Herbal pairs are used as a bridge between single herb and polyherbal formulas in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to provide rationale for complicated TCM formulas. The effectiveness and rationality of TCM herbal pairs have been widely applied as a strategy for dietary supplements. However, due to the complexity of the phytochemistry of individual and combinations of herbal materials, it is difficult to reveal their effective and synergistic mechanisms from a molecular or systematic point of view. In order to address this question, UPLC-Q-TOF/MS analysis and System Pharmacology tools were applied to explore the mechanism of action, using a White Peony (Paeoniae Radix Alba) and Licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma)-based dietary supplement. A total of sixteen chemical constituents of White Peony and Licorice were isolated and identified, which interact with 73 liver protection-related targets. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were then performed along with network analysis. Results showed that the synergistic mechanism of the White Peony and Licorice herbal pair was associated with their coregulation of bile secretion and ABC transporter pathways. In addition, Licorice exhibits a specific response to drug and xenobiotic metabolism pathways, whereas White Peony responds to Toll-like receptor signaling, C-type lectin receptor signaling, IL-17 signaling, and TNF signaling pathways, resulting in the prevention of hepatocyte apoptosis and the reduction of immune and inflammation-mediated liver damage. These findings suggest that a White Peony and Licorice herbal pair supplement would have a liver-protecting benefit through complimentary and synergistic mechanisms. This approach provides a new path to explore herbal compatibility in dietary supplements derived from TCM theory.

中文翻译：

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探索植物性膳食补充剂中草药对协同作用机理的综合方法：以保护肝脏健康食品为例。

草药对被用作传统中药（TCM）中单一草药和多草药配方之间的桥梁，为复杂的TCM配方提供理论依据。中草药对的有效性和合理性已被广泛用作膳食补充剂的策略。然而，由于个体和组合的草药的植物化学的复杂性，很难从分子或系统的角度揭示它们的有效和协同机制。为了解决这个问题，UPLC-Q-TOF / MS分析和系统药理学工具被用于探索作用机理，使用了白牡丹（Paeoniae Radix Alba）和甘草（Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma））为主的膳食补充剂。总共分离并鉴定了白牡丹和甘草的16种化学成分，它们与73种与肝脏保护相关的靶标相互作用。然后与网络分析一起进行基因本体论和《京都基因与基因组百科全书》（KEGG）途径富集分析。结果表明，白牡丹和甘草中草药对的协同作用机制与其对胆汁分泌的调节和ABC转运蛋白途径有关。此外，甘草对药物和异种生物代谢途径表现出特异性反应，而白牡丹对Toll样受体信号转导，C型凝集素受体信号转导，IL-17信号转导和TNF信号转导响应，从而阻止了肝细胞凋亡以及减少免疫和炎症介导的肝损伤。这些发现表明，白牡丹和甘草草药对补充剂将通过互补和协同作用的机制对肝脏产生保护作用。这种方法提供了探索中草药理论中膳食补充剂中草药相容性的新途径。