Research Progress and Application Prospects of Bioaffinity Chromatography in Screening Cardiotoxic Components of Chinese Herbal Medicines

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide With the continuous expansion of the clinical application of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs), the cardiotoxicity risk of certain herbs or naturally derived substances traditionally considered “safe” has gradually emerged. This paper systematically explores the potential of bioaffinity chromatography as an efficient screening tool for identifying cardiotoxic components from complex CHM matrices through a literature review conducted across multiple databases using keywords such as “cardiotoxicity,” “bioaffinity chromatography,” “aconitine,” and “bioactivity.” The clinical manifestations and molecular mechanisms of CHM-induced cardiotoxicity were first reviewed, focusing on ion channel dysfunction, mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, and metabolic disorders. Subsequently, a detailed discussion of the five main bioaffinity chromatography techniques, including immunoaffinity chromatography, lectin affinity chromatography, cell membrane chromatography, receptor affinity chromatography, and DNA affinity chromatography, was provided, highlighting their principles and applications in screening the bioactivity from herbs. For the first time, it is proposed to apply bioaffinity chromatography technology to screen components in CHMs that have cardiotoxic effects through specific biological interactions. This enables targeted and high-throughput identification of cardiotoxic compounds and highlights its potential in early cardiotoxicity prediction and mechanistic studies. This review aims to provide a methodological framework for shifting the safety evaluation of CHMs from reactive analysis to proactive risk warning, thereby supporting the rational and safe clinical use of CHMs.