Pharmacokinetics study of multiple components absorbed in rat plasma after oral administration of Stemonae radix using ultra-performance liquid-chromatography/mass spectrometry with automated MetaboLynx software analysis

LC-MS/MS analysis of didehydrostemofoline from Stemona collinsiae roots extracts in rats plasma and pharmacokinetics profile after oral administration

Stemona collinsiae Craib., Stemonaceae, has been traditionally used as medicinal plants for insecticides, treatment of parasitic worms and various diseases in Southeast Asian countries. Its ethanolic root extract has been postulated for anthelminthic activities which has a potential for development for human gnathostomiasis drug. To investigate the pharmacokinetic profile, liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of didehydrostemofoline in rats' plasma was developed and validated. The chromatographic separation was performed on a C18 column using 1 mM ammonium acetate in water and methanol (50:50, v/v). Tetrahydropalmatine was used as an internal standard. The multiple reaction monitoring mode was used for quantitative analysis. The validated method showed good sensitivity, linearity, precision, and accuracy. The results of stability showed that didehydrostemofoline was stable in the extracted samples in auto-sampler for 24 h and in the plasma samples under room temperature for 24 h, -20 °C for 1 month, and after three freeze-thaw processes. The developed method was applied to the pharmacokinetic study of didehydrostemofoline after oral administration of S. collinsiae root extract. Didehydrostemofoline was rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The time to peak drug concentration was 1.75 ± 0.62 h with maximum drug concentration of 1152.58 ± 271.18 ng/mL. Didehydrostemofoline was rapidly eliminated from the body with terminal half-life of 1.86 ± 0.50 h. Calculated drug clearance of didehydrostemofoline was 96.82 ± 23.51 L/h and volume of distribution was 260.40 ± 96.81 L. The present study provided useful data for understanding drug disposition in the body with dynamic time-course which could be beneficial for further clinical trials.

Integrating serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology to explore the molecular mechanisms of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Harms on attenuating doxorubicin-induced myocardial injury

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Harms (AS), also known as Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim. or Siberian ginseng, has a rich history of use as an adaptogen, a substance believed to increase the body's resistance to stress, fatigue, and infectious diseases. As a traditional Chinese medicine, AS is popular for its cardioprotective effects which can protect the cardiovascular system from hazardous conditions. Doxorubicin (DOX), on the other hand, is a first-line chemotherapeutic agent against a variety of cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, and leukemia, etc. Despite its effectiveness, the clinical use of DOX is limited by its side effects, the most serious of which is cardiotoxicity. Considering AS could be applied as an adjuvant to anticancer agents, the combination of AS and DOX might exert synergistic effects on certain malignancies with mitigated cardiotoxicity. Given this, it is necessary and meaningful to confirm whether AS would neutralize the DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and its underlying molecular mechanisms.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This paper aims to validate the cardioprotective effects of AS against DOX-induced myocardial injury (MI) while deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying such effects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Firstly, the cardioprotective effects of AS against DOX-induced MI were confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. Secondly, serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology were orchestrated to explore the in vivo active compounds of AS and predict their ways of functioning in the treatment of DOX-induced MI. Finally, the predicted mechanisms were validated by Western blot analysis during in vivo experiments.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that AS possessed excellent antioxidative ability, and could alleviate the apoptosis of H9C2 cells and the damage to mitochondria induced by DOX. In vivo experiments indicated that AS could restore the conduction abnormalities and ameliorate histopathological changes according to the electrocardiogram and cardiac morphology. Meanwhile, it markedly downregulated the inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β), decreased plasma ALT, AST, LDH, CK, CK-MB, and MDA levels, as well as increased SOD and GSH levels compared to the model group, which collectively substantiate the effectiveness of AS. Afterward, 14 compounds were identified from different batches of AS-dosed serum and selected for mechanism prediction through HPLC-HRMS analysis and network pharmacology. Consequently, the MAPKs and caspase cascade were confirmed as primary targets among which the interplay between the JNK/Caspase 3 feedback loop and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 were highlighted.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the integrated approach employed in this paper illuminated the molecular mechanism of AS against DOX-induced MI, whilst providing a valuable strategy to elucidate the therapeutic effects of complicated TCM systems more reliably and efficiently.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of four bioactive components in normal and chronic heart failure rats after oral administration of Qiangxin Lishui Prescription by microdialysis combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography

