Objective: To compare the anti-inflammatory effect of Radix Paeoniae Rubra and Radix Paeoniae Alba by animal experiment and metabolimic analysis.
Method: To establish the rats model of toes swelling caused by carrageenan, study the anti-inflammatory effect of Radix Paeoniae Rubra and Radix Paeoniae Alba. The serum samples were analyzed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS), to find out the potential identification biomarker by PLS-DA.
Result: Both of the extracts of Radix Paeoniae Rubra and Radix Paeoniae Alba have good effects of inhibition to swelling caused by carrageenan in 0.5-1 h, and the extract of Radix Paeoniae Rubra also show significant inhibition in 2-3 h. Glutathione( GSH), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha), prostaglandinE3 (PGE3), leukotrieneA4 (LTA4), prostaglandinE2 ( PGE2) are proven to be significant expressed biomarkers. Radix Paeoniae Rubra and Radix Paeoniae Alba may have great influence on PGF2alpha and PGE3. There was also significant difference between the effects of Radix Paeoniae Rubra and Radix Paeoniae Alba, which suggested the difference of anti-inflammatory between the two herbs.
Conclusion: The results of metabolomics are related with the results of classic pharmaco- experiment, which is helpful for the further research of the mechanism of action of Radix Paeoniae Rubra and Radix Paeoniae Alba.