Targeted profiling and relative quantification of benzoyl diterpene alkaloids in Aconitum roots by using LC-MS/MS with precursor ion scan

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.

Sensitive quantitation of ultra-trace toxic aconitines in complex matrices by perfusion nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry combined with gas-liquid microextraction

The accurate analysis of ultra-trace (e.g. <10-4 ng/mL) substances in complex matrices is a burdensome but vital problem in pharmaceutical analysis, with important implications for precise quality control of drugs, discovery of innovative medicines and elucidation of pharmacological mechanisms. Herein, an innovative constant-flow perfusion nano-electrospray ionization (PnESI) technique was developed firstly features significant quantitative advantages in high-sensitivity ambient MS analysis of complex matrix sample. More importantly, double-labeled addition enrichment quantitation strategies of gas-liquid microextraction (GLME) were proposed for the first time, allowing highly selective extraction and enrichment of specific target analytes in a green and ultra-efficient (>1000-fold) manner. Using complex processed Aconitum herbs as example, PnESI-MS directly enabled the qualitative and absolute quantitative analysis of the processed Aconitum extracts and characterized the target toxic diester alkaloids with high sensitivity, high stability, wide linearity range, and strong resistance to matrix interference. Further, GLME device was applied to obtain the highly specific enrichment of the target diester alkaloids more than 1000-fold, and accurate absolute quantitation of trace aconitine, mesaconitine, and hypaconitine in the extracts of Heishunpian, Zhichuanwu and Zhicaowu was accomplished (e.g., 0.098 pg/mL and 0.143 pg/mL), with the quantitation results well below the LODs of aconitines from any analytical instruments available. This study built a systematic strategy for accurate quantitation of ultra-trace substances in complex matrix sample and expected to provide a technological revolution in many fields of pharmaceutical research.

Identification and quantification of eight alkaloids in Aconitum heterophyllum using UHPLC-DAD-QTOF-IMS: A valuable tool for quality control

INTRODUCTION

Aconitum spp. are prime medicinal plants rich in alkaloids and have been used as the main constituents of traditional medicine in India and China. The whole plant can be toxic and creates pathophysiological conditions inside the human body. Therefore, simultaneous quantification of alkaloids within plant parts and herbal medicines associated with this genus is essential for quality control.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to develop and validate methods using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-quadrupole time-of-flight ion mobility mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-QTOF-IMS) and to develop an analytical strategy for the identification and quantification of alkaloid compounds (aconitine, hypaconitine, mesaconitine, aconine, benzoylmesaconitine, benzoylaconine, bulleyaconitine A, and deoxyaconitine) from Aconitum heterophyllum.

METHODOLOGY

We developed a simultaneous identification and quantification method for eight alkaloids using UHPLC-DAD-QTOF-IMS. The method was validated as per International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) guidelines and also in IMS mode.

RESULTS

The developed method has good linearity (r²  = 0.997-0.999), LOD (0.63-8.31 μg/mL), LOQ (0.63-2.80 μg/mL), recovery (86.01-104.33%), reproducibility, intra- and inter-day variability (<3.25%), and stability. Significant qualitative and quantitative variations were found among different plant parts (flower, leaf, stem, root, and tuber) and five market products of A. heterophyllum. Furthermore, a total of 21 metabolites were also profiled based on the fragmentation pattern of MS² using the validated method.

CONCLUSION

An appropriate mobile phase using acetonitrile and water in a gradient elution gave a satisfactory chromatographic separation of eight Aconitum alkaloids with their adjacent peaks. Therefore, this method could provide a scientific and technical platform for quality control assurance.

Establishment of a High Content Image Platform to Measure NF-κB Nuclear Translocation in LPS-Induced RAW264.7 Macrophages for Screening Anti-inflammatory Drug Candidates

BACKGROUND

High content image (HCI), an automatic imaging and analysis system, provides a fast drug screening method by detecting the subcellular distribution of protein in intact cells.