Qiangxin Lishui Prescription (QLP) has been clinically applied for treating heart failure with remarkable curative effects. A multi-component pharmacokinetic research is very necessary for determining active substances in it. This study aims to profile the traits and differences in the pharmacokinetics of salvianolic acid B, astragaloside IV, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside and kaempferol in QLP between normal and chronic heart failure (CHF) rats by microdialysis combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Sensitive, selective, and online microdialysis combined with the UHPLC-MS/MS method was successfully established and applied to study the pharmacokinetics of QLP. The pathological condition of CHF could lead to the enhancement of systematic exposure and reduction of the metabolic rate of four bioactive components for better bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. The pharmacokinetic results will provide data support for the clinical application of QLP.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of 24 representative components of Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan decoction in acute myocardial infarction model rats via a validated ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method

RATIONALE

Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan decoction (LGZGD), one of the 100 herbal classic formulas, is clinically used to treat chronic heart failure with remarkable curative effect. However, LGZGD pharmacokinetic parameters in pathological model rats are poorly understood, in particular for special components. As physicochemical properties are specific to each representative component, no standard sample preparation is available for absolute quantification of representative components of LGZGD in rat plasma.

METHODS

A specific, sensitive and high-throughput ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS/MS) method capturing 24 representative components was developed and applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters of LGZGD in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rat plasma after intragastric administration (2.4, 4.8 and 9.6 g/kg). Precipitation and extraction were selected and optimized for plasma preparation, and isopropanol precipitation could offer higher recovery and broader coverage.

RESULTS

It was expected that AMI could cause less absorption and slower elimination of most of active components of LGZGD. Most of newly reported special components absorbed quickly and eliminated slowly. The average elimination half-life of the 24 representative components was 10.09 h, which is consistent with the dosage of LGZGD (twice daily).

CONCLUSIONS

The specificity, linearity, precision and accuracy, recovery, matrix effect and stability were validated according to Food and Drug Administration guidance. The validation results demonstrated that the method could be applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters of LGZGD in AMI rats. The pharmacokinetic parameters showed substantial improvement in quality research of LGZGD, thereby laying the groundwork for preclinical and clinical trials in chronic heart failure clinical efficacy.

Pharmacokinetic analysis for simultaneous quantification of Saikosaponin A- paeoniflorin in normal and poststroke depression rats: A comparative study

Bupleurum and Paeonia are common compatibilities for the treatment of depression, most of which are used in classical prescriptions. The main active ingredients saikosaponin A (SSA) and paeoniflorin (PF) have significant therapeutic effects on poststroke depression (PSD). However, the pharmacokinetic (PK) behavior based on the combination of the two components has not been reported in rats. The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic characteristics of combined administration of SSA and PF in normal and PSD rats. Plasma samples were collected after SSA and PF were injected into the rat tail vein, and plasma pretreatments were analyzed by HPLC. Based on the concentration levels of SSA and PF in plasma, Drug and Statistics 3.2.6 (DAS 3.2.6) software was used to establish the blood drug concentration model. PK data showed that compared with the normal rats, the values of related parameters t_1/2α, AUC_(0-t), AUC_(0-∞) were decreased in diseased rats, while the values of CL₁ was increased. These findings suggest that PSD can significantly affect the PK parameters of SSA-PF. This study established a PK model to explore the time-effect relationship, in order to provide experimental and theoretical support for clinical application.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of bleomycin-induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis rats treated with cryptotanshinone

Introduction: Cryptotanshinone(CTS), a compound derived from the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza, has been linked to various of diseases, particularly pulmonary fibrosis. In the current study, we investigated the benefit of CTS on Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats induced by bleomycin (BLM) and established high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) methods to compare pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution in subsequent normal and modulated SD rats.

Methods: The therapeutic effect of CTS on BLM-induced SD rats was evaluated using histopathology, lung function and hydroxyproline content measurement, revealing that CTS significantly improved SD rats induced by BLM. Additionally, a simple, rapid, sensitive and specific HPLC-MS/MS method was developed to determine the pharmacokinetics of various components in rat plasma.

Results: Pharmacokinetic studies indicated that CTS was slowly absorbed by oral administration and had low bioavailability and a slow clearance rate. The elimination of pulmonary fibrosis in 28-day rats was slowed down, and the area under the curve was increased compared to the control group. Long-term oral administration of CTS did not accumulate in vivo, but the clearance was slowed down, and the steady-state blood concentration was increased. The tissue distribution study revealed that CTS exposure in the lungs and liver.

