Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with linear ion trap-Orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometry combined with a systematic strategy based on fragment ions for the rapid separation and characterization of components inStellera chamaejasmeextracts

High-throughput sequencing-based analysis of the composition and diversity of the endophyte community in roots of Stellera chamaejasme

Stellera chamaejasme (S. chamaejasme) is an important medicinal plant with heat-clearing, detoxifying, swelling and anti-inflammatory effects. At the same time, it is also one of the iconic plants of natural grassland degradation in northwest China, playing a key role in the invasion process. Plant endophytes live in healthy plant tissues and can synthesize substances needed for plant growth, induce disease resistance in host plants, and enhance plant resistance to environmental stress. Therefore, studying the root endophytes of S. chamaejasme is of great significance for mining beneficial microbial resources and biological prevention and control of S. chamaejasme. This study used Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the composition and diversity of endophytes in the roots of S. chamaejasme in different alpine grasslands (BGC, NMC and XGYZ) in Tibet. Research results show that the main phylum of endophytic fungi in the roots of S. chamaejasme in different regions is Ascomycota, and the main phyla of endophytic bacteria are Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes (Bacteroidota). Overall, the endophyte diversity of the NMC samples was significantly higher than that of the other two sample sites. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) results showed significant differences in the composition of endophytic bacterial and fungal communities among BGC, NMC and XGYZ samples. Co-occurrence network analysis of endophytes showed that there were positive correlations between fungi and some negative correlations between bacteria, and the co-occurrence network of bacteria was more complex than that of fungi. In short, this study provides a vital reference for further exploring and utilizing the endophyte resources of S. chamaejasme and an in-depth understanding of the ecological functions of S. chamaejasme endophytes.

Quality marker prediction in Trillium tschonoskii based on UHPLC-MS chemical characterisation and network pharmacology

INTRODUCTION

As a folk herbal medicine, Trillium tschonoskii has been used for thousands of years. However, due to the complexity of the chemical constituents of this herb, few investigations have acquired a comprehensive understanding of its quality markers.

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to characterise the chemical composition of T. tschonoskii and identify its potential quality markers.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A systematic analytical method based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was used to characterise the constituents of T. tschonoskii. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed to investigate the chemical differences between different tissues, as well as the relationship between chemical compositions and habitats. The potential quality markers were predicted via network pharmacology and molecular docking, then confirmed by cellular assays.

RESULTS

A total of 77 compounds were co-isolated and identified, and among them, 26 were discovered from the genus Trillium for the first time. Ten batches of roots/rhizomes were explicitly clustered into five groups according to the climate types of the habitats, and the clusters of the fruits and roots/rhizomes from the same plants were independent due to the significant difference in chemical composition. Diosgenin had a good docking affinity with the relevant targets within the IL-17 pathway and cytokine pathway and could significantly inhibit TNF-α expression in hypoxic brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to establish the chemical composition profile of T. tschonoskii by UHPLC-MS systematically, and diosgenin was confirmed to be a potential quality marker of T. tschonoskii for the treatment of headaches.

An integrative approach to uncover the components, mechanisms, and functions of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions on male infertility

