OBJECTIVE  To explore the main chemical components of total glycosides in Radix scrophulariae and the mechanism of their intervention in the model of hyperthyroidism-yin deficiency fire-exuberance syndrome in rats.

METHODS  SD rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, and total glycosides of Radix scrophulariae group. T3 solution was injected intraperitoneally(100 μg/100 g) to establish yin deficiency fire hyperactivity model, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP) levels were detected. Ultra performanceliquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) technology was used to analyze the chemical components of total glycosides in Radix scrophulariae and serum metabolites. Principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) multivariate statistical analysis were applied to screen differential metabolites and construct its metabolic pathway.

RESULTS  A total of 31 chemical constituents were identified from total glycosides in Radix scrophulariae. which could significantly reduce the levels of cAMP and cAMP/cGMP in rats with yin deficiency, and 25 endogenous metabolites in the yin deficiency fire hyperactivity model significantly changed. Compared with control group, the sphingolipids, steroids, lipids, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid showed upward trend. Pathway analysis indicated that total glycosides in Radix scrophulariae might improve yin deficiency fire hyperactivity disease by regulating metabolic pathways such as sphingolipids, glycerophospholipids, and arachidonic acid.

CONCLUSION  In this study, serum metabolomics method is used to reveal the mechanism of total glycosides of Radix scrophulariae in the intervention of hyperthyroidism yin deficiency fire-exuberance syndrome, which provide a theoretical basis for the material basis and clinical application of Radix scrophulariae’s ‘nourishing Yin and reducing fire’ effect.