Qualitative and quantitative analysis of major constituents from Dazhu Hongjingtian capsule by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with UPLC/QQQ-MS/MS

Characterization of metabolic profile of Dazhu Hongjingtian and evaluation of its anti-hypoxic constituents

Dazhu Hongjingtian (DZ) is renowned for its diverse pharmacological activities, yet its metabolic pathways remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, the metabolic profile after oral administration of DZ extract (DZE) in rats was systematically identified by the UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS method for the first time. A total of 94 components, including 32 prototypes and 62 metabolites, were tentatively characterized in rat plasma and various tissues samples. Furthermore, 6 constituents (salidroside, quercetin, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, p-tyrosol, and gallic acid) derived from plasma prototypes were identified as bioactive by assessing cell viabilities of OGD-injured RSC96 cells.

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Phytochemicals in Sayeok-Tang via UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS and UPLC-TQ-MS/MS

Sayeok-tang (SYT) is a traditional herbal formula comprising three medicinal herbs: Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Zingiber officinale, and Aconitum carmichaeli. Several studies have employed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to qualitatively analyze the components and metabolites of SYT in vitro and in vivo; however, studies on quantitative analysis of SYT, which is important for quality control, are absent or limited to only a few components. In this study, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole (UPLC-Q)-Orbitrap-MS was used to screen the phytochemicals of SYT, revealing a total of 42 compounds. Among them, 24 compounds were simultaneously quantified within 20 min via UPLC-TQ-MS/MS in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The developed analytical method was validated for its linearity (r2 ≥ 0.9992), precision (0.36-2.96%), accuracy (-6.52-4.64%), and recovery (94.39-119.07%) for all analytes, exhibiting acceptable results. The validated method was applied in the analysis of SYT extracts, and the 24 compounds were quantified in the range of 0.004-6.882 mg/g (CV ≤ 3.746%). Among them, liquiritin apioside (6.870-6.933 mg/g), glycyrrhizic acid (5.418-5.540 mg/g), and liquiritin (1.303-1.331 mg/g) from G. uralensis were identified as the relatively abundant compounds. The presented validated analytical method is highly promising for the comprehensive quality control of SYT, offering fast, highly sensitive, and reliable analysis.

Comparative analysis of chemical components in fruits of Chebulae Fructus and its pulp based on chromatographic technology coupled with multivariate chemometric methods

Chebulae Fructus, was extensively used as a food supplement and medicinal herb, which contained two medicinal forms corresponding to the mature fruit of Chebulae Fructus (CF) and CF pulp. They were widely used in the Chinese clinical medicine and it played a significant role in the Mongolian and Tibetan medicine for the treatment of sore throat, asthma, diarrhea and other diseases. Both of them were recorded in the 2020 Edition (Volume I) of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. However, the chemical components of CF and CF pulp have not been holistically explored, which seriously hindered its quality evaluation. This study investigated the overall chemical profile of the CF and CF pulp using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS) and ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Sixty-four chemical components were tentatively identified, and 13 components were quantified in Chebulae Fructus. Furthermore, multivariate chemometric methods were applied to compare the differences among CF samples, and all samples were classified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) based on the 13 quantified compounds. The results showed that CF and CF pulp were clustered in two different areas. Ellagic acid, chebulagic acid, chebulinic acid, corilagin and pentagalloyl glucose were selected as the significant constituents to different of CF and CF pulp. LC-MS coupled with chemometrics strategy analysis could comprehensively evaluate the holistic quality of CF, which provided a necessary information for the rational development and utilization of CF and CF pulp resource.

Comparison of production of bioactive components in Zanthoxylum nitidum taproots from different regions in southern China

Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC is a traditional Chinese herb from southern China and its 3-4-year old roots are used in medicine. However, there is a scarcity of studies on the differences in the content of different regions of the roots, as well as comprehensive evaluations of Z. nitidum from the main areas of production in China. This study used ultra performance liquid chromatography, triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry, HPLC, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to detect and identify the bioactive components from different parts and eight regions of 4-year-old roots of Z. nitidum. Our results revealed that the types and quantities of compounds extracted were similar in root bark and root wood, although the amount of alkaloids in the former was substantially higher. The contents of four alkaloids in samples from Guangdong were higher than those in Guangxi Province. Meanwhile, hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis showed that the samples from different regions were effectively identified and evaluated based on alkaloids and other bioactive substances. Our findings have significant implications for Z. nitidum harvesting and usage, as well as for origin identification, quality evaluation, and sensible use of Z. nitidum resources.

