An integrated strategy for the systematic characterization and discovery of new indole alkaloids from Uncaria rhynchophylla by UHPLC/DAD/LTQ-Orbitrap-MS

Discovery of Unusual Ajmaline-Macroline Type Bisindole Alkaloids from Alstonia macrophylla by Building Blocks-Based Molecular Networking

Three unusual ajmaline-macroline type bisindole alkaloids, alsmaphylines A-C, together with their postulated biogenetic precursors, were isolated from the stem barks and leaves of Alstonia macrophylla via the building blocks-based molecular network (BBMN) strategy. Alsmaphyline A represents a rare ajmaline-macroline type bisindole alkaloid with an S-shape polycyclic ring system. Alsmaphylines B and C are two novel ajmaline-macroline type bisindole alkaloids with N-1-C-21' linkages, and the former possesses an unconventional stacked conformation due to the presence of intramolecular noncovalent interactions. The chemical structures including absolute configurations of alsmaphylines A-C were established by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. In addition, a plausible biosynthetic pathway of these bisindole alkaloids as well as their ability to promote the protein synthesis on HT22 cells were discussed.

Integration of UHPLC/Q-OrbitrapMS-based metabolomics and activities evaluation to rapidly explore the anti-inflammatory components from lasianthus

Lasianthus, belonging to Rubiaceae, has been verified to improve clinical syndrome in immune diseases (e.g., hepatitis, nephritis, and rheumatoid arthritis). Both the anti-inflammatory function and chemical composition of Lasianthus vary considerably between different species but few studies focus. So essential it is to explore lasianthus and further search for anti-inflammatory substances. The target of this artical is to analyze the anti-inflammatory activity and chemical composition of lasianthus of different species. And the subsequent active compounds were explored. Primary, the anti-inflammatory activity among seven species of lasianthus (e.g., L. fordii., L. wallichii., L. hookeri C., L. verticillatus., L. sikkimensis., L. appressihirtus., and L. hookeri var) were evaluated by vitro experiments (RAW 264.7 cells). Next, UHPLC/Q-Orbitrap-MS-based metabolomics and the mass defect filter (MDF) algorithm were performed to explore metabolites. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) was to screen out differential compounds in seven species. Finally, the correlation analysis between activities and composition to rapidly discover the active compounds (compounds were verified pharmacologically). Among the 7 species of lasianthus, the L. fordii. and L. hookeri C indicated the best anti-inflammatory activity. Untargeted metabolomics and MDF show 112 compounds, classified into six dominant types (e.g., flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, iridoids, coumarins, and anthraquinones). Furthermore, 33 differential metabolites were confirmed by PCA. Then according to correlation analysis and pharmacological validation, 7 compounds IC₅₀＜100 (e.g., scopoletin, asperulosidic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, betaine, syringic acid, and emodin) were verified as anti-inflammatory compounds and conduct quantitative analysis. Metabolomics integrated with activities evaluation might be a rapid and effective strategy to explore the active compounds from natural products.

Gene coexpression networks allow the discovery of two strictosidine synthases underlying monoterpene indole alkaloid biosynthesis in Uncaria rhynchophylla

Plant-derived monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) from Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR) have huge medicinal properties in treating Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and depression. Although many bioactive UR-MIA products have been isolated as drugs, their biosynthetic pathway remains largely unexplored. In this study, untargeted metabolome identified 79 MIA features in UR tissues (leaf, branch stem, hook stem, and stem), of which 30 MIAs were differentially accumulated among different tissues. Short time series expression analysis captured 58 pathway genes and 12 hub regulators responsible for UR-MIA biosynthesis and regulation, which were strong links with main UR-MIA features. Coexpression networks further pointed to two strictosidine synthases (UrSTR1/5) that were coregulated with multiple MIA-related genes and highly correlated with UR-MIA features (r > 0.7, P < 0.005). Both UrSTR1/5 catalyzed the formation of strictosidine with tryptamine and secologanin as substrates, highlighting the importance of key residues (UrSTR1: Glu309, Tyr155; UrSTR5: Glu295, Tyr141). Further, overexpression of UrSTR1/5 in UR hairy roots constitutively increased the biosynthesis of bioactive UR-MIAs (rhynchophylline, isorhynchophylline, corynoxeine, etc), whereas RNAi of UrSTR1/5 significantly decreased UR-MIA biosynthesis. Collectively, our work not only provides candidates for reconstituting the biosynthesis of bioactive UR-MIAs in heterologous hosts but also highlights a powerful strategy for mining natural product biosynthesis in medicinal plants.

