Quantitative analysis of flavonoids and phenolic acid in Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. by capillary zone electrophoresis

UPLC-quadrupole time-of-flight-tandem mass spectrometry combined with chemometrics and network pharmacology to differentiate Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt

Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. (C. tinctoria) is a traditional medicinal plant, primarily found in plateau areas with altitudes exceeding 3000 m. The efficacy of C. tinctoria appears to be intricately tied to its quality. However, there is a scarcity of studies focused on evaluating the quality of C. tinctoria from diverse geographical locations. In this study, we used ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight-tandem mass spectrometry to analyze and identify the prevalent chemical components in 12 batches of C. tinctoria sourced from Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, and Yunnan provinces in China. By using cluster analysis and discriminant analysis of partial least squares, we assessed the similarity and identified varying components in the 12 batches of C. tinctoria. Subsequently, their quality was further evaluated. Utilizing network pharmacology, we identified potential active components for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The findings revealed the presence of 16 flavonoids, 3 phenylpropanes, 2 sugars, 2 amino acids, and 7 hydrocarbons in the analyzed samples. Through variable importance screening, 17 constituents were identified as quality difference markers. Marein and flavanomarein emerged as pivotal markers, crucial for distinguishing variations in C. tinctoria. In addition, network pharmacology predicted 187 targets for 9 common active components, including marein and flavanomarein. Simultaneously, 1747 targets related to diabetes mellitus were identified. The drug-component-disease target network comprised 91 nodes and 179 edges, encompassing 1 drug node, 9 component nodes, and 81 target nodes. In summary, marein and flavanomarein stand out as key biomarkers for assessing the quality of C. tinctoria, offering a scientific foundation for the quality evaluation of C. tinctoria Nutt.

Integration of network pharmacology, transcriptomics and molecular docking reveals two novel hypoglycemic components in snow chrysanthemum

Our previous studies uncovered the glucose-lowering properties of snow chrysanthemum tea, however, the active ingredients and underlying mechanisms were yet to be uncovered. Flavonoids are the most active and abundant components in snow chrysanthemum tea. In this study, we treated leptin-deficient diabetic ob/ob or high-fat diet (HFD)-induced C57BL/6 J obese mice with or without total flavonoids of snow chrysanthemum (TFSC) for 14 weeks. Results indicated that TFSC ameliorated dyslipidemia and fatty liver, thereby reducing hyperlipidemia. Further mechanism experiments, including RNA-seq and experimental validation, revealed TFSC improved glycolipid metabolism primarily by activating the AMPK/Sirt1/PPARγ pathway. Additionally, by integrating UPLC, network pharmacology, transcriptomics, and experimental validation, we identified two novel hypoglycemic compounds, sulfuretin and leptosidin, in TFSC. Treatment with 12.5 μmol/L sulfuretin obviously stimulated cellular glucose consumption, and sulfuretin (3.125, 6.25 and 12.5 μmol/L) significantly mitigated glucose uptake damage and reliably facilitated glucose consumption in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Remarkably, sulfuretin interacted with the ligand-binding pocket of PPARγ via three hydrogen bond interactions with the residues LYS-367, GLN-286 and TYR-477. Furthermore, a concentration of 12.5 μmol/L sulfuretin effectively upregulated the expression of PPARγ, exhibiting a comparable potency to a renowned PPARγ agonist at 20 μmol/L. Taken together, our findings have identified two new hypoglycemic compounds and revealed their mechanisms, which significantly expands people's understanding of the active components in snow chrysanthemum that have hypoglycemic effects.