OBJECTIVE

This study established the first standardized HCI platform for lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages to screen anti-inflammatory compounds by measuring nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) nuclear translocation.

METHOD

The influence of the cell passages, cell density, LPS induction time and concentration, antibody dilution, serum, dimethyl sulfoxide and analysis parameters on NF-κB nuclear translocation and HCI data quality was optimized. The BAY-11-7085, the positive control for inhibiting NF-κB and Western blot assay were separately employed to verify the stability and reliability of the platform. Lastly, the effect of BHA on NO release, iNOS expression, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells was detected.

RESULTS

The optimal conditions for measuring NF-κB translocation in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells by HCI were established. Cells that do not exceed 22 passages were seeded at a density of 10 k cells/well and pretreated with compounds following 200 ng/mL LPS for 40 min. Parameters including nuclear area of 65 μm2, cell area of 80 μm2, collar of 0.9 μm and sensitivity of 25% were recommended for image segmentation algorithms in the analysis workstation. Benzoylhypaconine from aconite was screened for the first time as an anti-inflammatory candidate by the established HCI platform. The inhibitory effect of benzoylhypaconine on NF-κB translocation was verified by Western blot. Furthermore, benzoylhypaconine reduced the release of NO, inhibited the expression of iNOS, decreased the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α.

CONCLUSION

The established HCI platform could be applied to screen anti-inflammatory compounds by measuring the NF-κB nuclear translocation in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells.

Fast and Specific Screening of EPA/DHA-Enriched Phospholipids in Fish Oil Extracted from Different Species by HILIC-MS

Eicosapentaenoic acid- and docosahexaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids (PL_EPA/DHA) have versatile health-beneficial functions and can be well absorbed in the intestine. Herein, a precursor ion scan-driven hydrophilic interaction chromatography mass spectrometry (PreIS-HILIC-MS) method with the fatty acyl moieties of m/z 301.6 and 327.6 locked was established to specifically and selectively screen PL_EPA/DHA in different fish oil samples, including saury, grass carp, hairtail, and yellow croaker. Taking saury oil as an example, a total of 24 PL_EPA/DHA were successfully identified and quantified, including 20 PC_EPA/DHA and 4 PE_EPA/DHA. Finally, this method was validated in terms of sensitivity (limit of detection ≤ 4.15 μg·mL^-1), linearity (≥0.9979), precision (RSD_intraday ≤ 4.65%), and recovery (≥78.6%). The performance of the PreIS-HILIC-MS method was also compared with that of the traditional full-scan mode, and the former demonstrated its unique superiority in targeted screening of PL_EPA/DHA in fish oils.

Insight into chemical basis of traditional Chinese medicine based on the state-of-the-art techniques of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been an indispensable source of drugs for curing various human diseases. However, the inherent chemical diversity and complexity of TCM restricted the safety and efficacy of its usage. Over the past few decades, the combination of liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry has contributed greatly to the TCM qualitative analysis. And novel approaches have been continuously introduced to improve the analytical performance, including both the data acquisition methods to generate a large and informative dataset, and the data post-processing tools to extract the structure-related MS information. Furthermore, the fast-developing computer techniques and big data analytics have markedly enriched the data processing tools, bringing benefits of high efficiency and accuracy. To provide an up-to-date review of the latest techniques on the TCM qualitative analysis, multiple data-independent acquisition methods and data-dependent acquisition methods (precursor ion list, dynamic exclusion, mass tag, precursor ion scan, neutral loss scan, and multiple reaction monitoring) and post-processing techniques (mass defect filtering, diagnostic ion filtering, neutral loss filtering, mass spectral trees similarity filter, molecular networking, statistical analysis, database matching, etc.) were summarized and categorized. Applications of each technique and integrated analytical strategies were highlighted, discussion and future perspectives were proposed as well.

