Professor Huang has been focused on effective materials and their mechanisms, which are the key scientific problems of research on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and their compound prescriptions. He put efforts to research on effective materials of TCM and their compound prescriptions, methodological study on discovery of effective materials of TCM based on analyzing, concentration and artificially preparing the in vivo components, and development of innovative Chinese medicine.
1.Studies of effective materials and mechanisms of compound prescription of TCM
1)Effective materials and mechanisms of ZH-063 for diabetes
We analyzed in vivo multi-components, did pharmacological and toxicological screening, and performed pharmacological and metabolic experiments under the cooperation with other research groups. Finally, we identified combination with some compounds based on the qualitative and quantitative studies, so that we can turn complex prescription of herbs into combination of compounds with clear structures for type II diabetes. The pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic studies on separated prescription indicated that AUC of the combination was significantly higher than single compound, which proved that combination showed better antidiabetic effects than that of single compound. We also found that the combination and their metabolites played effects through modulating mitochondria function to change AMP/ATP ratio, activate AMPK, and inhibit tyrosine phosphatase 1b to protect insulin receptors, and improve insulin resistance. The combination has advantages of multi-components, multi-targets, and multi-pathways.
2)Researches on the other TCM compound prescriptions
We have clarified the effective materials of compound CMT for Alzheimer’s disease and QL-021 for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia based on the research ideas and methods mentioned above.

2.Discovery of effective materials of TCM based on analyzing in vivo components
1)The in vivo metabolism of effective component of Astragalus membranaceus and its bioactive metabolite
After oral administration of compound from Astragalus membranaceus (MRG), the parent compound and several metabolites were identified from rat urine, plasma, and other tissue samples. Among them, metabolite M12 displayed remarkably stronger antiviral activities against coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than those of the parent compound. Moreover, it could also be obtained by total synthesis. Pharmacological research showed that bioactivities of the artificial compound and that from the animal were identical.
2)Focus on the in vivo metabolism of mangiferin and its active metabolites
Several metabolites have been isolated from the rat urine after oral administration of mangiferin. The pharmacological screening results demonstrated that such activities as inhibition of mitochondrial trans-membrane potential, stimulation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) and downstream phosphorylation of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) of one metabolite of mangiferin were stronger the parent compound.
3)Research on the metabolism of timosaponins and their active metabolites in vivo
A number of parent compounds and metabolites have been identified from the rat cerebrospinal fluid and brain after oral administration of timosaponins. Some of the metabolites have been prepared by semi-synthesis. The pharmacological studies proved that these metabolites possessed obvious anti-depressive activity.

Part of the research work mentioned above have been published in Drug Metabolism and Disposition, etc. Some patents have been authorized, and some preclinical studies on combined components of innovative Chinese medicine and single compound of innovative medicine have been completed.

Vice director of Shanghai Pharmaceutical Association Professional Committee of TCM

Papers：
1.Xiaoting Tian, Zhixiong Li, Yunfei Lin, Mingcang Chen, Guoyu Pan, Chenggang Huang*, Study on the PK profiles of magnoflorine and its potential interaction in Cortex phellodendri decoction by LC-MS/MS, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 406(3), 841-849, 2014 

2.Peng Qi, Feng Zhang, Rui Xue, Zhixiong Li, Mingcang Chen, Zhaolin Sun, Chenggang Huang*, Identification of multiple constituents fromseed of Vaccaria segetalis with an adsorbents-separation strategy based on liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 28(11), 1243-1257, 2014 

3.Yun Ling, Zhixiong Li, Mingcang Chen, Zhaolin Sun, Mingsong Fan, Chenggang Huang*, Analysis and detection of the chemical constituents of Radix Polygalae and their metabolites in rats after oral administration by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 85, 1-13, 2013 

4.Peng Qi, Zhixiong Li, Mingcang Chen, Zhaolin Sun, Chenggang Huang*, Metabolism and tissue distribution study of Vaccaria seeds (Wang-Bu-Liu-Xing) in benign prostatic hyperplasia model rat: Toward an in-depth study for its bioactive components, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 85, 218–230, 2013 

5.Huihui Liu, Bin Wu, Guoyu Pan, Lei He, Zhixiong Li, Mingsong Fan, Longhai Jian, Mingcang Chen, Ke Wang, Chenggang Huang*, Metabolism and pharmacokinetics of mangiferin in conventional rats, pseudo-germ-free rats, and streptozo-tocin-induced diabetic rats, Drug Metabolism and Disposition, 40, 2109-2118, 2012   

6.Yi Hong Tang, Zhao Lin Sun, Ming Song Fan, Zhi Xiong Li, Chenggang Huang*, Anti-Diabetic Effects of Tong Guan Wan, a Chinese Traditional Herbal Formula, in C57BL/KSJ-db/db Mice, Planta Medica, 78(1), 18-23, 2012 

7.Luying Chen, Zhixiong Li, Yihong Tang, Xiaolan Cui, Ronghua Luo, Shanshan Guo, Yongtang Zheng, Chenggang Huang*, Isolation, identification and antiviral activities of metabolites of calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 56, 382-389, 2011  

8.Huihui Liu, Ke Wang, Yihong Tang, Zhaolin Sun, Longhai Jian, Zhixiong Li, Bin Wu, Chenggang Huang*, Structure elucidation of in vivoand in vitro metabolites of mangiferin, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 55, 1075-1082, 2011 

9.Quanbao Gu, Huiming Du, Chunhui Ma, Heike Fotis, Bin Wu, Chenggang Huang*, Wolfgang Schwarz*, Effects of α-asarone on the glutamate transporter EAAC1 in Xenopus oocytes, Planta Medica, 76(6),595-598, 2010 

10.Guan Ye , Yihong Tang, Guiyun Wang, Zhixiong Li, Haiyan Zhu, Chunhui Ma, Zhaolin Sun, Chenggang Huang*, Characterization of the Multiple Absorbed Constituents in Rats after Oral Administration of Chai-Huang Decoction by Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Electrospray-Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Chemistry & Biodiversity, 7(12), 2917-2930, 2010

Books：
1. Chenggang Huang*，Chunhui Ma, Yihong Tang，Yuanyuan Zhang. Clinical Chemistry Research, Chapter 4: Identification and Analysis of Effective Components in Animal Biofluids following Administration of Natural Medicines，Nova Science Publishers Inc.NY, March, 2009 

2. Chenggang Huang*, Bin Wu, Shuyun Liu, Shuang Liu, Zhixiong Li, Longhai Jian, Yihong Tang, Zhaolin Sun and Ke Wang. Recent Advances in Theories and Practice of Chinese Medicine, Chapter 21: Study on Metabolism of Natural Medical Components in vivo: Metabolism Study in Rat After Oral Administration of Rhubarb Decoction and Characterization, Identification of the Rat Metabolite of Scutellaria baicalensis, InTech, Croatia, December, 2011