Characterization of chemical constituents in Shuanghuanglian oral dosage forms by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Comprehensive characterization of the chemical constituents of Lianhua Qingwen capsule by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Lianhua Qingwen capsule is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription that is widely used for the treatment of respiratory diseases in China. To facilitate in-depth and global characterization of the chemical constituents of Lianhua Qingwen capsule, a profiling method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (UHPLC-FT-ICR-MS) was applied in both positive and negative ion modes for the comprehensive characterization of the chemical profiles of Lianhua Qingwen capsule. A total of 596 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized, including 137 flavonoids, 46 phenylpropanoids, 43 phenylethanoid glycosides, 145 terpenoids, 83 organic acids and their derivatives, 15 quinones, 39 alkaloids, 32 alcohol glycosides and 56 other compounds. Thus, this results widely extended and enriched the chemical constituents of Lianhua Qingwen capsule, which will provide comprehensive and valuable information for its quality control and further pharmacological study, facilitate understanding the effective substance and pharmacodynamic material basis, thereby providing a solid foundation for further development of the Lianhuaqingwen capsule.

Discovery of bioactive-chemical Q-markers of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus leaves: An integrated strategy of plant metabolomics, fingerprint and spectrum-efficacy relationship research

An integrated bioactive-chemical quality markers (Q-markers) discovery strategy, which was based on the LC-MS plant metabolomics, HPLC fingerprint as well as the chemical spectrum-efficacy relationships, was designed to develop a methodology for accurate and comprehensive evaluation of the quality of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus leaves (ASL). Firstly, a high resolution and sensitivity UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS method was used for plant metabolomics analysis to obtain component characterization and screen potential chemical markers that differentiate between different harvesting periods. A total of 53 chemical components were identified, and 8 potential chemical markers were discovered, such as sucrose, maltol and phenylalanine. Secondly, a selective HPLC fingerprint analysis of ASL and its pancreatic lipase activity assay method was successfully investigated in vitro. In the study of chemical spectrum-efficacy relationships, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and hyperoside were screened and showed the inhibited pancreatic lipase activity with IC50 values, 0.16 ± 0.01, 0.13 ± 0.01, 0.31 ± 0.01, and 0.44 ± 0.02 mg/mL, respectively, which indicated the above four constituents were selected as the bioactive-chemical Q-markers of ASL. Finally, an accurate and reliable quantitative HPLC assay was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of four bioactive-chemical Q-markers in ASL, and their content levels in ASL varied widely in different harvesting periods. The systematic and efficient screening strategy for bioactive-chemical Q-markers in this study, based on " LC-MS plant metabolomics, HPLC fingerprint, and spectrum-efficacy relationships," could have effectively improved the quality assessment level of ASL.

Systematic Screening of the Chemical Constituents of Lanqin Oral Liquid by Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Combined with Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive method that combined ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (UHPLC-FT-ICR-MS) was used to identify the chemical constituents in Lanqin oral liquid. On the basis of UHPLC-FT-ICR-MS analysis, systematic characterization of the chemical profile of Lanqin oral liquid was carried out, and a total of 441 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, organic acids, phenylpropanoids, and other types. The results provide a reference for improving quality control, contribute to establishing higher quality standards, provide a scientific basis for further research on the pharmacodynamic material basis, and help illustrate the relationship between the complicated constituents and therapeutic effects of Lanqin oral liquid.

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.

Rapid detection and quality evaluation of Shuang-Huang-Lian injection by ATR-IR and NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics

Quality evaluation and consistency evaluation of drugs are the keys to ensure the therapeutic effect and safety of drugs. In this study, attenuated total refraction infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics were used for rapid detection and quality evaluation of active components of Shuang-Huang-Lian injection (SHLI), a traditional Chinese medicine preparation commonly used in China. Taking the chromatographic detection results as a reference, the partial least squares (PLS) model based on ATR-IR and NIR data was constructed by removing the bands with serious noise interference and low signal frequency band. The results showed that the PLS model achieved satisfactory results for the prediction of the three active components (chlorogenic acid, baicalin and phillyrin) in SHLI, indicating that the two spectral techniques combined with the PLS regression method could be successfully used for rapid quantitative analysis of the three active ingredients in SHLI. Relatively, the PLS model based on the ATR-IR spectrum has higher R² and smaller RMSE than it based on the NIR spectrum. Furthermore, based on the rapid quantitative analysis of the three active ingredients in SHLI, the quality of 140 SHLI samples from seven manufacturers was evaluated by TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution) analysis, and the consistency of different batches of SHLI products from the same manufacturer was evaluated. The results showed that there were differences in the quality of SHLI produced by different manufacturers, and the quality of different batches of SHLI produced by the same manufacturer was not completely consistent. In conclusion, ATR-IR and NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics can be used for accurate and rapid quantitative analysis and quality evaluation of SHLI. This study provides a good idea for the rapid quantitative analysis and quality evaluation of drugs or food based on spectroscopic technology and chemometrics.