Male infertility is a major and growing health problem with an estimated global prevalence of 4.2%. The current therapy is limited by the unknown etiology of MI, emphasizing the critical requirement forward to a more efficient method or medication. Through thousands of years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been shown to be effective in treating MI effectively. However, the components, mechanisms and functions of TCM prescriptions on MI are still obscure, severely limiting its clinical application. In order to discover the molecular mechanism of TCM against MI, our study presents a comprehensive approach integrated data mining, network pharmacology, molecular docking, UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, and experimental validation. Here, we begin to acquire 289 clinical TCM prescriptions for MI from a TCM hospital's outpatient department. Then, Core Chinese Materia Medica (CCMM) was then retrieved from the TCM Inheritance Support System (TCMISS), which was utilized to discover the underlying rules and connections in clinical prescriptions. After that, 98 CCMM components and 816 MI targets were obtained from ten distinct databases. Additionally, the network pharmacology methods, including network construction, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment, PPI analysis, were utilized to reveal that kaempferol, quercetin, isorhamnetin, and beta-sitosterol are the core components of CCMM in treating MI. The mechanisms and functions of CCMM against MI are hormone regulation, anti-apoptosis, anti-oxidant stress, and anti-inflammatory. Furthermore, the strong connections between four core components and six key targets were verified using a molecular docking method. Following that, the core components of the CCMM extract were identified using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis. Finally, in vivo experiments demonstrated that CCMM and four core components could improve the density, motility, viability of sperm, lecithin corpuscle density, decrease the rate of sperm malformation and testis tissue damage, and regulate the protein expressions of AKT1, MAPK3/1, EGFR, and TNF-α in a mouse model of MI. UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis and in vivo experiments further validated the results of data mining, network pharmacology, and molecular docking. Our study could uncover the components, mechanisms, and functions of TCM prescriptions against MI and develop a new integrative approach to demonstrate TCM's multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway approach to disease treatment.

Chemical profiling of Zilong Jin tablets using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry

Zilongjin tablets as a traditional Chinese medicine are widely used for primary lung cancer patients with deficiency of "qi " and "blood " syndrome undergoing chemotherapy. It is a compound preparation that consists of eight herbs. To clarify the chemical profiling of Zilong Jin tablets rapidly, a feasible and accurate strategy was developed by the ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry. According to the accurate mass and fragment ion information provided by high resolution mass spectrometry, the compounds were reasonably identified. In total, 74 compounds were characterized, including 20 flavonoids, 14 quinones, 15 organic acids, 6 phthalide compounds, and 19 other compounds. Among them, 34 major compounds were unambiguously confirmed by comparing with reference standards. This study could provide an important scientific basis for further research on quality control, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and clinical application of Zilong Jin tablets.

Advanced Analytical Approaches for the Analysis of Polyphenols in Plants Matrices—A Review

Phenolic compounds are plants’ bioactive metabolites that have been studied for their ability to confer extensive benefits to human health. As currently there is an increased interest in natural compounds identification and characterization, new analytical methods based on advanced technologies have been developed. This paper summarizes current advances in the state of the art for polyphenols identification and quantification. Analytical techniques ranging from high-pressure liquid chromatography to hyphenated spectrometric methods are discussed. The topic of high-resolution mass spectrometry, from targeted quantification to untargeted comprehensive chemical profiling, is particularly addressed. Structure elucidation is one of the important steps for natural products research. Mass spectral data handling approaches, including acquisition mode selection, accurate mass measurements, elemental composition, mass spectral library search algorithms and structure confirmation through mass fragmentation pathways, are discussed.

Black, green, and pink pepper affect differently lipid oxidation during cooking and in vitro digestion of meat

Lipid oxidation products generated during meat digestion may contribute to the apparent epidemiological link between red meat intake and the risk of cardiovascular diseases and colorectal cancer. The aim of this work was to assess the lipid oxidation inhibitory activity of black, green, and pink pepper during cooking and in vitro digestion of meat. Peppers were characterized for their phenolic profiles by LC-ESI-MS and the antioxidant properties. Pink pepper showed the highest phenolic content and antioxidant activities. Then, the peppers were added to meat either before or after cooking, and the meat was subjected to in vitro digestion. Pink pepper added before cooking was the most effective, with an inhibition of 80% and 72% in lipid hydroperoxides and TBA-RS formation after digestion, respectively. These findings suggest that peppers, particularly pink pepper, can be used to minimize lipid oxidation in the gastro-intestinal tract and for the design of healthy dietary patterns.

