Systematic screening of hepatoprotective components from traditional Chinese medicine: Zuojin Pill as an example

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Zuojin Pill (ZJP), composed of Coptis chinensis Franch. and Euodia ruticarpa (A. Juss.) Benth. in a mass ratio of 6:1, is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula recorded in "Danxi's Experiential Therapy", an ancient medical book from the Ming Dynasty of China. It is used to treat liver fire invading the stomach, which is caused by liver stagnation transforming into fire and disharmony between the liver and stomach. Aim of the study: To develop a systematic strategy to screen hepatoprotective components from TCM using ZJP as a model sample. Materials and methods: A CCl4-induced mouse model of acute liver injury was used for the verification of the hepatoprotective effects of ZJP. UPLC-Q-Exactive Plus Orbitrap MS/MS was used for the identification of the components in mouse serum after intragastric administration of ZJP. The hepatoprotective activities of the components found in mouse serum were tested in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes induced by CCl4. Results: Nine components with significant hepatoprotective activity including berberine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, rutaecarpin, dehydroevodiamine, evocarpine and chlorogenic acid were successfully screened out. Conclusions: Our developed strategy has the advantages of high efficiency and low cost, and would provide a powerful tool for screening potential hepatoprotective components from TCM.