[A theoretical and experimental study on the Fuzzy evaluation model of biological performance of Chinese materia medica with an either cold or hot herbal property].

Objective: The concepts of cold and hot herbal properties in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), reflecting the efficacy trends of medicinal herbs, have the Fuzzy characteristics. It is suited for the application of Fuzzy mathematics in research of herbal properties. For a comprehensive evaluation of herbal properties, this work constructed and made a practice of the Fuzzy discrimination model regarding the biological performance of Chinese materia medica.

Methods: Firstly, TCM formulas of cold or hot property were employed for setting the reference values and calculating the membership functions of cold and hot Fuzzy sets with Fisher discriminant. Then the model parameters of cold performance function (CPF) and hot performance function (HPF) were acquired. Second, the experimental data from studies on changes in multisystem indicators of animals given the classical cold formula (Sanhuang Fang) and hot formula (Jiangfugui Fang) were collected to calculate CPF and HPF. Then an experiment of administration of hot property herbs, Rougui (Cortex Cinnamomi) and Xianmao (Rhizoma Curculiginis), and cold property herbs, Huangbai (Cortex Phellodendri) and Zhizi (Fructus Gardeniae) to normal animals and animals with glucocorticoid-induced yang-deficiency or yin-deficiency state was designed. The relative changes in animal states were analyzed by the evaluation model to find the way in which herbal properties are represented.

Results: The HPF values of biological performance were higher than the CPF values in administration of Rougui to animals of normal (0.528>0.221), yang-deficiency (0.203>-0.490) and yin-deficiency (1.750>-0.479) states, and in administration of Xianmao to animals of normal (0.474>-1.601) and yang-deficiency (0.288>-1.923) states, which represented the hot property. The HPF values of biological performance were lower than the CPF values in administration of Huangbai to animals of normal (-0.870<0.798) and yang-deficiency (-0.339<0.194) states, and in administration of Zhizi to animals of yin-deficiency (-1.802<0.354) state, which represented the cold property.

Conclusion: The herbal properties and the biological performance characteristics of herbal formulas are ascertained by using the Fuzzy evaluation model. The personalities, as well as commonalities of herbal properties are key areas for focus because of the multi-approach biological performance of cold and hot property.