Integrated UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and Network Pharmacology Approach to Investigating the Metabolic Profile of Marein of Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt

Marein is the main active compound of Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt., and its main activities include antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypotensive. After oral administration of marein, the blood concentration of marein is low. The metabolites of marein have not been reported systematically. In this study, a rapid and systematic method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was established to detect metabolites of marein in vivo (plasma and urine) after oral administration and injection. Sixty-one metabolites were identified. The metabolites are formed through a wide range of metabolic reactions, including hydroxylation, glucuronidation, methylation, hydrolysis, and desorption of hydrogen. The liver microsome incubation was further used to investigate the metabolic rate of marein. Network pharmacology was applied to study the targets and pathways of marein and its metabolites. Marein and its metabolites act on the same targets to enhance the therapeutic effect. This research illuminates the metabolites and metabolic reaction of marein and establishes a basis for the development and rational utilization of C. tinctoria. Meanwhile, the analysis of prototype and metabolites together by network pharmacology techniques could provide a methodology for the study of component activity.

Rapid prediction method of α-Glycosidase inhibitory activity of Coreopsis tinctoria extract from different habitats by near infrared spectroscopy

α-Glucosidase is one of the main enzymes causing elevated blood glucose, and Coreopsis tinctoria extract can be used as a natural inhibitor of α-Glucosidase. Therefore, a new method was proposed for predicting the inhibitory activity on α-Glucosidase of Coreopsis tinctoria extract based on near infrared spectroscopy. The absorbance of the inhibitory system was measured by ultraviolet spectroscopy, which was used to study the inhibitory activity on a-glucosidase of Coreopsis tinctoria extract. The near infrared spectra of the solid samples were collected. By selecting spectral preprocessing and optimizing spectral bands, a rapid prediction model of the inhibitory activity was established by partial least squares regression. The root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV), correlation coefficient (R) value and the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) value were used as indicators of the evaluation model. The near infrared spectrum model was established by combining the best spectral preprocessing of the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and the best spectral band. The root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) of this model was 0.815%, the correlation coefficient (R) value was 0.942, and the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) was 3.0. The root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of the model by prediction set was 0.819%, the correlation coefficient (R) value was 0.950, and the RPD was 3.2. The model shows that the fitting relationship between the predicted inhibition value and the reference inhibition value of the near infrared spectral model is good. The results showed that there was a good correlation between near infrared spectroscopy and the inhibitory activity of Coreopsis tinctoria extract. Thus, the established model was robust and effective and could be used for rapid quantification of α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity. The prediction method is simple and rapid, and can be extended to study the inhibition of other medicinal plants.

Carbon and nitrogen metabolism under nitrogen variation affects flavonoid accumulation in the leaves of Coreopsis tinctoria

Flavonoids are phytochemicals present in medicinal plants and contribute to human health. Coreopsis tinctoria, a species rich in flavonoids, has long been used in traditional medicine and as a food resource. N (nitrogen) fertilization can reduce flavonoid accumulation in C. tinctoria. However, there is limited knowledge regarding N regulatory mechanisms. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of N availability on flavonoid biosynthesis in C. tinctoria and to investigate the relationship between C (carbon) and N metabolism coupled with flavonoid synthesis under controlled conditions. C. tinctoria seedlings were grown hydroponically under five different N levels (0, 0.625, 1.250, 2.500 and 5.000 mM). The related indexes of C, N and flavonoid metabolism of C. tinctoria under N variation were measured and analysed. N availability (low and moderate N levels) regulates enzyme activities related to C and N metabolism, promotes the accumulation of carbohydrates, reduces N metabolite levels, and enhances the internal C/N balance. The flavonoid content in roots and stalks remained relatively stable, while that in leaves peaked at low or intermediate N levels. Flavonoids are closely related to phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), 4-coumarate: coenzyme A ligase (4CL), and chalcone-thioase (CHS) activity, significantly positively correlated with carbohydrates and negatively correlated with N metabolites. Thus, C and N metabolism can not only control the distribution of C in amino acid and carbohydrate biosynthesis pathways but also change the distribution in flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, which also provides meaningful information for maintaining high yields while ensuring the nutritional value of crop plants.