Screening and semi-quantitative determination of pentacyclic triterpenoids in plants by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in precursor ion scan mode

INTRODUCTION

Pentacyclic triterpenoids (PCTs) are secondary plant metabolites. They are of exceptional interest as biologically active substances and raw materials for a wide range of medications. Thus, the development of a methodology for rapid screening of PCTs in plant biomass is an important task.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this work was to develop an approach for simultaneous screening and semi-quantitative determination of PCTs in plant tissues by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with a precursor ion scan (PrecIS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) with methanol was used for the isolation of PCTs from plant biomass. Screening and semi-quantitative determination of PCTs in the obtained extracts were carried out by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in a PrecIS mode.

RESULTS

The product ion at m/z 95 with collision energy of 40 V was used as a diagnostic ion to identify PCTs by the PrecIS mode. In plant materials, 26 PCTs and their derivatives, such as PCTs esters and glycosides, were detected and identified. Calculation of the relative response factor for nine available PCTs showed that using a betulin calibration curve allows us to estimate the semi-quantitative content of PCTs and their derivatives in plant PLE extracts.

CONCLUSION

The developed approach can be applied for simultaneous untargeted screening and semi-quantitative determination of PCTs and their derivatives in various plants at sub-parts per million levels.

Aconitum Diterpenoid Alkaloid Profiling to Distinguish between the Official Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Fuzi and Adulterant Species Using LC-qToF-MS with Chemometrics

The lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaelii, known in Chinese as fuzi, are officially recognized as a materia medica in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and used culinarily to prepare herbal soups. A strategy combining UPLC-qToF-MS analysis of A. carmichaelii and its intraspecies and interspecies chemometrics study was developed to examine the distribution of Aconitum marker metabolites. Four diterpenoid alkaloids were recognized to be important markers in fuzi, and another 15 markers were identified to differentiate A. carmichaelii from adulterant species. The detected fuzi markers, mesaconitine (47) and hypaconitine (51), are known to be the principal toxins in this herb, while fuziline (6) and benzoylmesaconine (25) are associated with its medicinal properties. Additional marker compounds have been detected in other Aconitum species that are useful for identifying adulteration. This study provides a useful resource for detecting traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) adulterants and assisting in the quality control of botanical products in TCM and beyond.

Screening for illegal addition of glucocorticoids in adulterated cosmetic products using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry with precursor ion scanning

RATIONALE

The screening for illegal adulteration of glucocorticoids (GCs) in cosmetics is challenging due to the vast variety of potential GCs that are present to improve the declared effects. An effective analytical method to screen illegally added GCs in cosmetics is vital to protect consumers.

METHODS

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS) method using precursor ion scanning (PIS) acquisition mode was developed to screen GCs in cosmetics. Forty-seven GCs were investigated to identify their common product ions formed by collision-induced dissociation. Cosmetic samples spiked with GCs were extracted using solid-phase extraction.

RESULTS

Four common positive product ions, m/z 121, 135, 147, and 171, were selected for PIS analysis. Limits of detection (LODs) were established for all 47 GCs. The method was validated on spiked samples to ensure its effectiveness in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. Sixty samples were analyzed. Seven GCs were detected in six samples.

CONCLUSIONS

An effective screening method using UPLC/MS/MS with PIS acquisition mode was developed and successfully applied to screen for targeted and untargeted GCs in cosmetic samples.

Simultaneous Determination of Six Alkaloids in Rat Plasma by SPE-HPLC-MS/MS and Their Pharmacokinetics after Oral Administration of Radix aconiti Preparata Extract

