Optimization and pharmacodynamic evaluation of stir-frying with bran for Tangshen processing

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine requires special processing before it can be effectively used for clinical treatment of diseases. In particular, Tangshen stir-fried with wheat bran smoke has been found to enhance the function of the stomach and spleen. However, there is limited research on the technology and pharmacodynamic effects of Tangshen fried with bran. Therefore, the objective of this article is to optimize the method of stir-frying with bran for Tangshen processing and to compare the anti-fatigue and hypoxia-resistance effects of Tangshen before and after bran-frying. Methods: The response surface methodology was utilized to optimize the frying temperature, frying time, and the bran-to-Tangshen ratio, using lobetyolin as the indicator. The swimming time of mice and the levels of blood urea nitrogen, lactate dehydrogenase, and blood glucose in fatigued mice were compared before and after Tangshen was fried with bran. Additionally, the hypoxic resistance ability of Tangshen before and after bran-frying was determined through normobaric hypoxia test and sodium nitrite poisoning test. Results: The optimal bran-frying conditions for Tangshen processing were determined as: frying temperature of 167 °C, frying time of 2.67 min, and the bran-to-Tangshen ratio of 50:100. Pharmacodynamic analysis results indicated that Tangshen significantly increased the GLU content ( P < 0.01) and significantly reduced the LDH content ( P < 0.01) both before and after bran-frying. While both traditional and new bran-frying methods significantly increased the content of muscle glycogen ( P < 0.05), the optimized method in this study also significantly elevated the content of liver glycogen ( P < 0.05). The traditional method significantly prolonged the survival time of mice from sodium nitrite poisoning ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: The response surface model proved to be highly effective in optimizing the stir-frying process with bran for Tangshen processing. The results of this study indicate that Tangshen possesses anti-fatigue and hypoxia-resistance effects both before and after bran-frying, with bran-fried Tangshen exhibiting significantly stronger effects.