Discussion: The lung CTS exposure was significantly higher in the model group than in the control group, suggesting that the pathological changes of pulmonary fibrosis were conducive to the lung exposure of CTS and served as the target organ of CTS.

The Combination of Individual Herb of Mi-Jian-Chang-Pu Formula Exerts a Synergistic Effect in the Treatment of Ischemic Stroke in Rats

Mi-Jian-Chang-Pu formula (MJCPF), composed of Crocus sativus L. and Acorus tatarinowii Schott, is a well-known TCM for treatment of hemiplegia, facial paralysis as well as language dysfunction caused by stroke both in ancient and modern times. By using pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and metabolomics, our present study discusses whether the combination of individual herbs or major active components of MJCPF possess synergistic neuroprotective effects against ischemic stroke (IS). 108 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into 9 groups, including sham group (N, vehicle), middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model group (M, vehicle), positive group (P, 36 mg/kg/day nimodipine), crocin I (A1, 40 mg/kg/day), β-asarone (B1, 15 mg/kg/day), crocin I + β-asarone (A1B1, 55 mg/kg/day), C. sativus (A, 580 mg/kg/day), A. tatarinowii (B, 480 mg/kg/day), and C. sativus + A. tatarinowii, also named MJCPF (AB, 1060 mg/kg/day) groups. All drugs were orally administered to rats once a day for 14 consecutive days. Neurological deficit score, cerebral infarct volume, body weight change, TTC, HE and IHC staining, behavioral evaluation, metabolic profiles, and pharmacokinetic parameters were determined. MCAO led to severe brain damage including large infarct volume, more severe brain tissue injury, and worse neurological function as compared to the sham rats. All treatment groups showed a significant neuroprotective effect on MCAO rats. Furthermore, the pharmacodynamics' results demonstrated that MJCPF had a synergistic effect evidenced by small infarct volume, more regular arrangement of neuronal cells, and more improved neural function, and the levels of inflammatory factors were closer to normality. A total of 53 differential metabolites between MCAO and sham groups were screened by integration of serum and brain metabolisms, all of which were restored at varying degrees in treatment. PCA and PLS-DA analysis showed that the levels of differential metabolites treated with MJCPF were closer to the sham group than the individual herb and single compound alone or A1B1 combination. The pharmacokinetic parameters further verified the above results that MJCPF could synergistically promote drug absorption greater than others. Our integrated pharmacodynamics, metabolomics, and pharmacokinetic approach reveals the synergistic effect of MJCPF on treatment of IS, which powerfully contribute to the understanding of scientific connotation of TMC formula.

Effect of Light Treatment on Chemical Composition of Andrographis paniculata Seedlings

Light quality consists of a spectrum of different bands, which not only affects plant, development, and primary metabolism but also affects the secondary metabolism of plants. It is an important factor affecting the content of active components of medicinal plants. The A. paniculata seedlings planted in the laboratory, as materials, were tested with red light, far red light, blue light, and ultraviolet light separately. The study assays the content of six main chemical components separately by LC-MS, observes the changes in the content, and analyzes the relationship between the light quality and the active ingredient of A. paniculata. Using the ointment yield and pH value, the fingerprint analysis method of A. paniculata standard decoction was established, and we discussed the selection of index components of A. paniculata standard decoction. It was suggested to select andrographolide as the index component. It will provide a theoretical basis for the large area cultivation of A. paniculata and optimize the quality of medicinal materials to ensure the quality of standard decoction.

Evaluation of the effect of Shengxian Decoction on doxorubicin-induced chronic heart failure model rats and a multicomponent comparative pharmacokinetic study after oral administration in normal and model rats