Suspect screening strategy for pesticide application history based on characteristics of trace metabolites

Pesticides are widely used to protect crops but can also threaten public health as they can remain in the environment for a long time. Additionally, some transformation products (TPs) of unknown toxicity, stability, or bioaccumulation properties can further be formed from the hydrolysis, photolysis and biodegradation of pesticides. The identification and quantification of those TPs can be challenging for environmental regulation and risk assessment due to a limited understanding about them. In this study, a suspect screening strategy for pesticide application history was developed and then used to organic products (tea). Liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was used to screen and identify the TPs in crops and their toxicity was subsequently predicted with the open-source software (ECOSAR and admetSAR). Finally, the SIRIUS software was applied and 142 TPs from 20 pesticides were identified in tea plants based on the fragmentation-degradation relationship. Of these, standards (level 1) and 53 were considered as tentatively identified (levels 2a and 2b). Some TPs were also found to be present in tea plants and soil after 65 days, thus indicating higher persistency or stability than parent pesticides. While others from diafenthiuron and neonicotinoids had higher predicted toxicity of daphnid, and demonstrated positive for honeybee toxicity. Suspect screening is a powerful tool to screen pesticide TPs on the complex matrix of crops. Such screening can provide potential evidence of pesticide application, especially in cases of illegal practices in organic farming.

Mechanism of action of Orthosiphon stamineus against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Insights from systems pharmacology and molecular docking approaches

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common complications of a metabolic syndrome caused by excessive accumulation of fat in the liver. Orthosiphon stamineus also known as Orthosiphon aristatus is a medicinal plant with possible potential beneficial effects on various metabolic disorders. This study aims to investigate the in vitro inhibitory effects of O. stamineus on hepatic fat accumulation and to further use the computational systems pharmacology approach to identify the pharmacokinetic properties of the bioactive compounds of O. stamineus and to predict their molecular mechanisms against NAFLD.

METHODS

The effects of an ethanolic extract of O. stamineus leaves on cytotoxicity, fat accumulation and antioxidant activity were assessed using HepG2 cells. The bioactive compounds of O. stamineus were identified using LC/MS and two bioinformatics databases, namely the Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID) and the Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for the Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM). Pathway enrichment analysis was performed on the predicted targets of the bioactive compounds to provide a systematic overview of the molecular mechanism of action, while molecular docking was used to validate the predicted targets.

RESULTS

A total of 27 bioactive compounds corresponding to 50 potential NAFLD-related targets were identified. O. stamineus exerts its anti-NAFLD effects by modulating a variety of cellular processes, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial β-oxidation, inflammatory signalling pathways, insulin signalling, and fatty acid homeostasis pathways. O. stamineus is significantly targeting many oxidative stress regulators, including JNK, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), NFKB1, PPAR, and AKT1. Molecular docking analysis confirmed the expected high affinity for the potential targets, while the in vitro assay indicates the ability of O. stamineus to inhibit hepatic fat accumulation.

CONCLUSION

Using the computational systems pharmacology approach, the potentially beneficial effect of O. stamineus in NAFLD was indicated through the combination of multiple compounds, multiple targets, and multicellular components.

Comparative Study on Chemical Constituents of Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Parts of Flos Abelmoschus manihot, Based on Metabolite Profiling Coupled with Multivariate Statistical Analysis

According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition), Abelmoschi Corolla (AC) is the dried corolla of Flos Abelmoschus manihot (FAM). Market research has found that AC is often mixed with the non-medicinal parts in FAM, including calyx, stamen, and pistil. However, previous studies have not clarified the relationship between the medicinal and non-medicinal parts of FAM. In this study, in order to investigate whether there is any distinction between the medicinal and non-medicinal parts of FAM, the characterization of the constituents in calyx, corolla, stamen, and pistil was analyzed by UFLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to classify and screen differential constituents between medicinal and non-medicinal parts of FAM, and the relative contents of differential constituents were compared based on the peak intensities. Results showed that 51 constituents in medicinal and non-medicinal parts of FAM were identified, and the fragmentation pathways to different types of constituents were preliminarily deduced by the fragmentation behavior of the identified constituents. Furthermore, multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the medicinal and non-medicinal parts of FAM differed significantly; 20 differential constituents were screened out to reveal the characteristics of metabolic differences. Among them, the relative contents of 19 differential constituents in the medicinal part were significantly higher than those in non-medicinal parts. This study could be helpful in the quality evaluation of AC as well as provide basic information for the improvement of the market standard of AC.

