OBJECTIVE To develop a Dioscorea opposita polysaccharide-Hippophae rhamnoides flavonoid nano-delivery system based on the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound compatibility theory, thereby improving the bioavailability of Hippophae rhamnoides flavonoids.

METHODS Polysaccharides were refined from Dioscorea opposita powder via water extraction and ethanol precipitation. The polysaccharide solution and the Hippophae rhamnoides flavonoid ethanol solution were combined at a 5∶3 volume ratio using high-speed shear emulsification. After concentration by rotary evaporation, nanocomposite particles with a core-shell structure were fabricated via spray drying.

RESULTS Field-emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the resulting microspheres exhibited a particle size of approximately (3.67±1.31)μm with a typical nano-assembled surface morphology. Transmission electron microscopy further confirmed that the Hippophae rhamnoides flavonoid nanoparticles were effectively encapsulated within the continuous Dioscorea opposita polysaccharide network, and the hydrogen-bonding aggregation of nanoparticles was significantly suppressed through steric hindrance. Dissolution testing demonstrated that the cumulative release of the optimized capsule formulation reached 84.06% in simulated intestinal fluid within 60 min, representing obviously improvement over the crude drug powder (31.38%).

CONCLUSION The integration of the traditional Chinese medicine “couplet medicines” theory with modern nano-formulation technology not only elucidates the stabilization mechanism of the polysaccharide–flavonoid nanocomposite system but also provides a universally applicable technological paradigm for the modernization of TCM compound preparations.