New Antiproliferative Triflavanone from Thymelaea hirsuta-Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Molecular Docking Studies

In this study isolates from Thymelaea hirsuta, a wild plant from the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, were identified and their selective cytotoxicity levels were evaluated. Phytochemical examination of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of the methanolic (MeOH) extract of the plant led to the isolation of a new triflavanone compound (1), in addition to the isolation of nine previously reported compounds. These included five dicoumarinyl ethers found in Thymelaea: daphnoretin methyl ether (2), rutamontine (3), neodaphnoretin (4), acetyldaphnoretin (5), and edgeworthin (6); two flavonoids: genkwanin (7) and trans-tiliroside (8); p-hydroxy benzoic acid (9) and β sitosterol glucoside (10). Eight of the isolated compounds were tested for in vitro cytotoxicity against Vero and HepG2 cell lines using a sulforhodamine-B (SRB) assay. Compounds 1, 2 and 5 exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activities against HepG2 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 8.6, 12.3 and 9.4 μM, respectively, yet these compounds exhibited non-toxic activities against the Vero cells. Additionally, compound 1 further exhibited promising cytotoxic activity against both MCF-7 and HCT-116 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 4.26 and 9.6 μM, respectively. Compound 1 significantly stimulated apoptotic breast cancer cell death, resulting in a 14.97-fold increase and arresting 40.57% of the cell population at the Pre-G1 stage of the cell cycle. Finally, its apoptosis-inducing activity was further validated through activation of BAX and caspase-9, and inhibition of BCL2 levels. In silico molecular docking experiments revealed a good binding mode profile of the isolates towards Ras activation/pathway mitogen-activated protein kinase (Ras/MAPK); a common molecular pathway in the development and progression of liver tumors.

Biflavonoid-rich fraction from Daphne pseudomezereum var. koreana Hamaya exerts anti-inflammatory effect in an experimental animal model of allergic asthma

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Daphne pseudomezereum var. koreana Hamaya is distributed in the Gangwon-do of South Korea and is traditionally used to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of biflavonoid-rich fraction (BF) obtained from an extract of D. pseudomezereum leaves on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Neochamaejasmin B (NB) and chamaejasmin D (CD) were spectroscopically characterized as major components of BF obtained from the leaves of D. pseudomezereum. RAW264.7 cells pretreated with NB, CD and BF and activated by LPS (500 ng/ml) were used to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of these materials in vitro. To evaluate the protective effect of BF on allergic asthma, female BALB/c mice were sensitized to OVA by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection and treated with BF by oral administration (15 or 30 mg/kg).

RESULTS

Pretreatment with BF inhibited LPS-stimulated nitric oxide (NO), TNF-α and IL-6, and led to upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in RAW264.7 macrophages. Orally administered BF significantly inhibited the recruitment of eosinophils and the production of IL-5, IL-6, IL-13 and MCP-1 as judged by the analysis of BALF from OVA-induced asthma animal model. BF also decreased the levels of IgE in the serum of asthmatic mice. BF suppressed the influx of inflammatory cells into nearby airways and the hypersecretion of mucus by the airway epithelium of asthmatic mice. In addition, the increase in Penh in asthmatic mice was reduced by BF administration. Furthermore, BF led to Nrf2 activation and HO-1 induction in the lungs of mice.

CONCLUSIONS

These data have shown the anti-asthmatic effects of BF, and therefore we expect that BF may be a potential candidate as a natural drug/nutraceutical for the prevention and treatment of allergic asthma.

Comparison of the Polyphenolic Profile of Medicago sativa L. and Trifolium pratense L. Sprouts in Different Germination Stages Using the UHPLC-Q Exactive Hybrid Quadrupole Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Identification and quantification of polyphenols in plant material are of great interest since they make a significant contribution to its total bioactivity. In the present study, an UPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS approach using the variable data acquisition mode (vDIA) was developed and applied for rapid separation, identification, and quantification of the main polyphenolic compounds in Medicago sativa L. and Trifolium pratense L. sprouts in different germination stages. Based on accurate MS data and fragment ions identification strategy, a total of 29 compounds were identified by comparing their accurate masses, fragment ions, retention times, and literatures. Additionally, a number of 30 compounds were quantified by comparing to the reference standards. Data were statistically analysed. For both plant species, the sprouts of the third germination day are valuable sources of bioactive compounds and could be used in phytotherapy and nutrition. Although Trifolium pratense L. (Red Clover) is considered to be a reference for natural remedies in relieving menopause disorders, alfalfa also showed a high level of biological active compounds with estrogenic activity.

