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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2026 , Vol. 46 >Issue 2: 411 - 417

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.02.013

Original Articles

Beneficial effects of Huanglian Jiedu decoction (黄连解毒汤 ) on metabolic syndrome: a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial

  • XU Pingyuan ,
  • ZHU Heng ,
  • ZHOU Ruonan ,
  • WEI Yaping ,
  • ZHU Ziwei ,
  • XU Fangyuan ,
  • XIANG Yingying ,
  • CAO Yue ,
  • SHEN Lixuan ,
  • WANG Ziwei ,
  • XUE Yingying ,
  • YU Xizhong ,
  • FANG Penghua ,
  • SHANG Wenbin
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  • 1 Department of Endocrinology,Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine,Nanjing210029,China
    2 Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases in Chinese Medicine,Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine,Nanjing210023,China
    3 Department of Endocrinology,Taizhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine,Taizhou225399,China
    4 Department of Endocrinology,Changzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine,Changzhou213004,China
Prof. SHANG Wenbin, Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases in Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China. wbshang@njucm.edu.cn; Telephone: +86-10-85811146

Received date: 2024-02-16

  Accepted date: 2025-06-11

  Online published: 2026-04-04

Supported by

Subject of Academic Priority Discipline of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions: Clinical and Basic Research on the Regulation of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism by Traditional Chinese Medicine(ZYX03KF058);Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province: Mechanism of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction in Promoting Adipose Tissue Browning to Improve Insulin Resistance(KYCX21_1659)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Huanglian Jiedu decoction (黄连解毒汤, HLJDD) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) and to elucidate its potential underlying mechanisms.

METHODS: A total of 132 participants were enrolled and randomly divided into the HLJDD group and the control group. Participants in the HLJDD group received a 3-month HLJDD treatment in addition to lifestyle guidance, while the control group received only lifestyle guidance. Anthropometric indices, blood lipid profiles, liver function indices, glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, inflammatory profiles, and the brown adipokine fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) were measured both at baseline and at the end of the trial.

RESULTS: The study demonstrated that administering HLJDD for three months significantly reduces the body weight [8.91% (6.03%-10.22%) vs5.58% (3.31%-8.70%), P<0.01], body mass index [8.55% (6.08%-10.16%) vs5.37% (3.27%-8.54%), P<0.01], waist circumference [9.56% (6.63%-14.41%) vs 7.43% (3.11%-11.69%), P <0.01] as well as the metabolic profiles of patients with metabolic syndrome. Additionally, it was observed that the HLJDD regimen led to lower serum levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 (-45.03% vs-22.90%, P < 0.01), IL-17A (-23.34% vs -9.13%, P < 0.05), TNF-α (-33.78% vs-11.02%, P < 0.01) and FGF-21 (P < 0.05) when compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that HLJDD contributes to ameliorating metabolic disorders in individuals suffering from metabolic syndrome. The data also imply that the beneficial effects of HLJDD on metabolism might be attributed to its role in enhancing FGF-21 secretion, which is otherwise compromised due to metabolic inflammation.

Key words： metabolic syndrome; fibroblast growth factors; inflammation; Huanglian Jiedu decoction

Cite this article

XU Pingyuan , ZHU Heng , ZHOU Ruonan , WEI Yaping , ZHU Ziwei , XU Fangyuan , XIANG Yingying , CAO Yue , SHEN Lixuan , WANG Ziwei , XUE Yingying , YU Xizhong , FANG Penghua , SHANG Wenbin . Beneficial effects of Huanglian Jiedu decoction (黄连解毒汤 ) on metabolic syndrome: a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2026 , 46(2) : 411 -417 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.02.013

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