Chemical fingerprint analysis and metabolic profiling of 50% ethanol fraction of Lomatogonium rotatum by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry

Characterization and identification of major flavonoids of bamboo leaf extract by HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS/MS

Bamboo leaf extract (BLE) is a pale brown powder extracted from bamboo leaves, and it is listed in the Chinese Standard GB-2760 as a legal and safe food additive. The present study aims to identify and characterize the major flavonoids in BLE. The identification of major flavonoids was carried out using ultra performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadruple time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). A total of 31 flavonoid compounds were identified and tentatively characterized base on reference standards and MS dissociation mechanisms. HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS can serve as an important analytical platform to identification structure of bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLF).

Botanical, chemical, and pharmacological characteristics of Lomatogonium rotatum: A review

Lomatogonium rotatum (L. rotatum) Fries ex Nym, a dry whole grass belonging to the family Gentianaceae, is widely used to treat liver diseases in Mongolian medicine. In Mongolian medicine, L. rotatum Fries ex Nym, also known as Digeda, is a rare medicinal herb with low yield and widespread clinical use. Currently, it is included in over 25 traditional Mongolian medicine prescriptions that help reduce heat, dispel xieri, enhance stomach function, and heal wounds. Recent studies have shown that L. rotatum Fries ex Nym contains a variety of metabolites, including flavonoids, xanthone compounds, terpenoids, organic acids, steroids, and alkaloids. In addition, its anti-hepatitis B, anti-inflammatory, anti-acute liver injury, and anti-obesity effects have been proven by pharmacological studies. In this review, we summarize the ecological resources, traditional pharmacodynamics, chemical constituents, and pharmacological actions of L. rotatum Fries ex Nym, with an aim to provide a theoretical basis for future applied research and new product development.

Chemical Fingerprint and Metabolic Profile Analysis of Tianshu Tablets by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Quadrupole-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

In recent years, the chemical fingerprinting of traditional Chinese medicines and the metabolites in these compounds has been a hot topic. In the present study, the chemical fingerprint of Tianshu tablets (TST) and the metabolic characteristics of compounds in rats after intragastric administration were studied by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS). In a preliminary study, 77 chemical components in TST were determined by comparison with retention times, accurate molecular mass, and characteristic fragment ions of the known compounds in the literature and some well-known compounds were analyzed in detail, and the fragmentation pathways for parishins B, gastrodin A, and cnidilide or neocnilide were specifically analyzed. After intragastric administration of TST (4 g/kg) to rats, a total of 61 compounds were detected in plasma samples, including 7 prototypes and 54 metabolites. After further analysis, it was found that these metabolites were subjected to glucuronidation, sulfation, methylation, hydroxylation, dehydrogenation, or mixed metabolic processes. Hydroxylation and glucuronidation were finally confirmed as the main metabolic pathways. This is the first research on the chemical fingerprint and metabolites of TST, which lays a foundation for further investigation of TST.

Lomatogonium Rotatum for Treatment of Acute Liver Injury in Mice: A Metabolomics Study

Lomatogonium rotatum (L.) Fries ex Nym (LR) is used as a traditional Mongolian medicine to treat liver and bile diseases. This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of LR on mice with CCl₄-induced acute liver injury through conventional assays and metabolomics analysis. This study consisted of male mice (n = 23) in four groups (i.e., control, model, positive control, and LR). The extract of whole plant of LR was used to treat mice in the LR group. Biochemical and histological assays (i.e., serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), and histological changes of liver tissue) were used to evaluate LR efficacy, and metabolomics analysis based on GC-MS and LC-MS was conducted to reveal metabolic changes. The conventional analysis and metabolomic profiles both suggested that LR treatment could protect mice against CCl₄-induced acute liver injury. The affected metabolic pathways included linoleic acid metabolism, α-linolenic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, CoA biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, the TCA cycle, and purine metabolism. This study identified eight metabolites, including phosphopantothenic acid, succinic acid, AMP, choline, glycerol 3-phosphate, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and DHA, as potential biomarkers for evaluating hepatoprotective effect of LR. This metabolomics study may shed light on possible mechanisms of hepatoprotective effect of LR.