Xuebijing Injection Applications in Sepsis Management

Xuebijing injection is a standardised herbal-based intravenous formulation widely used as an adjuvant therapy in the management of sepsis. Comprised of extracts from five medicinal plants, it has been investigated for its immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and organ-protective properties. Pharmacological studies have elucidated multiple mechanisms of action, including downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, modulation of macrophage polarisation and attenuation of endothelial dysfunction. Clinically, Xuebijing has been administered alongside conventional sepsis care in multicentre trials, demonstrating reduced mortality, improved coagulation parameters and mitigated organ injury. Quality control of Xuebijing relies on comprehensive chemical profiling to ensure batch-to-batch consistency of its bioactive constituents. Preclinical models have further revealed protective effects against bacterial superinfection, pulmonary permeability leakage and dysregulated immune responses. Together, these findings highlight the global significance of Xuebijing as a complementary approach that bridges traditional herbal medicine with modern critical care.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A foundational study developed a high-resolution mass spectrometry method to characterise and quantify the chemical profile of Xuebijing injection. Using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with orbital-trap mass spectrometry, researchers identified over 160 constituents and unambiguously quantified 38 major bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids and lactones. This work established a systematic quality-control strategy by pinpointing chemical markers for routine fingerprint evaluation, thereby ensuring reproducible pharmacological effects across production batches.

Xuebijing Injection Applications in Sepsis Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in xuebijing injection applications in sepsis management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score: A clinical tool for quantifying the level of organ dysfunction in sepsis across respiratory, cardiovascular, hepatic, coagulation, renal and neurological systems.

Ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC): An advanced analytical separation technique offering high resolution and speed for profiling complex mixtures of chemical constituents.

Orbital-trap mass spectrometry: A high-resolution method for accurate mass measurement and structural characterisation of bioactive compounds.

Flavonoids: A class of polyphenolic compounds found in plants, notable for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.

Machine learning: Computational algorithms that detect patterns in large datasets, here applied to identify gene signatures relevant to sepsis diagnosis and treatment.

References

1. Effect of an Herbal-Based Injection on 28-Day Mortality in Patients With Sepsis. JAMA Internal Medicine (2023).
2. Comprehensive integration of diagnostic biomarker analysis and immune cell infiltration features in sepsis via machine learning and bioinformatics techniques. Frontiers in Immunology (2025).
3. Chemical profiling and quantification of XueBiJing injection, a systematic quality control strategy using UHPLC-Q Exactive hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry. Scientific Reports (2017).
4. Xuebijing Injection Alleviates Pam3CSK4-Induced Inflammatory Response and Protects Mice From Sepsis Caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2020).
5. Xuebijing exerts protective effects on lung permeability leakage and lung injury by upregulating Toll-interacting protein expression in rats with sepsis. International Journal of Molecular Medicine (2014).
6. Xuebijing Injection Promotes M2 Polarization of Macrophages and Improves Survival Rate in Septic Mice. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2015).
7. Xuebijing Protects Rats from Sepsis Challenged with Acinetobacter baumannii by Promoting Annexin A1 Expression and Inhibiting Proinflammatory Cytokines Secretion. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2013).