Shengxian Decotion (SXT), a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula composed of Astragali Radix, Bupleuri Radix, Cimicifugae Rhizoma, Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and Platycodonis Radix, is clinically considered as an effective formula against cardiovascular diseases. However, the exact effective substance of SXT in treating chronic heart failure (CHF) still remains unclear. In the current study, we investigated the benefit of SXT in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced CHF rats and established a UHPLC-MS/MS method to simultaneously determine 18 key compounds in a subsequent comparative pharmacokinetic study in normal and CHF rats. Histopathological studies, transmission electron microscopy, and echocardiography were applied to assess the therapeutic effect of SXT on DOX-induced CHF rats, which indicated that SXT significantly ameliorated DOX-induced CHF, similar to enalapril. In addition, we successfully established a UHPLC-MS/MS method to determine the pharmacokinetics of the components in rat plasma, which was validated with good linearity, inter-day and intra-day precisions and accuracies, matrix effects, extraction recovery, and stability values. Our results showed that only astragaloside IV showed increased plasma exposure in the CHF rats, while saikosaponin A, quercetin, timosaponin B-II, ferulic acid, isoferulic acid and formononetin decreased compared to their pharmacokinetic characteristics in the normal and CHF rats. This study demonstrates that SXT enjoys obvious therapeutic effect on DOX-induced CHF rats, and the altered metabolism of some compounds in SXT is affected by the pathological state of CHF rats. Our findings provide a better understanding of the in vivo exposure to complex compounds of SXT, supporting effective substance screening and further investigation of the therapeutic mechanism.

Analytical strategies for the discovery and validation of quality-markers of traditional Chinese medicine

BACKGROUND

Quality control of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the basis of clinical efficacy. Due to the complexity of TCM, it is difficult to unify the quality control, and hinders the further implementation of the quality standardization of TCM. As a new concept, quality-marker (Q-marker) plays a powerful role in promoting the standardization of quality control system of TCM.

HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE

The present review aims to provide reference and scientific basis for further development of Q-marker and assist standardization of quality control of TCM.

METHODS

Extensive search of various documents and electronic databases such as Pubmed, Royal Society of Chemistry, Science Direct, Springer, Web of Science, and Wiley, etc., were used to search scientific contributions. Other online academic libraries, e.g. Google Scholars, Scopus and national pharmacology literature were also been employed to learn more relevant information about Q-marker.

RESULTS

Q-markers play vital role in promoting the standardization of quality control of TCM. The factors that affect the quality of TCM, the advantages and disadvantages of the analytical techniques commonly used in Q-marker research were reviewed, as well as the systematic research strategies, which were verified by practices.

CONCLUSION

The proposal of Q-marker not only provided a new perspective to break through the bottleneck of current quality control, but also can be used in the evaluation of pharmacological efficiency, therapeutic discovery, toxicology, etc. In addition, the Q-marker analysis strategies summarized in this paper is helpful to standardize the quality control of TCM and promote the internationalization of TCM.

Exploring the metabolic biomarkers and pathway changes in crucian under carbonate alkalinity exposure using high-throughput metabolomics analysis based on UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS

The aims of this study is to explore the metabolomic biomarker and pathway changes in crucian under carbonate alkalinity exposures using high-throughput metabolomics analysis based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole time of flight-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS) for carrying out adaptive evolution of fish in environmental exposures and understanding molecular physiological mechanisms of saline–alkali tolerance in fishes. Under 60 day exposure management, the UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS technology, coupled with a pattern recognition approach and metabolic pathway analysis, was utilized to give insight into the metabolic biomarker and pathway changes. In addition, biochemical parameters in response to carbonate alkalinity in fish were detected for chronic impairment evaluation. A total of twenty-seven endogenous metabolites were identified to distinguish the biochemical changes in fish in clean water under exposure to different concentrations of carbonate alkalinity (CA); these mainly involved amino acid synthesis and metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism and the citrate cycle (TCA cycle). Compared with the control group, CA exposure increased the level of blood ammonia; TP; ALB; Gln in the liver and gills; GS; urea in blood, the liver and gills; CREA; CPS; Glu and LDH; and decreased the level of weight gain rate, oxygen consumption, discharge rate of ammonia, SOD, CAT, ALT, AST and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase. At low concentrations, CA can change the normal metabolism of fish in terms of changing the osmotic pressure regulation capacity, antioxidant capacity, ammonia metabolism and liver and kidney function to adapt to the CA exposure environment. As the concentration of CA increases, various metabolic processes in crucian are inhibited, causing chronic damage to the body. The results show that the metabolomic strategy is a potentially powerful tool for identifying the mechanisms in response to different environmental exposomes and offers precious information about the chronic response of fish to CA.

We explore the metabolic biomarker and pathway changes accompanying the adaptive evolution of crucian subjected to carbonate alkalinity exposure, using UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS, in order to understand the molecular physiological mechanisms of saline–alkali tolerance.

