Effect of Jiegeng (Radix Platycodi) on Jingjie (Herba Schizonepetae Tenuifoliae) “Yin-Jing” into the lungs based on pharmacokinetics

doi:10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2025.05.010

Abstract

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether Jiegeng (Radix Platycodi, RP) has a Yin-Jing potentiating effect on Jingjie (Herba Schizonepetae Tenuifoliae,ST). We investigated the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of pulegone, the active ingredient in ST volatile oil, in rats to verify the scientific validity of the Yin-Jing doctrine, the basic theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

METHODS: The volatile oil and aqueous extract of ST were extracted by hydrodistillation. RP's aqueous extract underwent aqueous extraction. After individual and co-administration, we conducted pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies on Sprague-Dawley male rats.

RESULTS: Peak concentration (Cmax), mean retention time from 0 to ∞ (MRT0→∞), and area under the curve (AUC0→10), (AUC0→∞) were 1.51, 1.14, 2.34, and 3.86 times higher in the co-administration group than in the individual administration group, respectively (P < 0.05). In addition, half-life (T1/2) was significantly prolonged in the co-administration group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the clearance and elimination rate constant (Ke) in the co-administration group were significantly lower than those in the individual administration group, just 50% of those in the individual administration group (P < 0.05). After co-administration of the drug, the pulegone content in all tissues of the rats was elevated to varying degrees, especially a significant increase in the drug content in lung tissues (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: After co-administration, the retention of pulegone in the body was prolonged, the elimination of pulegone from the body was delayed, and the accumulation of pulegone in the lungs was facilitated. Therefore, using RP as a Yin-Jing drug concoction has a significant cumulative effect of inducing upward mobilization and targeting lung tissues.

Key words: pharmacokinetics, Yin-Jing, pulegone, individual administration, combined administration

ZHANG Yuanmei, LIU Heqing, WANG Shaowen, WANG Lele, GAO Yawen, SUN Rui, TANG Jihui. Effect of Jiegeng (Radix Platycodi) on Jingjie (Herba Schizonepetae Tenuifoliae) “Yin-Jing” into the lungs based on pharmacokinetics[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2025, 45(5): 1040-1047.

Figures/Tables 6

Figure 1 Representative chromatograms of rat heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, small intestine, testicles plasma and blank blood with after the addition of pulegone A: rat heart; B: rat liver; C: rat spleen; D: rat lungs; E: rat kidneys; F: rat small intestine; G: rat testicles plasma; H: rat blank blood.

Figure 2 Summary of standard curves, correlation coefficients, and linear ranges for pulegone A: rat heart; B: rat liver; C: rat spleen; D: rat lungs; E: rat kidneys; F: rat small intestine; G: rat testicles plasma; H: rat blood.

Table 1 Sample recoveries of high, medium, and low pulegone concentrations in various tissues and plasma (n = 3, x - ± s)

Tissue	Concentration (ng/mL)	Recovery (%)
Heart	22.5	104.2±10.2
	225.0	94.9±9.6
	900.0	89.4±3.3
Liver	22.5	96.6±10.7
	225.0	85.2±5.6
	900.0	84.0±5.1
Spleen	22.5	101.1±5.2
	225.0	100.8±4.2
	900.0	104.5±3.8
Lung	22.5	94.4±9.6
	225.0	93.2±1.7
	900.0	101.7±1.7
Kindey	22.5	102.7±9.6
	225.0	110.5±6.8
	900.0	85.8±3.5
Small intestine	22.5	104.3±7.1
	225.0	83.1±1.4
	900.0	88.2±6.3
Testicles	22.5	97.3±1.4
	225.0	109.2±1.9
	900.0	86.7±5.0
Blood	187.5	97.0±1.6
	750.0	107.1±2.1
	3000.0	97.9±3.5

Figure 3 Blood concentration-time profiles of pulegone after individual and combined administration Individual administration: SD rats were treated with the volatile oil and aqueous extract of ST. Combined administration: SD rats were treated with the volatile oil and aqueous extract of ST and aqueous extract of RP. Pulegone 300 mg/kg, ST aqueous extract 852 mg/kg and RP aqueous extract 443 mg/kg. Statistical analyses were measured using Student’s t-test for two groups. Data were presented as mean ± standard deviation (n = 6). SD: Sprague-Dawley; ST: Jingjie (Herba Schizonepetae Tenuifoliae); RP: Jiegeng (Radix Platycodi).

Table 2 Pharmacokinetic parameters after administration of pulegone alone and in combination (n = 6, x - ± s)

Parameter	Individual administration	Combined administration
C_max(mg/L)	1.82±0.45	2.76±0.52
T_max(h)	0.81±0.10	0.55±0.11
T_1/2(h)	3.21±0.97	5.85±2.40
AUC_0→10 (mg·L?1·h?1)	5.35±0.78	12.55±2.87
AUC_0→∞(mg·L?1·h?1)	31.80±8.65	122.86±36.65
CL (L·h?1·kg?1)	48.74±7.23	19.20±5.97
MRT (h)	3.38±0.21	3.86±0.26
Ke (h?1)	0.23±0.06	0.13±0.04

Figure 4 Concentration of pulegone in various tissues at 30, 45 and 120 min after administration of pulegone alone and in combination (n = 6, x - ± s) A: heart tissue; B: liver tissue; C: spleen tissue; D: kidney tissue; E: small intestine tissue; F: testicles tissue; G: lung tissue. Individual administration: SD rats were treated with the volatile oil and aqueous extract of ST. Combined administration: SD rats were treated with the volatile oil and aqueous extract of ST and aqueous extract of RP. Pulegone 300 mg/kg, ST aqueous extract 852 mg/kg and RP aqueous extract 443 mg/kg. SD: Sprague-Dawley; ST: Jingjie (Herba Schizonepetae Tenuifoliae); RP: Jiegeng (Radix Platycodi). Compared with combined administration, aP < 0.05; compared with individual administration, bP < 0.05, was considered statistically.

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