Abstract
The effects of preparations of Chinese medicinal prescriptions on the activities of digestive enzymes were investigated. The starch dextrinizing activity of pancreatin was inhibited by Keishi-bukuryo-gan, Sho-seiryu-to, Hachimi-jio-gan, Unsei-in and Keishi-ka-shakuyaku-to to below 40% of the control activity. Hachimi-jio-gan and Sho-seiryu-to, in particular, lowered the activity to 4% and 24% of the control activity, respectively. The protein digestive activity of pancreatin was lowered by Keishi-bukuryo-gan, Oren-gedoku-to, Ryutan-shakan-to, Tokaku-joki-to, Yokuinin-to and Hange-shashin-to, to 56 to 70% of the control activity.To investigate the effects of the preparations of Chinese medicinal prescriptions on digestive enzymes in vivo, 600 mg (185 kBq) of 125I-egg white albumin were administered orally to rats 30 min before the administration of 100 mg of Tokaku-joki-to or Oren-gedoku-to. The radioactivity which transferred to the blood was less in the animals pre-fed these prescriptions than in the control animals, indicating that the digestion of egg white albumin was delayed in the presence of the prescriptions.
