Research progress on chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Guijianyu and prediction of its quality biomarkers

Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Siebold, also known as Euonymus alatus, Euonymus alatus, or Siyueling, is a winged branch or appendage of the Euonymus genus in the Euonymus family. It has a bitter and cold taste and enters the liver and spleen meridians. In the “Shennong Bencao Jing”, the Ghost Arrow Feather is recorded as a medium grade plant under the name “Weimao”. In modern times, the names of medicinal plants are mainly based on plant morphology and are called “Ghost Arrow Feather”. This plant has a wide distribution range and is most commonly found in East, Central, Northern, and Southwest China. It is abundant in resources and can be harvested throughout the year. As a traditional Chinese medicine, the efficacy of Guijianyu is first recorded in the “Shennong Bencao Jing”: “When the main woman falls, she will bleed and sweat profusely, eliminate evil spirits, and inject poisonous insects to kill ghosts. The “Biography of Famous Doctors” records: “It can relieve abdominal pain, eliminate white worms, eliminate skin wind, toxin, and swelling, and relieve yin. In modern times, the “Chinese Materia Medica” describes the efficacy of the Ghost Arrow Feather as “breaking blood and meridians, detoxifying and reducing swelling, and killing insects. It mainly treats symptoms such as lumps, abdominal pain, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, collapse and leakage, postpartum stagnation and abdominal pain, lochia, hernia, joint pain, sores, bruises, insect accumulation and abdominal pain, burns, and venomous snake bites. Based on this, it can be concluded that the clinical efficacy of Guijianyu mainly includes promoting menstruation, breaking blood, killing insects, and relieving blood stasis and pain. It is commonly used for conditions such as amenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain, insect accumulation abdominal pain, and traumatic injuries. Modern pharmacological research has shown that it has various pharmacological effects such as lowering blood sugar, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, anti liver fibrosis, and liver protection.
The quality of traditional Chinese medicine is the safety guarantee for clinical use, and its quality directly affects the safety and effectiveness of clinical application. Currently, the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia does not include the Guijianyu medicinal herb, and the indicator components of Guijianyu are not clear. Moreover, there is a lack of basis for the pharmacological substance basis. Constructing an “ingredient efficacy quality” evaluation system is of utmost importance for the development and safe use of Guijianyu medicinal herb. Nowadays, research on the chemical composition, pharmacological activity, and extraction process of Ghost Arrow Feather has gradually received attention. However, there have been no relevant reports interpreting its quality evaluation issues from the perspective of quality markers (Q-markers), which limits the quality standards and clinical safety and rational application of Ghost Arrow Feather. Therefore, this article analyzes and summarizes the research progress on the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Ghost Arrow Feather, and predicts the Q-marker of Ghost Arrow Feather, in order to provide reference for related research and clinical application of Ghost Arrow Feather

As a traditional Chinese medicine, Guijianyu has abundant natural resources, wide pharmacological effects, and few side effects, making it highly valuable for development and utilization. By summarizing the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Euonymus japonicus, flavonoids and triterpenes are the main research focus of the active ingredients of Euonymus japonicus, which mainly play a role in treating diabetes, kidney disease, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the composition of Ghost Arrow Feather is complex, and the mechanism by which the monomeric active ingredients in Ghost Arrow Feather exert their pharmacological effects is not yet perfect. In addition, the current quality control methods lack specificity and uniqueness, and the quality control system is not comprehensive enough. Therefore, based on the current quality control status of Guijianyu, it is of great significance to establish a safe and effective quality evaluation method for Guijianyu. This article is guided by the theory of traditional Chinese medicine Q-Marker, and based on existing reports, analyzes the efficacy and active ingredients of Guijianyu. From the perspectives of plant phylogenetics and chemical component specificity, chemical composition and effectiveness, chemical component measurability, different combinations, and network pharmacology, Q-Marker prediction of Guijianyu is carried out. It is preliminarily believed that flavonoids such as rutin, quercetin, naringenin, and catechins, as well as terpenoids such as β – sitosterol, Guijianyu diterpenoid A, and 11 carbonyl – β – frankincense, can be used as potential quality markers for Guijianyu. This provides new ideas for the selection of quality markers for Guijianyu, in order to lay a scientific foundation and medication basis for the quality evaluation system of Guijianyu. Provide reference.