Rapid Characterizaiton of Chemical Constituents of the Tubers of Gymnadenia conopsea by UPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS Analysis

Gymnadenia conopsea R. Br. is a traditional Tibetan medicinal plant that grows at altitudes above 3000 m, which is used to treat neurasthenia, asthma, coughs, and chronic hepatitis. However, a comprehensive configuration of the chemical profile of this plant has not been reported because of the complexity of its chemical constituents. In this study, a rapid and precise method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with an Orbitrap mass spectrometer (UPLC–Orbitrap–MS/MS) was established in both positive- and negative-ion modes to rapidly identify various chemical components in the tubers of G. conopsea for the first time. Finally, a total of 91 compounds, including 17 succinic acid ester glycosides, 9 stilbenes, 6 phenanthrenes, 19 alkaloids, 11 terpenoids and steroids, 20 phenolic acid derivatives, and 9 others, were identified in the tubers of G. conopsea based on the accurate mass within 3 ppm error. Furthermore, many alkaloids, phenolic acid derivates, and terpenes were reported from G. conopsea for the first time. This rapid method provides an important scientific basis for further study on the cultivation, clinical application, and functional food of G. conopsea.

Rapid Recognition and Targeted Isolation of Anti-HIV Daphnane Diterpenes from Daphne genkwa Guided by UPLC-MSn

Daphnane diterpenes with a 5/7/6-tricyclic ring system exhibit potent anti-HIV activity but are found in low abundance as plant natural products. In this study, an effective approach based on mass spectrometric fragmentation pathways was conducted to specifically recognize and isolate anti-HIV compounds of this type from Daphne genkwa. Briefly, the fragmentation pathways of reference analogues were elucidated based on characteristic ion fragments of m/z 323 → 295 → 267 or m/z 253 → 238 → 197 by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-IT-MSⁿ) and then applied to the differentiations of substances with or without an oxygenated group at C-12. Twenty-seven daphnane diterpenes were successfully recognized from a petroleum ether extract of D. genkwa, including some potential new compounds and isomers that could not be identified accurately only from the ion fragments. Further separation of these target compounds using high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) and preparative HPLC led to the isolation of three new (11, 25, and 27) and 14 known compounds, whose structures were identified and confirmed based on MS, NMR, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy. The isolates exhibited anti-HIV activities at nanomolar concentrations. The results demonstrated that this strategy is feasible and reliable to rapidly recognize and isolate daphnane diterpenes from D. genkwa.

Identification and characterization of chemical components in the bioactive fractions of Cynomorium coccineum that possess anticancer activity

Cynomorium coccineum has long been used as the health and medicinal plant known to induce cancer cell death. However, the bioactive compounds of C. coccineum and the underlying mechanism of their regulator in cell autophagy and cell apoptosis remain unexplored. In our previous study, we found that the ethanol extract had antitumor activity through inducing cancer cell death. In this study, by detecting the anti-tumor effect of sequence extracts from Cynomorium coccineum, the active constituents were collected in solvent ethyl acetate. A strategy based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap/MS) was first utilized to analyze the chemical constituents of active fraction (ethyl acetate fraction, CS3). A total of 29 compounds including 8 triterpenoids, 6 flavonoids, 4 fatty acids, 8 phenolic acids, 1 anthraquinones, 1 nucleoside and 1 sterol were detected and identified or tentatively identified for the first time in Cynomorium coccineum. We found that CS3 induces cancer cell death accompanied with a great number of vacuoles in the cytoplasm. CS3-induced autophagosome formation was found and confirmed by electron microscopy and the high expression levels of microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain 3-II (LC3II), a marker protein of autophagy. We additionally demonstrated that CS3 activated and increased the pro-apoptotic mitochondrial proteins, BNIP3 and BNIP3L, in mRNA and protein levels. The constituents of CS3 down-regulated anti-apoptotic BCL2, and then releases autophagic protein Beclin-1. These finding for the first time systematically not only explore and identify the active constituents of CS3 in Cynomorium coccineum, but also examined the mechanism associated with CS3-induced cell death via cell autophagy. This active component may serve as a potential source to obtain new autophagy inducer and anti-cancer compounds for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Rapid Characterization of Chemical Components in Edible Mushroom Sparassis crispa by UPLC-Orbitrap MS Analysis and Potential Inhibitory Effects on Allergic Rhinitis