Simultaneous determination of the content of six alkaloids (aconitine, hypoaconitine, mesaconitine, benzoylaconine, benzoylhypaconine, and benzoylmesaconine) in rat plasma is enabled by HPLC-MS/MS combined with microsolid phase extraction (micro-SPE). To study its pharmacokinetics in rat plasma, the extracted plasma sample was passed through a C18 extraction column and eluted with acetonitrile. The six alkaloids in the Radix aconiti Preparata extract can be completely separated as peaks with good shape. The six components in the plasma sample showed a good linear relationship within their respective linear ranges (R ² > 0.997). The analysis of the six alkaloids can be completed within 20 min. This method has high intraday and interday precision, and the room temperature stability and freeze-thaw stability are good. The matrix effect of the plasma samples is between 86.4 and 114%. The metabolism of the six Aconitum alkaloids in plasma is analyzed using a two-compartment model, which is characterized by fast absorption, slow elimination, and good linear fit, R ² > 0.99. The peak time (T _max) for aconitine, hypaconitine, and neoaconitine ranged from 29.95 to 42.07 min, while the peak time (T _max) for benzoaconitine, benzohypaconitine, and benzoxinaconitine ranged from 42.88 to 73.08 min. With the increased dosage, the bioavailability of Aconitum alkaloids decreased gradually. The method for the determination of Aconitum alkaloids in rat plasma by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is sensitive and accurate, which is suitable for rat plasma analysis. The results provide a scientific basis for metabolic study of Aconitum alkaloids in vivo, and pave the way for clinical use of Aconitum medicinal materials and extracts.

Comparative HPLC-MS/MS-based pharmacokinetic studies of multiple diterpenoid alkaloids following the administration of Zhenwu Tang and Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata extracts to rats

Abstracts Zhenwu Tang (ZWT) is a traditional Chinese medicine that is primarily composed of Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata (FZ) and diterpenoid alkaloids are believed to be the pharmacologically active compounds of ZWT. In this study, the pharmacokinetic profiles of hypaconitine, mesaconitine, aconitine, benzoylmesaconitine, benzoylaconitine, and benzoylhypacoitine were assessed in rats following intragastric ZWT administration. Furthermore, differences in the pharmacokinetic profiles of these six alkaloids were assessed as a function of rat sex and the administration of ZWT or FZ extracts to these animals. Plasma levels of these alkaloids were quantified via HPLC-MS/MS. Significant differences in key pharmacokinetic parameters were observed when comparing rats administered FZ or ZWT. Relative to FZ extract treatment, ZWT administration was associated with C_max and AUC_0-∞ values of benzoylmesaconitine that were about 3.5 and 5.5 times higher. Considerable variations in hypaconitine pharmacokinetic parameters were also revealed between female and male rats. The C_max and AUC_0-∞ of hypaconitine were about 2.5- and 2.7-fold elevated in female rats in comparison with male rats. These results suggested that the other compounds within ZWT can enhance the absorption of benzoylmesaconitine, while hypaconitine exhibits higher bioavailability in female rats, as compared with male rats.

Systematically explore the potential hepatotoxic material basis and molecular mechanism of Radix Aconiti Lateralis based on the concept of toxicological evidence chain (TEC)

Radix aconiti lateralis (Fuzi) is widely used in China as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of asthenia, pain and inflammation. However, its toxic alkaloids often lead to adverse reactions. Currently, most of the toxicity studies on Fuzi are focused on the heart and nervous system, and more comprehensive toxicity studies are needed. In this study, based on the previous reports of Fuzi hepatotoxicity, serum pharmacochemistry and network toxicology were used to screen the potential toxic components of Heishunpian(HSP), a processed product of Fuzi, and to explore the possible mechanism of HSP-induced hepatotoxicity. The results obtained are expressed based on the toxicological evidence chain (TEC). It was found that 22 potential toxic components screened can affect Th17 cell differentiation, Jak-STAT signaling pathway, glutathione metabolism, and other related pathways by regulating AKT1, IL2, F2, GSR, EGFR and other related targets, which induces oxidative stress, metabolic disorders, cell apoptosis, immune response, and excessive release of inflammatory factors, eventually inducing liver damage in rats. This is the first study on HSP-induced hepatotoxicity based on the TEC concept, providing references for further studies on the toxicity mechanism of Fuzi.