Metabolite profiling of Shuganzhi tablets in rats and pharmacokinetics study of four bioactive compounds with liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Shuganzhi Tablets (SGZT) is developed on the basis of a clinical empirical formula as a hospital preparation for the treatment of fatty liver. In this study, a rapid and highly sensitive LC-MS/MS method was established and validated for simultaneous determination of ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rg1, notoginsenoside R1, naringin, specnuezhenide, emodin, polydatin, hesperidin and saikosaponin A in rat plasma. Multiple reaction monitoring mode played an important role in simultaneous quantitative analysis of multiple components. The analytes were separated by the action of an ACQUITY UPLC® BEH C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 μm) in five minutes. The validated LC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic analysis of hesperidin, emodin, polydatin and naringin of SGZT in rat plasma after administration. A UHPLC system couple with a quadrupole combined with time of flight mass spectrometer was used for qualitatively analyzing of the composition of SGZT and its metabolites in serum, urine, bile and feces of rats. The results showed that a total of 65 components were detected in rat biological samples, including 10 prototype components and 55 metabolites. It was speculated that the ingredients of SGZT experienced mainly the following reactions in rats: phase I reaction such as hydrolysis, oxidation, hydroxylation, carboxylation and dehydroxylation and phase Ⅱ reaction such as glucuronidation and sulfation. These results provide useful information for the further study of its active ingredients.

Authenticity and quality evaluation of different Rhodiola species and commercial products based on NMR-spectroscopy and HPLC

INTRODUCTION

The main concern regarding the authenticity and quality of Rhodiola rosea L. (Sedum rosea (L.) Scop.) products is their adulteration with other Rhodiola species.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was the development of a reliable and practical analytical platform for quality and quantity assessment of the characteristic molecules in three Rhodiola species (R. rosea, R. kirilowii (Regel) Maxim and R. crenulata (Hook. f. & Thomson) H. Ohba), commercial products and their possible application as markers for the authentication of R. rosea based products.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The major molecules were identified by one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics and quantitatively determined by high-performance liquid chromatography ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) analysis. The orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed the specific patterns in the metabolite profiles of R. rosea and R. crenulata.

RESULTS

The coumarin crenulatin was only identified in R. crenulata and can be used as a marker to detect potential adulteration of the commercial products. Crenulatin was identified in two of the four analysed products by NMR-spectroscopy. According to the HPLC data, in less than a quarter of all products, the labelled amounts of salidroside and total rosavins were confirmed.

CONCLUSIONS

The developed analytical platform was found to be useful in the investigations of the phytochemical diversity of different Rhodiola species, the recognition of the unique metabolites between them and the identification of adulterated products. Therefore, this approach could be applied from the earliest to the latest stages of the value chain in the manufacturing of R. rosea based products.

Chemical characterisation and quantification of the major constituents in the Chinese herbal formula Jian-Pi-Yi-Shen pill by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and HPLC-QQQ-MS/MS

INTRODUCTION

Jian-Pi-Yi-Shen pill (JPYSP) is a Chinese medicine formula developed for the treatment of anaemic patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the chemical profile of JPYSP in the treatment of renal anaemia.

METHODS

A method coupling ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was established to characterise the chemical constituents present in JPYSP. Subsequently, a high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled with triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QQQ-MS/MS) was developed to quantify the major constituents from the identified compounds related to the treatment of CKD and anaemia.

RESULTS

A total of 71 compounds were tentatively identified from JPYSP, including saponins, flavonoids, sesquiterpenoids, coumarins, phenylpropanoids, anthranones, anthraquinones, tannins, phenolic acids and others. Amongst them, 12 compounds (i.e. astragaloside IV, calycosin, calycosin 7-O-glucoside, salvianolic acid A, rosmarinic acid, rhein, liquiritin, formononetin, atractylenolide I, dioscin, tanshinone IIA, and acteoside) were further quantified simultaneously by HPLC-QQQ-MS/MS.

CONCLUSION

The newly developed approach is suitable for the chemical profiling analysis and quality control of JPYSP, and could lead to additional pharmacodynamic studies involving the components of JPYSP.

