名。Moxa羊毛的纯度,特别是它的类黄酮含量,直接影响艾灸治疗的疗效。然而,准确和无损地定量这些生物活性类黄酮一直是一个挑战。
目的:本研究介绍了太赫兹光谱作为一种无损的光学检测方法,用于对莫沙羊毛中的黄酮类化合物进行定性检测和定量分析。通过建立频谱信号与临床疗效之间的数学模型,可以建立黄酮浓度与艾灸治疗效果之间的可靠相关性,为类风湿关节炎的治疗结果提供了一个潜在的预测模型。
方法:我们采用了太赫兹光谱技术,并将其与太赫兹超材料生物传感器相结合,以实现快速,高效,和无损检测莫沙羊毛的质量。该方法将检测时间从几小时减少到几分钟,同时降低了样品检测极限,克服了传统检测方法在药理学研究中的局限性。
方法:通过太赫兹超材料生物传感器,实现了对莫沙羊毛纯度的快速检测。采用分子模拟和太赫兹光谱相结合的方法,对不同纯度的莫沙羊毛中的黄酮含量进行了定量分析。为了确保准确性,利用高效液相色谱(HPLC)对太赫兹光谱获得的黄酮类化合物的定量结果进行了验证。此外,艾灸治疗类风湿关节炎大鼠,并记录医疗指标信息。建立了评价黄酮含量与镇痛抗炎作用相关性的数学分析模型。
结果:太赫兹光谱分析表明,艾灸中的黄酮含量与吸收峰强度之间存在直接相关性。模型分析中的最大R2为0.98,表明预测莫沙羊毛纯度的准确性很高。这些结果也通过HPLC验证。在大鼠模型中,30:1的Moxa羊毛样品的纯度显示TNF-α降低了50%,IL-1β,与低纯度样品相比,治疗期间的IL-6水平,显着减少炎症标志物和疼痛症状。同时,PLS预测模型建立了太赫兹检测到的类黄酮水平与治疗结果(PWL和IL-1β)之间的相关性。模型中的最大R2为0.91,表明黄酮类化合物水平与艾灸治疗的抗炎镇痛作用高度相关。
结论:这项研究不仅证明了太赫兹光谱在生物活性化合物的药理定量中的有效性,而且还建立了一种新的预测模型来预测艾灸治疗类风湿关节炎的疗效。它强调了将传统医学见解与先进技术相结合以增强药理学治疗策略的潜力。
BACKGROUND: Moxibustion, a traditional Chinese medicine practice, employs Moxa Wool, derived from Artemisia argyi. Flavonoids, the key pharmacological constituents in Moxa Wool, are known for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The purity of Moxa Wool, particularly its flavonoid content, directly influences the efficacy of moxibustion treatments. However, quantifying these bioactive flavonoids accurately and non-destructively has been a challenge.
OBJECTIVE: This study introduces terahertz spectroscopy as a non-destructive optical detection method for qualitative detection and quantitative analysis of flavonoids in Moxa Wool. By establishing a mathematical model between spectral signals and clinical efficacy, a reliable correlation between flavonoid concentration and the therapeutic effect of moxibustion can be established, providing a potential predictive model for the treatment outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis.
METHODS: We adopted terahertz spectroscopy technology and combined it with terahertz metamaterial biosensors to achieve rapid, efficient, and non-destructive testing of the quality of Moxa Wool. This method reduces the detection time from hours to minutes while lowering the sample detection limit, overcoming the limitations of traditional detection methods in pharmacological research.
METHODS: Through terahertz metamaterial biosensors, rapid detection of the purity of Moxa Wool has been achieved. A combination of molecular simulation and terahertz spectroscopy was used to quantitatively analyze the flavonoid content in different purities of Moxa Wool. To ensure accuracy, the quantitative results of flavonoids obtained by terahertz spectroscopy were validated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In addition, moxibustion treatment was performed on rats with rheumatoid arthritis using Moxa Wool, and medical indicator information was recorded. A mathematical analysis model was established to evaluate the correlation between flavonoid content and analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
RESULTS: Terahertz spectroscopy analysis shows that there is a direct correlation between the flavonoid content in moxibustion and the absorption peak intensity. The maximum R2 in the model analysis is 0.98, indicating a high accuracy in predicting the purity of Moxa Wool. These results were also validated by HPLC. In a rat model, the purity of 30:1 Moxa Wool samples showed a 50 % decrease in TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels during treatment compared to low-purity samples, significantly reducing inflammation markers and pain symptoms. Meanwhile, The PLS prediction model established a correlation between terahertz-detected flavonoid levels and treatment outcomes (PWL and IL-1β). The maximum R2 in the model is 0.91, indicating a high correlation between flavonoid levels and the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of moxibustion treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: This study not only demonstrates the effectiveness of terahertz spectroscopy in the pharmacological quantification of bioactive compounds but also establishes a novel predictive model for the efficacy of moxibustion in rheumatoid arthritis treatment. It underscores the potential of integrating traditional medicine insights with advanced technology to enhance therapeutic strategies in pharmacology.