HXZQCG: A database of natural diverse components in polyherbal formulation HXZQ identified naringenin chalcone as a ligand of H₂R.
6 affiliations
- 1Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China.
- 2Chongqing Taiji Industry (Group) Co., Ltd., Chongqing 401123, China.
- 3College of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, China.
- 4Institute of Herbgenomics, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China.
- 5Institute of Medical Plant Physiology and Ecology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China.
- 6M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Perak 31900, Malaysia.
Abstract
Huoxiang Zhengqi (HXZQ) is a classical polyherbal formulation used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. It exerts multi-targeted therapeutic effects, yet its phytochemical complexity hinders standardization and modern pharmacological development. This challenge is further exacerbated by the lack of comprehensive resources covering its diverse natural components, particularly as most previous research neglected peptides and small RNAs, which possess emerging therapeutic potential. There is an urgent need for novel research models to explore polyherbal formulations such as HXZQ. Here, we present the Huoxiang Zhengqi Component Galaxy (HXZQCG), a dedicated database for the HXZQ. HXZQCG integrates over seven million natural components through artificial intelligence-assisted mining, including 15 811 metabolites, 7 597 212 small peptides, and 152 342 small RNAs. To demonstrate its utility, we applied HXZQCG to screen for ligands of the histamine H₂ receptor (H₂R), a well-established and druggable G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) target widely implicated in gastrointestinal pathologies. Through high-throughput screening of potential ligands for H₂R based on the HXZQCG, we identified 125 candidates. Candidates identified through virtual screening were validated via cell membrane chromatography, ultimately identifying two putative binding small molecules. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that naringenin chalcone is a ligand of H₂R, and it can inhibit the downstream accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). In sum, HXZQCG stands as a representative case study for polyherbal formulation research. It provides data-based resources for discovery of active component and elucidation of pharmacological mechanisms, serving as a fundamental data-driven platform to support the secondary development of HXZQ. HXZQCG is available at https://cbcb.cdutcm.edu.cn/HXZQCG/.
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BibTeX
@article{you2026hxzqcg,
title = {{HXZQCG: A database of natural diverse components in polyherbal formulation HXZQ identified naringenin chalcone as a ligand of H₂R.}},
author = {Shengjie You and Jing Mo and Guoqing Xu and Zhuangyuan Xie and Wenke Xiao and Guiyang Zhang and Yufei Mao and Qi Shen and Leu Kim Fey and Sanyin Zhang and Wei Chen and Liang Leng and Fanbo Meng},
journal = {Chinese herbal medicines},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1016/j.chmed.2026.06.003},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948390},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - HXZQCG: A database of natural diverse components in polyherbal formulation HXZQ identified naringenin chalcone as a ligand of H₂R.
AU - Shengjie You
AU - Jing Mo
AU - Guoqing Xu
AU - Zhuangyuan Xie
AU - Wenke Xiao
AU - Guiyang Zhang
AU - Yufei Mao
AU - Qi Shen
AU - Leu Kim Fey
AU - Sanyin Zhang
AU - Wei Chen
AU - Liang Leng
AU - Fanbo Meng
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/10
JO - Chinese herbal medicines
DO - 10.1016/j.chmed.2026.06.003
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948390
AB - Huoxiang Zhengqi (HXZQ) is a classical polyherbal formulation used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. It exerts multi-targeted therapeutic effects, yet its phytochemical complexity hinders standardization and modern pharmacological development. This challenge is further exacerbated by the lack of comprehensive resources covering its diverse natural components, particularly as most previous research neglected peptides and small RNAs, which possess emerging therapeutic potential. There is an urgent need for novel research models to explore polyherbal formulations such as HXZQ. Here, we present the Huoxiang Zhengqi Component Galaxy (HXZQCG), a dedicated database for the HXZQ. HXZQCG integrates over seven million natural components through artificial intelligence-assisted mining, including 15 811 metabolites, 7 597 212 small peptides, and 152 342 small RNAs. To demonstrate its utility, we applied HXZQCG to screen for ligands of the histamine H₂ receptor (H₂R), a well-established and druggable G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) target widely implicated in gastrointestinal pathologies. Through high-throughput screening of potential ligands for H₂R based on the HXZQCG, we identified 125 candidates. Candidates identified through virtual screening were validated via cell membrane chromatography, ultimately identifying two putative binding small molecules. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that naringenin chalcone is a ligand of H₂R, and it can inhibit the downstream accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). In sum, HXZQCG stands as a representative case study for polyherbal formulation research. It provides data-based resources for discovery of active component and elucidation of pharmacological mechanisms, serving as a fundamental data-driven platform to support the secondary development of HXZQ. HXZQCG is available at https://cbcb.cdutcm.edu.cn/HXZQCG/.
SN - 1674-6384
SN - 2589-3610
ER -