Enhancing the efficacy of Salvia miltiorrhiza and Ligusticum chuanxiong in the treatment of coronary heart disease: The value of poorly soluble components and nanocrystal self-stabilized solid emulsions

Background The Salvia miltiorrhiza - Ligusticum chuanxiong herb pair is a classic combination in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation for coronary heart disease (CHD). However, currently marketed preparations primarily retain water-soluble components, while poorly water-soluble yet pharmacologically critical constituents (e.g., tanshinones, Ligusticum chuanxiong oil) are either excluded or exhibit extremely low oral bioavailability, thereby severely compromising therapeutic efficacy. Objective This study aimed to confirm tanshinones and Ligusticum chuanxiong oil as indispensable core efficacy components for CHD treatment, and to develop a novel oral nano-formulation integrating all core bioactive components of the herb pair with dramatically improved oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble constituents, for superior efficacy and safety. Methods Machine learning identified key CHD-associated targets, followed by network pharmacology to screen core bioactive components from the two herbs against CHD. A novel multi-component nanocrystal self-stabilized solid emulsion (NSSE-SL) was constructed using tanshinone nanocrystals as stabilizers and Ligusticum chuanxiong oil as the oil phase, eliminating exogenous stabilizers. The oral bioavailability, efficacy, and safety of NSSE-SL were evaluated in animal models, with marketed Guanxinning Tablets (in which tanshinone ⅡA, cryptotanshinone, senkyunolide A, and ligustilide are undetectable) as the control. In vitro H9C2 cardiomyocyte assays under high-fat exposure and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) conditions validated whether tanshinones and Ligusticum chuanxiong oil exert cardioprotective effects via aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). Results Machine learning and network pharmacology confirmed that these poorly water-soluble components modulate key CHD-associated targets via multiple pathways and are indispensable for therapeutic efficacy. NSSE-SL featured a unique microstructure of nanoscale Ligusticum chuanxiong oil droplets in the aqueous phase, with tanshinones partially solubilized within droplets and partially adsorbed onto droplet surfaces as nanocrystals. This structure significantly improved oral bioavailability of all incorporated components. Consequently, NSSE-SL exhibited superior pharmacodynamic effects vs. Guanxinning Tablets, including enhanced lipid-lowering, myocardial protection, anti-inflammation, anti-atherosclerosis, and anti-hypoxia activities, with favorable safety. H9C2 assays demonstrated that tanshinones and Ligusticum chuanxiong oil upregulated ALDH2 expression and enzymatic activity in both models. This mechanism underpinned NSSE-SL’s superiority, evidenced by improved cell viability, elevated superoxide dismutase activity, reduced malondialdehyde levels in the H/R model, and attenuated intracellular triglyceride/total cholesterol accumulation and lipid deposition in the high-fat model. Conclusion NSSE-SL integrates all core bioactive components of the Salvia miltiorrhiza-Ligusticum chuanxiong herb pair and overcomes poor oral absorption of poorly water-soluble components. By boosting their systemic exposure, NSSE-SL potentiates ALDH2-mediated cardioprotective effects of tanshinones and Ligusticum chuanxiong oil, ultimately achieving superior therapeutic efficacy over marketed preparations. This work provides a promising candidate for CHD treatment and a feasible strategy for optimizing TCM formulations containing poorly water-soluble bioactive components.