Identification of the major metabolites of (R)-salbutamol in human urine, plasma and feces using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

(R)-Salbutamol is a selective β2-adrenoreceptor agonist, which produces a short-acting bronchodilator effect and is widely used for the treatment of respiratory diseases in humans. Drug metabolism and identification of the metabolites play an essential role in the evaluation of the overall efficacy and safety of the drugs in clinical practices. There are few reports on the identification of major metabolites of (R)-salbutamol in humans, and the number of identified metabolites is very limited. In this research, a method of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed for the discovery and identification of (R)-salbutamol and its major metabolites in human biological samples. Totally, twelve metabolites of (R)-salbutamol were found and identified and all the metabolites could be found in urine, one metabolite in plasma and two metabolites in feces. Among all the metabolites, eight metabolites have never been reported before. The results indicated that (R)-salbutamol was mainly metabolized through isomerization, oxidation, reduction, glucuronidation, and sulfation pathways in vivo. The possible metabolic pathways of (R)-salbutamol were subsequently presented in this study, which contribute to a better understanding of the metabolism of (R)-salbutamol in humans.

Screening techniques for the identification of bioactive compounds in natural products

Natural products (NPs) have a long history of clinical use and are rich source of bioactive compounds. The development of tools and techniques for identifying and analyzing NP bioactive compounds to ensure their quality and discover new drugs is thus very important and still in demand. Screening techniques have proven highly useful for screening and analyzing active components in complex mixtures, which rely on cell culture, dialysis, ultrafiltration, chromatographic methods and target molecule immobilization, using biological targets to identify the active compounds. The recent progress in biological screening techniques in the field of natural products is reviewed here. This includes a review on the strategy and application of the screening methods, their detailed description and discussion of their existing limitations of the different models along with prospective in future development of screening techniques.

High-throughput metabolomics screen coupled with multivariate statistical analysis identifies therapeutic targets in alcoholic liver disease rats using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Identification of metabolic alterations is useful for elucidating the pathophysiology and mass spectrometry-aided metabolomic, which provides small molecule metabolites to understand underlying mechanisms of complex diseases. In this work, we developed a novel liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry-based metabolomics screen coupled with multivariate statistical analysis workflow to obtaining the metabolite annotation, visualization and rapid characterization of small molecular metabolites, then revealed the altered metabolic pathway in a rat model of alcohol-induced liver damage rats as case study. The ions were detected in both positive and negative mode, and the key biomarkers were selected through multivariate statistical screening analysis. We employed the enhanced mass spectrometry coverage method to comprehensive analysis of the metabolite data. Importantly, we further find these small molecule metabolites were associated with multiple metabolic pathways. The elucidation of these altered metabolic pathways should help identify new and specific therapeutic targets. In addition, this metabolomics workflow coupled to LC-MS/MS has been successfully applied to the identification of small molecule metabolites in this complex disease. We strongly believe that metabolomics studies will benefit from incorporating liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry strategies.

Gut microbiota as important modulator of metabolism in health and disease

The human gastrointestinal tract colonizes a large number of microbial microflora, forms a host-microbiota co-metabolism structure with the host to participate in various metabolic processes in the human body, and plays a major role in the host immune response. In addition, the dysbiosis of intestinal microbial homeostasis is closely related to many diseases. Thus, an in-depth understanding of the relationship between them is of importance for disease pathogenesis, prevention and treatment. The combined use of metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics techniques for the analysis of gut microbiota can reveal the relationship between microbiota and the host in many ways, which has become a hot topic of analysis in recent years. This review describes the mechanism of co-metabolites in host health, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and bile acid metabolism. The metabolic role of gut microbiota in obesity, liver diseases, gastrointestinal diseases and other diseases is also summarized, and the research methods for multi-omics combined application on gut microbiota are summarized. According to the studies of the interaction mechanism between gut microbiota and the host, we have a better understanding of the use of intestinal microflora in the treatment of related diseases. It is hoped that the gut microbiota can be utilized to maintain human health, providing a reference for future research.

Rapid identification and global characterization of multiple constituents from the essential oil of Cortex Dictamni based on GC-MS

The root of Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz., also known as Cortex Dictamni, is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been commonly used in the treatment of inflammation, microbial infection, cancer, and other diseases in China for thousands of years. Recently, the essential oil of Cortex Dictamni has been widely studied, and a large number of volatile constituents have been discovered. However, the research of the essential oil of Cortex Dictamni in vivo remains unknown, especially the constituents absorbed into blood after oral administration. Hence, a sensitive and rapid method using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry combined with MassHunter software and the National Institute of Standards and Technology 2014 database was used to investigate the absorbed components in rat serum after oral administration of the essential oil of Cortex Dictamni. With the established method, a total of 36 compounds were screened and identified in the essential oil of Cortex Dictamni based on the mass spectrometry data and compound database. Among them, eight compounds, elemol, thymol methyl ether, β-eudesmol, β-cyclocostunolid, guaiazulene, trans-4-hydroxystilbene, ethyl oleate, and monoelaidin, were tentatively characterized in rat serum. This work demonstrated that the established method proved to be a powerful technique for rapid, simple, reliable, and automated identification of bioactive components of herbal medicine.

