Nanophase: An Effective Dispersion System for the Decoction of Kushen Huaihua for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE: In traditional Chinese medicine, the decoction turns into a complex multiphase system following exposure to high temperatures and a complex chemical environment. However, the effective dispersion system of the decoction of Kushen Huaihua (DKH) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) has yet to be elucidated. METHODS: DKH was separated into precipitated phase (DKH-P), nanophase (DKH-N), and solution phase (DKH-S) according to the particle size by ultracentrifugation dialysis, and the physicochemical properties of each phase group, such as particle size, morphology, chemical composition, and content, were analysed by TEM and HPLC. The anti-UC effects of the different phases were evaluated by ELISA and HE staining. Furthermore, the composition of the effective dispersion system and release characteristics were investigated by UV and HPLC. RESULTS: The fingerprint analysis of DKH recognized 11 key components, namely Ru, Qu, Ka, Fo, Iso, Kur, SFG, OMT, OSC, MT, and SC. The content of these components in DKH-N was found to be 69.51%, 88.30%, 84.60%, 82.92%, 73.35%, 77.03%, 74.02%, 89.74%, 85.99%, 79.53%, and 85.24% of the corresponding levels in DKH, respectively. Pharmacodynamic results demonstrated that DKH-N exerted the same anti-UC effect as DKH, decreased DAI and CMDI scores, increased IL-4 and IL-10 activities, and reduced expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and MPO, which were significantly different from those of the model group (**P<0.01). Additionally, DKH-N was found to comprise 30.30% polysaccharides and 24.93% protein components. Furthermore, 11 components in DKH-N demonstrated more than 80% release in enzyme-containing simulated colonic fluid in 24 h. CONCLUSION: DKH-N may be an effective dispersion system for DKH treatment of UC.