Results of Chemical and Pharmacological Study of the Mongolian Traditional Prescription “Indra-4”

Aims: The study aims to identify the biologically active ingredients in the Indra-4 prescription and evaluate their effects on rats with acute inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Methodology: Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was used to identify bioactive compounds in the prescription, while UV/Vis spectrophotometry measured total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, triterpene saponins, and coumarins. Forty adult Wistar rats were divided into four groups: Normal, LPS (control group), Diarex (reference treatment), and Indra-4 (test group). The study investigates how these components impact the condition of IBD in the rats. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism version 9.0.

Results: The study is the first to analyze the chemical and pharmacological properties of the traditional Indra-4 prescription, revealing that it contains polyphenolic compounds 2.38 ± 0.031% (gallic acid equivalent), flavonoids 0.28±0.034% (quercetin equivalent), coumarins 1.61±0.27% (isofraxedin equivalent), and triterpene saponins 0.9 ± 0.03% (oleanolic acid equivalent). In an enteritis model, a 300 mg/kg dose of Indra-4 reduced diarrhea by 68.9% compared to a control group treated with LPS (p<0.01). It also increased plasma sodium, potassium, and chloride plasma levels and lowered serum prostaglandin E2 levels by 30.8%, indicating potential anti-inflammatory effects (p<0.05). These findings suggest that Indra-4 may help alleviate diarrhea and inflammation in LPS-induced enteritis, providing a basis for its possible use in treating acute inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Conclusions: We conducted the first chemical and pharmacological analysis of the traditional Indra-4 prescription and discovered that it primarily contains polyphenolic compound derivatives, including flavonoids, coumarins, and triterpene saponins. These biologically active compounds exhibit various pharmacological actions and therapeutic effects. In the acute inflammatory enteritis disease model induced by lipopolysaccharide, the Indra-4 prescription demonstrates an antidiarrheal effect by decreasing prostaglandin E2 levels and preventing electrolyte loss, as confirmed through laboratory and histological analyses.