Identification, bioactivity evaluation and pharmacokinetics of multiple components in rat serum after oral administration of Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao capsule by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry

The Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao capsule (XLGB) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine prescription (TCMP), which has proven effective in osteoporosis treatment. However, due to the lack of a dynamic XLGB profile, the in vivo pharmacokinetics of multiple bioactive components within this medicine remains unknown. In the present study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS) identified a total of eighteen prototypes (using reference standards) in rat serum after oral administration of XLGB. These prototypes were subsequently evaluated to ascertain their effects on the proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity of UMR106 cells and the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells. Furthermore, a rapid and sensitive UPLC/Q-TOF-MS method was developed and validated for simultaneous quantitative analysis of 11 prototypes in rat serum. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a Waters Acquity BEH C18 column (2.1×100mm, 1.7μm) and linear gradient elution employing a mobile phase consisting of water and acetonitrile (both containing 0.1% formic acid). All calibration curves showed excellent linearity (r²>0.99) within the sampling ranges considered. The assay was accurate, precise and reproducible, as demonstrated by the obtained intra- and inter-day precisions (less than 12.3%) and accuracies (between -12.7% and 11.0%), and the matrix effects, extraction recoveries and stabilities were all satisfactory. Moreover, pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated from the plasma concentration-time data. Compared to single-compound dosing, significantly enhanced responses were obtained when several analytes were administered simultaneously, indicating possible drug-drug interactions among the complex ingredients of TCMP. This work provides an experimental baseline regarding the clinical applications and medicinal effectiveness of XLGB in the treatment of osteoporosis.

Effect of Radix Stemonae concentrated decoction on the lung tissue pathology and inflammatory mediators in COPD rats

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common and frequently occurring respiratory disease. At present, western medicine treatment of COPD mainly focuses on symptomatic treatment. Using Chinese medicines or integrated Chinese and Western medicines to treat stable COPD has significant efficacy. In this study, we aimed to observe the effect of Radix Stemonae concentrated decoction on the lung tissue pathology and inflammatory mediators in COPD rats and explore its possible mechanism.

Methods

SD rats were randomized into blank group, COPD model group and Radix Stemonae group, 10 cases in each group. Rats were fed for 112 days. Before the rats were sacrificed, lung function of the animals was tested. The right lower lung was fixed for morphologic observation. The inflammatory mediators in serum were determined using enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay.

Results

Body weight of animals in the model group was significantly decreased compared with blank group (P < 0.05). After gavage therapy with Radix Stemonae, body weight was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with the blank group, pulmonary functions of rats in the model group were significantly abnormal (P < 0.05), while in Radix Stemonae group, these indicators turned much better than model group (P < 0.05). As for pathological changes in lungs, airway inflammation in the model group was aggravated. In the Radix Stemonae group, inflammation and emphysema were much milder. The concentrations of TNF-α, IL-8 and LTB4 in both model group and Radix Stemonae group were increased significantly (P < 0.05). But the levels in Radix Stemonae group were decreased significantly than model group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Radix Stemonae concentrated decoction may mitigate and improve airway rebuilding in the lungs of COPD rats by inhibiting the release of inflammatory mediators.

A rapid and sensitive UHPLC-FT-ICR MS/MS method for identification of chemical constituents in Rhodiola crenulata extract, rat plasma and rat brain after oral administration

A rapid and sensitive UHPLC-FT-ICR MS/MS method was developed for the first time to analyze the extract of Rhodiola crenulata and the constituents absorbed into rat blood and brain after oral administration. Under the optimized conditions, a total of 64 chemical constituents were identified or tentatively characterized in vitro in 30min, and also 24 and 9 chemical constituents were detected in rat plasma and brain respectively, by comparing the retention time, accurate mass and/or MS/MS data of blank and dosed sample. The results indicated that the developed UHPLC-FT-ICR MS/MS method was suitable for detection and identifying the chemical constituents in Rhodiola crenulata extract, rat plasma and rat brain, and it could be used as a powerful and reliable analytical strategy for rapid identification of chemical constituents in vitro and in vivo for other traditional Chinese herbal medicines (TCMs). Furthermore, the detected chemical constituents in rat brain could be speculated to be the pharmacodynamic substances of Rhodiola crenulata for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and it could also provide useful chemical information for further mass spectrometry imaging and bioactive substances research on Rhodiola crenulata.

