Metabolite and gut microbiota co-biomarkers in Danggui Shaoyao San: insights into a shared therapeutic approach.

ABSTRACT: Danggui Shaoyao San (DSS), a classical multi-herbal formulation of traditional Chinese medicine, demonstrates therapeutic potential for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). This review proposes a unified mechanism whereby DSS exerts its effects by modulating a network of shared pathological biomarkers across these disorders. We identify tryptophan (Trp) and phenylalanine (Phe) as host-derived metabolic biomarkers in plasma, and the gut bacterial phylum Bacteroidetes as a shared gut microbial biomarker. The therapeutic actions of DSS are mediated by its botanical constituents (e.g., ligustilides, paeoniflorin, ferulic acid), which help correct the dysregulated Trp-kynurenine and Phe metabolic pathways, while simultaneously enrichin

SUBMITTER: Fu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12833331 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature