Identification of chemical constituents in vitro and in vivo of Er Shen Zhenwu Decoction by utilizing ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass combined with UNIFI to study the mechanism of Tao Hong Si Wu Decoction in the treatment of postpartum blood stasis

Postpartum hemorrhage can lead to a variety of maternal complications. Tao Hong Si Wu Decoction (THSWD) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for treating gynecological diseases. However, the active ingredients of THSWD and its pharmacological mechanism of treatment for postpartum blood stasis still remained unclear. In this study, 201 components were identified in THSWD ethanol extract using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, including 59 terpenoids and volatile oil, 61 Phenylpropanoids, 41 flavonoids, 22 alkaloids, and other 18 components. A total of 45 active compounds were identified in the blood and 33 active compounds were identified in the uterine. Taking the common components into the blood and into the uterus combined with network pharmacology. It was demonstrated that the active compounds can bind to the core target with good affinity through molecular docking. The results of this study will provide a reference for the quality control and pharmacodynamic material base research of THSWD.

Identification of chemical components and rat serum metabolites in Danggui Buxue decoction based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, the UNIFI platform and molecular networks

Danggui Buxue Decoction (DBD), consisting of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao (Huangqi, HQ) and Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Danggui, DG), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula with the function of tonifying Qi and promoting blood. In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was used to comprehensively identify the chemical constituents in DBD and those entering into the rat serum after gastric perfusion. A combination of the UNIFI platform and Global Natural Product Social molecular networking (GNPS) was used to analyze the chemical composition of DBD. As a result, 207 compounds were unambiguously or tentatively identified including 60 flavonoids, 38 saponins, 35 organic acids, 26 phthalides, 12 phenylpropanoids, 11 amino acids and 25 others. Furthermore, a total of 80 compounds, including 29 prototype components and 51 exogenous metabolites, were detected in the serum of rats. Phase I reactions (oxidation, reduction, and hydration), phase II reactions (methylation, sulfation, and glucuronidation), and their combinations were the main metabolic pathways of DBD. The results provided fundamental information for further studying the pharmacological mechanisms of DBD, as well as its quality control research.

Performance in (Ultra-)high-performance liquid chromatography-How to qualify and optimize instruments in practice

This paper investigates the suitability of an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/high-performance liquid chromatography hybrid system for ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography applications. Thus, the effect of extra column band broadening, the gradient system, and the injection system were tested and optimized according to their capabilities. An increase of the theoretical plate number up to a factor of two is achieved by the optimization of the extra column volume into the typical ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography range (<10 μl). Moreover, for qualitative purposes injections of volumes typical for ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography methods are precise. Despite this, a lack of precision and accuracy was determined for the gradient system, and the dwell volume meets the typical specification range for conventional HPLC systems. Therefore, hybrid systems are the intercept between both spectra and are limitedly suitable for ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography applications. Another way to approximate ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography performance using a high-performance liquid chromatography system is superficially porous particles. Thus, H/u curves of 5 μm superficially porous and 3 μm fully porous particles were recorded in order to determine the effect of the particle technology resulting in comparable performance of the used stationary phases.

Tanshinone IIA May Inhibit Gastric Cancer via Affecting the Intestinal Microbiome

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) belongs to a type of the most deadly cancer in the world, and the incidence rate of GC will increase in the coming decades. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is an active component that separated from Danshen. Tan IIA may also exert its therapeutic effects in disease with intestinal dysbacteriosis, at least partially, via regulating the intestinal microbiome. Nevertheless, it is obscure whether Tanshinone IIA affects the intestinal dysbacteriosis and plays antitumor roles. This research was designed to explore Tanshinone IIA potential on the intestinal dysbacteriosis of GC xenograft mice.

Methods

Mouse xenograft GC tumor models were built and treated by Tan IIA. The tumor growth as well as microbiome in the intestinal were compared. Western blot was used to detect the phosphorylation of the NF-κB and expressions of the downstream cytokines IL-6 and IL-1β.

Results

Microbiome in the intestinal was changed in xenograft tumor mice in comparison with the control mice. What is more, Tan IIA could influence the microbiome in the intestinal of the tumor mice. Tan IIA hinders the growth of xenograft tumor and change the microbiome in the intestinal, but intestinal dysbacteriosis condition partially blocked Tan IIA-stimulated antitumor effects. In addition, intestinal dysbacteriosis abrogated Tan IIA-stimulated decrease in the NF-κB signaling in xenograft tumor mice.

Conclusions

Tanshinone IIA may inhibit GC tumor growth via affecting the intestinal microbiome through regulating the NF-κB signaling.

Tentative exploration of pharmacodynamic substances: Pharmacological effects, chemical compositions, and multi-components pharmacokinetic characteristics of ESZWD in CHF-HKYd rats

The chemical components of Xin'an famous prescription Ershen Zhenwu Decoction (ESZWD) are still unclear. The results showed that ESZWD could significantly reduce left ventricular end diastolic diameter, decrease N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), angiotensinII, aldosterone, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde, increase serum superoxide dismutase, while had no significant effect on inflammatory factors. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS) analysis detected 30 prototype components in model rats' serum, mainly including alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, tanshinones, phenols. UPLC-MS/MS successfully detected the pharmacokinetic parameters of four components, and correlation analysis shows that there are negative correlations between four compounds and serum NT-proBNP. Thirty components of ESZWD may play a therapeutic role in chronic heart failure with heart-kidney Yang deficiency (CHF-HKYd) by improving myocardial injury, reducing oxidative stress levels, and inhibiting activation of the RAAS system in rats. Salsolinol, aconitine, paeoniflorin, and miltrione are equipped with potential characteristics as pharmacodynamic substances for ESZWD in treating CHF-HKYd. Additionally, the constituents of ESZWD in CHF-HKYd rats are different from normal rats, which provided a reference for the selection of subjects for further study.

A strategy to comprehensively analyze the bioactivity of complex herbal prescriptions via peak-by-peak cutting and knock-out chromatography: Qiliqiangxin capsule as an example

An herbal prescription is usually composed of several herbal medicines. The complex and diverse components bring great challenges to its bioactivity study. To comprehensively analyze the bioactivity of an herbal prescription, a new strategy based on peak-by-peak cutting and knock-out chromatography was proposed. In this strategy, active compounds were screened out via peak-by-peak cutting from an herbal extract, and the influence of a compound on the overall activity of the herbal extract was evaluated by knock-out chromatography. Qiliqiangxin capsule is an herbal prescription composed of 11 herbal medicines for the treatment of chronic heart failure. A total of 71 peaks were collected through peak-by-peak cutting, and each peak was identified by high-resolution mass spectrum. The bioassay against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl showed that two types of compounds namely salvianolic acids and caffeoylquinic acids were potent scavengers. Knock-out chromatography suggested that the removement of one single compound had no obvious influence on the overall activity of Qiliqiangxin capsule. After all the main peaks in Qiliqiangxin capsule were knocked out, the remaining part still exhibited a potent activity, indicating a high activity stability of Qiliqiangxin capsule. The proposed strategy is helpful for the comprehensive analysis of the bioactivity of other herbal prescriptions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.