Research progress on the pharmacological effects and chemical con- stituents of Pien Tze Huang and its potential Q-markers

Pien Tze Huang (PTH) was documented as an imperial prescription composed of Notoginseng Radix, Calculus Bovis, Snake Gallbladder, and Musk. It is famous in China and Asian countries due to its excellent effects in heat clearing, detoxifying, swell-ing reduction, and pain relieving. Modern pharmacological studies demonstrate that PTH shows excellent effects against various in-flammatory diseases, liver diseases, and cancers. This review summaries the pharmacological effects, clinical applications, and main-chemical components of PTH. More importantly, its potential quality markers (Q-markers) were then analyzed based on the "five prin-ciples" of Q-markers under the guidance of Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, including transfer and traceability, specificity, effic-acy, compatibility, and measurability. As a result, ginsenosides Rb1, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rd, ginsenoside Re, notoginsenos-ide R1, dencichine, bilirubin, biliverdin, taurocholic acid, and muscone are considered as the Q-markers of PTH. These findings will provide guidance and assistance for the construction of a quality control system for PTH.