Relationship between the antidiarrhoeal effects of Hange-Shashin-To and its active components

This study was designed to examine the relationship between the antidiarrho eal effects of Hange-Shashin-To (TJ-14) and its active components, Oral tre atment with TJ-14 at 1000 mg/kg significantly inhibited castor oil-induced diarrhoea, Both the 50% methanol eluate fraction (fraction IV) and the meth anol eluate fraction (fraction IV) showed antidiarrhoeal effects at oral do ses of 68 mg/kg and 63 mg/kg, respectively, corresponding to 1000 mg/kg of TJ-14. TJ-14 (1000 mg/kg, p.o.) showed a significant increase in blood cort icosterone levels. Increased blood corticosterone was noted after the oral administration of 63 mg/kg of fraction IV. The inhibitory activity of TJ-14 on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was also observed in fractions III and IV. The main component of fraction III was Scutellariae Radix-derived baicalin. Fr action IV contained Glycyrrhizae Radix-derived glycyrrhizin and isoliquirit in, Coptidis Rhizoma-derived berberine, coptisine and palmitine, Ginseng Ra dix-derived saponins were also present in fraction IV. These compounds inhi bited castor-oil induced diarrhoea at oral doses of 10 or 30 mg/kg, Thus, t he present results indicate that Scutellariae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Gi nseng radix and Coptidis Rhizoma-derived components are involved in the ant idiarrhoeal action of TJ-14, Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.