Suspect and non-target screening of pesticides and pharmaceuticals transformation products in wastewater using QTOF-MS

Pesticides and pharmaceuticals are widely used in modern life and are discharged into wastewater after usage. However, a large number of transformation products (TPs) are formed through abiotic (hydrolysis/photolysis, etc.) and biotic (aerobic/anaerobic degradation by micro-organisms) wastewater treatment processes, and the structure and potential risk of TPs are still unclear. In this study, a suspect and non-target screening was performed to monitor these chemicals with HPLC-QTOF-MS. We identified 60 parent compounds by suspect screening in three Chinese wastewater treatment plants with the commercial database of pesticides and pharmaceuticals, and they were confirmed by authentic standards. Then, suspect and non-target screening strategies based on the predicted diagnostic fragment ions were used to screen TPs of the 60 parent compounds. We tentatively identified 50 TPs and confirmed thirteen of them with authentic standards. Among 13 quantified TPs, about 40% of them showed higher concentration than their parent compounds in effluent. Especially, cloquintocet, as a TP of cloquintocet-mexyl, had a concentration ratio TP/parent = 14,809 in effluent. Twenty-five TPs had higher predicted toxicity than the corresponding parent compounds by calculating their LC₅₀ values towards aquatic organisms using toxicity prediction software. Twenty identified TPs were firstly reported in this study. These results indicate the importance of TP analysis in environmental monitoring in wastewater.

One injection to profile the chemical composition and dual-antioxidation activities of Rosa chinensis Jacq

An on-line high-performance liquid chromatography-diode-array-detector-electrospray ionization-ion-trap-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry-total antioxidant capacity detection (HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MS-TACD) system was applied for the identification and evaluation of antioxidants in Rosa chinensis Jacq., an edible flower in food industry and a widely used traditional Chinese medicine. With the help of this platform, the HPLC fingerprint, mass fragmentations, and sample activity profiles against 1,1-diphenylpicryl-2-hydrazyl radical (DPPH•) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were recorded after one injection. Using this technique, 80 compounds were separated and identified by their LC/MS behaviors with the assistance of standard compounds. In addition, 11 different Rosa chinensis Jacq. samples were profiled and then quantified for their DPPH• and FRAP activities. Interestingly, a total of 52 compounds showed antioxidative effects against DPPH• and 61 were active against FRAP. The results demonstrated that the on-line system is a powerful technique for antioxidant discovery in Rosa chinensis Jacq. and other food resources.

Systematically investigating the pharmacological mechanism of Dazhu Hongjingtian in the prevention and treatment of acute mountain sickness by integrating UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis and network pharmacology

Members of the genus Rhodiola L. have been widely used in Tibetan medicines for preventing and treating acute mountain sickness (AMS) for a long time. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of these medicines in treating AMS remain unclear. To address this problem, an integrative method combining ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS)analysis and network pharmacology was employed. First, the chemical profiles of Dazhu Hongjingtian (DZ, a Chinese medicine preparation composed of R. kirilowii (Regel) Maxim) were identified or tentatively characterized. Second, the targets of DZ were predicted using the SwissTargetPrediction and STITCH databases; the targets of AMS were also collected from the Drugbank and TTD databases. Then, networks between targets and compounds or diseases were constructed by Cytoscape 3.6.1. Third, GO and pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). As a result, 40 ingredients of 53 compounds in DZ might be biologically active. These activities were related to the regulatory effects of the ingredients on 68 significant signaling pathways, such as the inflammation pathway, apoptosis pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and others, by targeting 33 proteins, including PTGS2 and PTGS1, ALOX5 and ALOX15, BCL2 and BCL2L1, the protein kinase C (PKC) family and HIF1A, among others.

Determination of 18 phenolic acids in tobacco and rhizosphere soil by ultra high performance liquid chromatography combined with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

An ultra high performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method for the determination of free and bound phenolic acids in tobacco plant and soil was developed. A simple solid-phase extraction, which used Polar Enhanced Polymer column as stationary phase and methanol as mobile phase, was used for the clean-up of bound phenolic acids, and a liquid-phase extraction using chloroform as solvent was used to purify free phenolic acids. With our method, 18 phenolic acids in rhizosphere soil of continuous cropping flue-cured cultivar k326 were separated and determined within 6 min with recoveries of 82-107% and relative standard deviations (n = 5) of 1.1-4.8%. Results showed that free phenolic acids accounted for 0-9, 92-100, and 69-100% of total phenolic acids in rhizosphere soil, cultivar k326 roots and leaves, respectively. Results also revealed that p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid, and syringic acid were the predominant phenolic acids in rhizosphere soil of cultivar k326, and continuous cropping of cultivar k326 in the same farmland could lead to the accumulation of these phenolic acids in soil except syringic acid. The determination of phenolic acids provided detailed information for evaluating their source and characteristics in continuous cropping tobacco plant and soil.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis on the chemical constituents in Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive and efficient method was established and validated for qualitative and quantitative analysis on the chemical constituents in Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. (O. stamineus) using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Based on the retention time and MS spectra, 61 compounds were detected by using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. 52 chemical structures in the O. stamineus extracts including 26 phenolic acids, 11 flavonoids, 6 diterpenoids, 4 fatty acids and 5 tanshinones were tentatively identified without the time-consuming process of isolation. Moreover, five chemical constituents (Danshensu, Caffeic acid, Rosmarinic acid, Sinensetin and Eupatorin) were quantified in three different batches of O. stamineus samples by the developed ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry method in 10 min. The method validation of the five compounds was performed with acceptable linearity (R², 0.9930-0.9997), precision (RSD, 1.87-10.36%), repeatability (RSD, 0.59-4.87%) and recovery (105.30-110.53%, RSD ≤ 13.90%).