UHPLC-FT-ICR-MS combined with serum pharmacochemistry for bioactive compounds discovery of Zhi-Zi-Da-Huang-decoction against alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

In this study, a comprehensive strategy based on UHPLC-FT-ICR-MS and serum pharmacochemistry was developed to reveal the bioactive constituents of Zhi-Zi-Da-Huang decoction against alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats after oral administration.

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry screening and analysis of potential bioactive compounds from traditional chinese medicine Kai-Xin-San, using a multivariate data processing approach and the MetaboLynx tool

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used in clinical practice for several thousand years, with an indispensable role in prevention and treatment of disease using multiple ingredients.

An improved ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/quadrupole-time-of-flight high-definition mass spectrometry method for determining ingredients of herbal Fructus corni in blood samples

Background:

Fructus Corni (FC), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), derived from the dry ripe sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (Cornaceae), has been widely prescribed to treat disease in China for centuries. It has attracted increasingly much attention as one of the most popular and valuable herbal medicine in clinic. However, the systematic analysis of the chemical constituents of FC is difficult to determine and remain unclear.

Materials and Methods:

In this work, a rapid, sensitive, and reliable ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/quadrupole-time-of-flight high-definition mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI/QTOF/MS) with automated data analysis (MetaboLynx™) in negative ion mode were established to characterize the chemical constituents of FC and simultaneously identify components in blood after oral administration of FC, respectively. The analysis was performed on a Waters UPLC™ HSS T₃ (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.8 μm) using gradient elution system. MS/MS fragmentation behaviors were proposed for aiding the structural identification of the components.

Results:

With optimized conditions, a total of 34 peaks were obtained from FC, 23 of which were tentatively characterized by comparing the retention time and mass spectrometry data and retrieving the reference literatures. Of note, the 25 compounds were identified after oral administration of FC, which might be the potential active components in vivo.

Conclusion:

The present study demonstrates the potential of UPLC-ESI/QTOF/MS approach for the rapid and reliable characterization of the metabolites of natural products.

Mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy: modern high-end detectors for high resolution separation techniques--state of the art in natural product HPLC-MS, HPLC-NMR, and CE-MS hyphenations

Current natural product research is unthinkable without the use of high resolution separation techniques as high performance liquid chromatography or capillary electrophoresis (HPLC or CE respectively) combined with mass spectrometers (MS) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers. These hyphenated instrumental analysis platforms (CE-MS, HPLC-MS or HPLC-NMR) are valuable tools for natural product de novo identification, as well as the authentication, distribution, and quantification of constituents in biogenic raw materials, natural medicines and biological materials obtained from model organisms, animals and humans. Moreover, metabolic profiling and metabolic fingerprinting applications can be addressed as well as pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic issues. This review provides an overview of latest technological developments, discusses the assets and drawbacks of the available hyphenation techniques, and describes typical analytical workflows.

Profiling and identification of the absorbed constituents and metabolites of schisandra lignans by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

Schisandra chinensis Baill grows wild in Russia, China, Korea and Japan, and its fruit has been found to be effective in amnesia and insomnia. It is enriched in schisandra lignans (SL) that are major components responsible for therapeutic action. However, there are no reports on the biotransformation analysis of SL. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray-ionization high-definition mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-HDMS) method was developed to investigate the metabolism of SL in vivo. MS was performed on a Waters Micromass high-definition system with an electrospray ionization source in positive ion mode and automated MetaboLynx software analysis with excellent MS accuracy and enhanced MS data acquisition. An improved mass defect filter (MDF) method employing both drug and core structure filter templates was applied to the processing of UPLC-Q-TOF-HDMS data for the detection and structural characterization of metabolites. In this study, 30 metabolites were detected and identified in vivo, and demethylation and hydroxylation were confirmed as the primacy metabolic pathway for SL in rat plasma. In conclusion, the presently developed methodology was suitable for biotransformation research of SL and will find wide use in metabolic studies for other herbal medicines.