Recent Applications of Capillary Electrophoresis in the Determination of Active Compounds in Medicinal Plants and Pharmaceutical Formulations

The present review summarizes scientific reports from between 2010 and 2019 on the use of capillary electrophoresis to quantify active constituents (i.e., phenolic compounds, coumarins, protoberberines, curcuminoids, iridoid glycosides, alkaloids, triterpene acids) in medicinal plants and herbal formulations. The present literature review is founded on PRISMA guidelines and selection criteria were formulated on the basis of PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Study type). The scrutiny reveals capillary electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection as the most frequently used capillary electromigration technique for the selective separation and quantification of bioactive compounds. For the purpose of improvement of resolution and sensitivity, other detection methods are used (including mass spectrometry), modifiers to the background electrolyte are introduced and different extraction as well as pre-concentration techniques are employed. In conclusion, capillary electrophoresis is a powerful tool and for given applications it is comparable to high performance liquid chromatography. Short time of execution, high efficiency, versatility in separation modes and low consumption of solvents and sample make capillary electrophoresis an attractive and eco-friendly alternative to more expensive methods for the quality control of drugs or raw plant material without any relevant decrease in sensitivity.

Application of Capillary Electrophoresis to the Analysis of Bioactive Compounds in Herbal Raw Materials

The article is a summary of scientific reports from the last 16 years (2005-2021) on the use of capillary electrophoresis to analyze polyphenolic compounds, coumarins, amino acids, and alkaloids in teas or different parts of plants used to prepare aqueous infusions, commonly known as "tea" or decoctions. This literature review is based on PRISMA guidelines and articles selected in base of criteria carried out using PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Study type). The analysis showed that over 60% of articles included in this manuscript comes from China. The literature review shows that for the selective electrophoretic separation of polyphenolic and flavonoid compounds, the most frequently used capillary electromigration technique is capillary electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection. Nevertheless, the use of capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry allows for the sensitive determination of analytes with a lower limit of detection and gives hope for routine use in the analysis of functional foods. Moreover, using the modifications in electrochemical techniques allows methods sensitivity reduction along with the reduction of analysis time.

Determination and Pharmacokinetics of Okanin in Rat Plasma by UltraHigh Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Triple-Quadrupole Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Okanin is a major flavonoid found in Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt., arousing huge interest recently for its considerable biological characteristics including antioxidant, antineurotoxic, and antidiabetic activities. An ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was successfully used to determine okanin in rat plasma after oral administration of okanin. Bavachalcone acted as an internal standard (IS). By gradient elution, IS and analyte were separated on a C₁₈ column for 7 min at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min with acetonitrile-0.1% acetic acid mobile phase. The stability, matrix effect, extraction recovery, accuracy, precision, linearity, and selectivity of the method were firstly demonstrated. The major pharmacokinetic parameters of okanin in rat plasma were then measured using the developed UPLC-MS method. An UPLC-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was finally established to obtain the specific and accurate mass of okanin in rat plasma after oral administration, and its proposed fragmentation was further elaborated.

Structural characterization, antioxidant activity, and antiglycation activity of polysaccharides from different chrysanthemum teas

In this study, structural characteristics, antioxidant activity, and antiglycation activity of polysaccharides from different chrysanthemum teas were investigated and compared.

The Phytochemistry of Cherokee Aromatic Medicinal Plants

Background: Native Americans have had a rich ethnobotanical heritage for treating diseases, ailments, and injuries. Cherokee traditional medicine has provided numerous aromatic and medicinal plants that not only were used by the Cherokee people, but were also adopted for use by European settlers in North America. Methods: The aim of this review was to examine the Cherokee ethnobotanical literature and the published phytochemical investigations on Cherokee medicinal plants and to correlate phytochemical constituents with traditional uses and biological activities. Results: Several Cherokee medicinal plants are still in use today as herbal medicines, including, for example, yarrow (Achillea millefolium), black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), and blue skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). This review presents a summary of the traditional uses, phytochemical constituents, and biological activities of Cherokee aromatic and medicinal plants. Conclusions: The list is not complete, however, as there is still much work needed in phytochemical investigation and pharmacological evaluation of many traditional herbal medicines.