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry identification and characterization of the active constituents from Abrus mollis Hance

Abrus mollis Hance is a traditional Chinese medicine that is widely used to treat acute and chronic hepatitis, steatosis, and fibrosis. Its therapeutic qualities of it have long been acknowledged, although the active ingredients responsible for its efficacy and the mechanisms of its action are unknown. In this study, the chemical constituents absorbed into the blood from Abrus mollis Hance were assessed by using liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and the data was analyzed with the UNIFI screening platform. The results obtained were compared to existing chromatographic-mass spectrometry information, including retention times and molecular weights as well as known reference compounds. 41 chemical constituents were found in Abrus mollis Hance, and these included 16 flavonoids, 13 triterpenoids, five organic acids, and two alkaloids. Experimentally it was found that Abrus mollis Hance had a therapeutic benefit when treating α-naphthalene isothiocyanate-induced acute liver injury in rats. In addition, 11 blood prototypical constituents, including six flavonoids, three triterpenoids, and two alkaloids, were found in serum samples following intragastric administration of Abrus mollis Hance extracts to rats. This novel study can be used for the quality control and pharmacodynamic assessment of Abrus mollis Hance in order to assess its efficacy in the therapeutic treatment of patients.

Post-Harvest Processing Methods Have Critical Roles in the Contents of Active Ingredients of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi

To find the best post-harvest processing method for Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, we explored the effects of fresh and traditional processing on the active ingredients in S. baicalensis and evaluated three drying techniques to determine the optimal post-harvest processing technique. We quantified four active ingredients (baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, and wogonin) in 16 different processed S. baicalensis samples that were harvested from Tongchuan, Shaanxi province, by HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography). In addition, we performed a similarity analysis (SA), a hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and a principal component analysis (PCA) on the common peaks in S. baicalensis that were identified by the HPLC fingerprints. Compared to the traditional processing method, the fresh processing method could better preserve the four active ingredients in S. baicalensis, meanwhile, the similarity analysis (0.997-1.000) showed that the fresh processing was more similar to the traditional processing, and it did not change the type of 18 active ingredients in S. baicalensis. The cluster analysis results showed that the shade drying and sun drying methods results were more similar to each other, while the oven drying (60 °C) method results were clustered into one category. According to the results of the principal component analysis, S9, S7, and S8 had higher scores, and they were relatively well processed under these processing settings. Fresh processing could be an alternative to traditional processing; the moisture content was reduced to 24.38% under the sun drying condition, and it was the optimal post-harvest processing solution for S. baicalensis.

Qualitative and quantitative determination of the primary active components and metabolites in human plasma after oral administration of Shuanghuanglian liquid

Shuanghuanglian oral liquid is a common traditional Chinese medicine used to treat respiratory tract infections. Its major components are baicalin, chlorogenic acid, and forsythin. In this study, the main drug-related components in human plasma after oral administration of Shuanghuanglian were initially identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Thirteen components from baicalin were identified, including the parent drug baicalin and aglycone baicalein. Only one metabolite related to chlorogenic acid, a sulfate conjugate formed after hydrolysis, and one metabolite related to forsythin, a sulfate conjugate of forsythin aglycone, were detected. Subsequently, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was established and validated to simultaneously determine baicalin and baicalein, the primary active components. After simple protein precipitation, the analytes were separated on a BEH C18 column using a 5 min-gradient elution to avoid interference from baicalin isomers and their in-source dissociation. Excellent linearity was observed over the concentration ranges of 5.00-2000 ng/ml for baicalin and 1.00-100 ng/ml for baicalein. The validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of an oral administration of 60 ml Shuanghuanglian in healthy subjects. This study provided a foundation to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Shuanghuanglian further.

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.