Sparassis crispa is a kind of edible fungus widely grows in the north temperate zone, which shows various medicinal properties. Due to the complexity of chemical constitutes of this species, few investigations have acquired a comprehensive configuration for the chemical profile of it. In this study, a strategy based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with Orbitrap mass spectrometer (MS) was established for rapidly characterizing various chemical components in S. crispa. Through the summarized MS/MS fragmentation patterns of reference compounds and systematic identification strategy, a total of 110 components attributed to six categories were identified for the first time. Moreover, allergic rhinitis (AR) is a worldwide inflammatory disease seriously affecting human health, and the development of drugs to treat AR has been a topic of interest. It has been reported that the extracts of S. crispa showed obvious inhibitory effects on degranulation of mast cell- and allergen-induced IgE and proinflammatory mediators, but the active components and specific mechanism were still not clear. Src family kinases (SFKs) participate in the initial stage of allergy occurrence, which are considered the targets of AR treatment. Herein, on the basis of that self-built chemical database, virtual screening was applied to predict the potential SFKs inhibitors in S. crispa, using known crystal structures of Hck, Lyn, Fyn, and Syk as receptors, followed by the anti-inflammatory activity evaluation for screened hits by intracellular calcium mobilization assay. As results, sparoside A was directly confirmed to have strong anti-inflammatory activity with an IC50 value of 5.06 ± 0.60 μM. This study provides a useful elucidation for the chemical composition of S. crispa, and demonstrated its potential inhibitory effects on AR, which could promote the research and development of effective agents from natural resources.

Rapid Characterization of Components in Bolbostemma paniculatum by UPLC/LTQ-Orbitrap MSn Analysis and Multivariate Statistical Analysis for Herb Discrimination

Bolbostemma paniculatum is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) showed various therapeutic effects. Owing to its complex chemical composition, few investigations have acquired a comprehensive cognition for the chemical profiles of this herb and explicated the differences between samples collected from different places. In this study, a strategy based on UPLC tandem LTQ-Orbitrap MSⁿ was established for characterizing chemical components of B. paniculatum. Through a systematic identification strategy, a total of 60 components in B. paniculatum were rapidly separated in 30 min and identified. Then based on peak intensities of all the characterized components, principle component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were employed to classify 18 batches of B. paniculatum into four groups, which were highly consistent with the four climate types of their original places. And five compounds were finally screened out as chemical markers to discriminate the internal quality of B. paniculatum. As the first study to systematically characterize the chemical components of B. paniculatum by UPLC-MSⁿ, the above results could offer essential data for its pharmacological research. And the current strategy could provide useful reference for future investigations on discovery of important chemical constituents in TCM, as well as establishment of quality control and evaluation method.

Identification of Salvia species using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with chemical pattern recognition analysis

Salvia miltiorrhiza, also known as Danshen, is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and hematological abnormalities. The root and rhizome of Salvia przewalskii and Salvia yunnanensis have been found as substitutes for Salvia miltiorrhiza in the market. In this study, the chemical information of 14 major compounds in Salvia miltiorrhiza and its substitutes were determined using a high-performance liquid chromatography method. Stepwise discriminant analysis was adopted to select the characteristic variables. Partial least squares discriminant and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed to classify Salvia miltiorrhiza and its substitutes. The results showed that all of the samples were correctly classified both in partial least squares discriminant analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis based on the four compounds (caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, and salvianolic acid A). This method can not only distinguish Salvia miltiorrhiza and its substitutes, but also classify Salvia przewalskii and Salvia yunnanensis. The method can be applied for the quality assessment of Salvia miltiorrhiza and identification of unknown samples.