Property combination patterns of traditional Chinese medicines

In this study, the property combinations (PCs) of single herbs, two-herb combinations, and multi-herb prescriptions were studied to determine that the property-combination patterns will be associated with these three levels.

By calculating the prescription PC weight, we analyzed the PCs of the single herb coptis rhizome, the two-herb combination of coptis rhizome and scutellaria root, and the classic prescriptions Coptis Decoction to Resolve Toxicity, White Tiger Decoction to Resolve Toxicity, and Peony Decoction, all three of which contain coptis and scutellaria.

Calculated results show that cold-bitter-lung, cold-bitter-heart, and cold-bitter-stomach are present in both Coptis Decoction and White Tiger Decoction and have the highest PC weights. The weights of coptis and scutellaria in Peony Decoction differs from in their weights in Coptis Decoction and White Tiger Decoction, in that the PCs of highest weights in Peony Decoction are cold-bitter-spleen, cold-bitter-liver, cold-bitter-large intestine, cold-sour-liver, and cold-sour-spleen.

This novel method for exploring the properties and compatibilities of traditional Chinese herbs helps validate the combination theories of herbs. Application of this method may be valuable in designing new efficacious herbal prescriptions.