Discrimination and identification of Q-markers based on 'Spider-web' mode for quality control of traditional Chinese medicine

BACKGROUND

The safety and effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in clinical practice is directly related to the quality of TCM. And, the quality control of TCM is a pivotal issue to the quality of TCM, but also an obstacle impeding the modernization of TCM.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this work is to compile and develop a strategy based on discrimination and identification of quality markers (Q-markers) for quality control of TCM.

METHODS

Mainly established by seven variables derived from four dimensions including content, stability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacology, the 'Spider-web' mode was undertaken to assess the Q-marker property of candidate compounds originated from TCM by taking regression area (A) and coefficient variation (CV) of the tested compounds into account. The importance index (ImI), ImI = A × 1/CV, was suggested to focus Q-markers.

RESULTS

The compounds with larger regression area (A) and less coefficient variation (CV) are preferentially adopted as Q-markers, which should possess the satisfactory properties of content, stability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacological activity. To the contrary, the compounds are excluded on the grounds of the unsatisfactory Q-markers' property, less regression area (A) and larger coefficient variation (CV), which cannot represent the quality of TCM.

CONCLUSIONS

The 'Spider-web' mode can filter out the redundant constituents and focus on the key indexes of quality control - Q-markers. The screened Q-markers possess the optimal integrated properties of content, stability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacology among the numerous and complicated ingredients of TCM, which can comprehensively characterize inherent quality of TCM. In summary, the novel strategy established in this work provides a valuable perspective for the quality control of TCM.

Neutral Loss Scan - Based Strategy for Integrated Identification of Amorfrutin Derivatives, New Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Agonists, from Amorpha Fruticosa by UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS

Amorfrutins with a 2-hydroxybenzoic acid core structure are promising natural PPARγ agonists with potent antidiabetic activity. Owing to the complex matrix and low concentration in botanical material, the identification of unknown amorfrutins remains a challenge. In the present study, a combined application of UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and UPLC-QqQ-MS was developed to discover unknown amorfrutins from fruits of Amorpha fruticosa. First, reference compounds of amorfrutin A (AA), amorfrutin B (AB), and 2-carboxy-3,5-dihydroxy-4-geranylbibenzyl (AC) were analyzed using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS to reveal the characteristic fragment ions and the possible neutral loss. Second, the extract of A. fruticosa was separated and screened by UPLC-QqQ-MS using neutral loss scan to find out suspect compounds associated with the specified neutral fragment Δm/z 44. Third, the extract was re-analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS to obtain the exact mass of quasi-molecular ion and fragment ions of each suspect compound, and to subsequently calculate their corresponding molecular formulas. Finally, according to the molecular formula of suspect compound and its fragment ions and comparing with literature data, structure elucidation of four unidentified amorfrutins was achieved. The results indicated that the combination of QqQ-MS neutral loss scan and Q-TOF-MS molecular formula calculation was proven to be a powerful tool for unknown natural product identification, and this strategy provides an effective solution to discover natural products or metabolites of trace content. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Rapid Classification and Identification of Chemical Components of Schisandra Chinensis by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS Combined with Data Post-Processing

Schisandra chinensis (known in Chinese as WuWeiZi, WWZ) has observable effects such as astringing the lung to stop coughs, arresting sweating, preserving semen and preventing diarrhea. The major components of WWZ include lignans, triterpenoids, organic acids and fatty acids. In this paper, a reliable method for the rapid identification of multiple components in WWZ by their characteristic fragments and neutral losses using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS technology was developed. After review of the literature and some reference experiments, the fragmentation pattern of several compounds were studied and summarized. Then, according to the corresponding characteristic fragments coupled with neutral losses in the positive or negative ion mode produced by different types of substances a rapid identification of target compounds was achieved. Finally, a total of 30 constituents of WWZ were successfully identified, including 15 lignans, nine triterpenoids, three organic acids and three fatty acids. The method established in this study not only provides a comprehensive analysis of the chemical ingredients of WWZ, providing a basis for further phytochemical studies on WWZ but also provides a more efficient way to solve the problem of identification of complex chemical constituents in traditional Chinese medicines.