A classification of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry techniques for evaluation of chemical composition and quality control of traditional medicines

Natural products (NPs) and traditional medicines (TMs) are used for treatment of various diseases and also to develop new drugs. However, identification of drug leads within the immense biodiversity of living organisms is a challenging task that requires considerable time, labor, and computational resources as well as the application of modern analytical instruments. LC-MS platforms are widely used for both drug discovery and quality control of TMs and food supplements. Moreover, a large dataset generated during LC-MS analysis contains valuable information that could be extracted and handled by means of various data mining and statistical tools. Novel sophisticated LC-MS based approaches are being introduced every year. Therefore, this review is prepared for the scientists specialized in pharmacognosy and analytical chemistry of NPs as well as working in related areas, in order to navigate them in the world of diverse LC-MS based techniques and strategies currently employed for NP discovery and dereplication, quality control, pattern recognition and sample comparison, and also in targeted and untargeted metabolomic studies. The suggested classification system includes the following LC-MS based procedures: elemental composition determination, isotopic fine structure analysis, mass defect filtering, de novo identification, clustering of the compounds in Molecular Networking (MN), diagnostic fragment ion (or neutral loss) filtering, manual dereplication using MS/MS data, database-assisted peak annotation, annotation of spectral trees, MS fingerprinting, feature extraction, bucketing of LC-MS data, peak profiling, predicted metabolite screening, targeted quantification of biomarkers, quantitative analysis of multi-component system, construction of chemical fingerprints, multi-targeted and untargeted metabolite profiling.

A Comprehensive and Rapid Quality Evaluation Method of Traditional Chinese Medicine Decoction by Integrating UPLC-QTOF-MS and UFLC-QQQ-MS and its Application

Decoction is one of the oldest forms of traditional Chinese medicine and it is widely used in clinical practice. However, the quality evaluation and control of traditional decoction is a challenge due to the characteristics of complicated constituents, water as solvent, and temporary preparation. ShenFu Prescription Decoction (SFPD) is a classical prescription for preventing and treating many types of cardiovascular disease. In this article, a comprehensive and rapid method for quality evaluation and control of SFPD was developed, via qualitative and quantitative analysis of the major components by integrating ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and ultra-fast-performance liquid chromatography equipped with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Consequently, a total of 39 constituents were tentatively identified in qualitative analysis, of which 21 compounds were unambiguously confirmed by comparing with reference substances. We determined 13 important constituents within 7 min by multiple reaction monitoring. The validated method was applied for determining five different proportion SFPDs. It was found that different proportions generated great influence on the dissolution of constituents. This may be one of the mechanisms for which different proportions play different synergistic effects. Therefore, the developed method is a fast and useful approach for quality evaluation of SFPD.

Comprehensive quality evaluation of the lateral root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. (Fuzi): Simultaneous determination of nine alkaloids and chemical fingerprinting coupled with chemometric analysis

Amino alcohol alkaloids are the active components in the lateral root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. (Fuzi), and they have a variety of pharmacological activities. However, the chemical fingerprints of the ester alkaloids reported to date were mainly obtained from high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection, and it is difficult to obtain information about amino alcohol alkaloids in Fuzi from such chromatograms. In this paper, a comprehensive fingerprinting method was established using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with an evaporative light-scattering detector for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of both the amino alcohol alkaloids and ester alkaloids. A total of 42 samples of Fuzi from four production areas were analyzed by constructing high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprints. Then, the quantitative results of the chemical fingerprints combined with chemometrics methods were employed to reveal the factors affecting the geo-authentic Fuzi and to determine characteristic components that can be used to identify these samples. The results indicated distinct differences in the alkaloid contents among samples from the four regions; the geographical origin may be the primary factor affecting the geo-authentic Fuzi, and 15 major components (including songorine, neoline, and hypaconitine, which were quantitatively determined) were found to be characteristic components for the discrimination of Fuzi samples from various regions. Neoline might be a critical component for identifying geo-authentic Fuzi. This approach is convenient, reproducible and provides a promising method for the quality evaluation of Fuzi.