Simultaneous extraction and determination of alkaloids and organic acids in Uncariae Ramulas Cum Unicis by vortex-assisted matrix solid phase dispersion extraction coupled with UHPLC-MS/MS

A simple and efficient vortex-assisted matrix solid phase dispersion with a ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (VA-MSPD-UHPLC-MS/MS) was applied for simultaneous extraction and determination of seven alkaloids and three organic acids from Uncariae Ramulas Cum Unicis. The optimal extraction conditions of the target components were obtained by Box-Behnken design (BBD) combined with response surface methodology (RSM). The results of the method validation showed that this analytical method displayed good linearity with a correlation coefficient (r) no lower than 0.9990. The recoveries of ten active ingredients from Uncariae Ramulas Cum Unicis ranged from 95.9% to 103% (RSD ≤ 2.77%). The RSDs of intra-day and inter-day precisions were all below 2.97%. The present method exhibited not only lower solvent and sample usage, but also shorter sample processing and analysis time. Consequently, the developed VA-MSPD-UHPLC-MS/MS method could be successfully and effectively used for the extraction and analysis of ten active components from Uncariae Ramulas Cum Unicis.

Metabolites identification and pharmacokinetic profile of hirsuteine, a bioactive component in Uncaria in rats by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Hirsuteine is one of the major bioactive tetracyclic indole alkaloids found in Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Jacks, possessing a wide range of pharmacological activities including neuroprotective, anticonvulsant, antihypertensive, sedative and hypnotic, and so forth. The present study was undertaken to assess the metabolism and plasma pharmacokinetics of hirsuteine in rats. After oral administration of hirsuteine at the dose of 30 mg/kg, 13, 21, and 8 metabolites were detected in rat plasma, urine, and bile by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, respectively. Furthermore, plasma concentrations of hirsuteine and its four metabolites, 4-hirsuteine N-oxide, 3,4-dehydrohirsuteine, 11-hydroxyhirsuteine, and 11-hydroxyhirsuteine-11-O-glucuronide were simultaneously quantified in rat plasma, using carbamazepine as the internal standard. The linear calibration curve of hirsuteine was in the concentration range of 0.005-5.0 μg/ml. The lower limit of quantitation in the rat plasma was 5 ng/ml for hirsuteine. This study is the first to comprehensively investigate the metabolism process of hirsuteine and the pharmacokinetic profiles of hirsuteine and its major metabolite, and will provide a scientific basis to further elucidate the pharmacodynamic material basis and therapeutic mechanism of Uncaria prescriptions.

Stepwise Diagnostic Product Ions Filtering Strategy for Rapid Discovery of Diterpenoids in Scutellaria barbata Based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive-Orbitrap-MS

Diterpenoids are considered the major bioactive components in Scutellaria barbata to treat cancer and inflammation, but few comprehensive profiling studies of diterpenoids have been reported. Herein, a stepwise diagnostic product ions (DPIs) filtering strategy for efficient and targeted profiling of diterpenoids in Scutellaria barbata was developed using UHPLC-Q-Exactive-Orbitrap-MS. After UHPLC-HRMS/MS analysis of six diterpenoid reference standards, fragmentation behaviors of these references were studied to provide DPIs. Then, stepwise DPIs filtering aimed to reduce the potential interferences of matrix ions and achieve more chromatographic peaks was conducted to rapidly screen the diterpenoids. The results demonstrated that stepwise DPIs were capable of simplifying the workload in data post-processing and the effective acquisition of low abundance compounds. Subsequently, DPIs and MS/MS fragment patterns were adopted to identify the targeted diterpenoids. As a result, 381 diterpenoids were unambiguously or tentatively identified, while 141 of them with completely new molecular weights were potential new diterpenoids for Scutellaria barbata. These results demonstrate that the developed stepwise DPIs filtering method could be employed as an efficient, reliable, and valuable strategy to screen and identify the diterpenoid profile in Scutellaria barbata. This might accelerate and simplify target constituent profiling from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) extracts.

Screening and identification of anti-acetylcholinesterase ingredients from Tianzhi granule based on ultrafiltration combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and in silico analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tianzhi granule (TZG) is a traditional Chinese formula that is widely used for the treatment of vascular dementia (VaD).

AIM OF THE STUDY

To discover the herbs in TZG possessing acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity and to screen the anti-acetylcholinesterase ingredients from active herbs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In vitro AChE inhibitory activity assay of eleven herbal extracts was conducted. An ultrafiltration combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method was established to screen and identify the anti-acetylcholinesterase ingredients from active extracts. In addition, in vitro AChE inhibitory activity assay and molecular docking were adopted for further investigation. Moreover, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed for the content determination of active compounds in TZG.

RESULTS

Three herbs in TZG showed significant AChE inhibitory activity. A total of thirteen active ingredients were screened out and identified, and all of these compounds were present in TZG. Five available commercial standards presented moderate AChE inhibitory activity, and all of which have a relatively high content in TZG.

CONCLUSION

A number of herbs and compounds with acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity were found in TZG, which provided a scientific basis for the material basis and quality control research of TZG.

A strategy integrating parent ions list-modified mass defect filtering-diagnostic product ions for rapid screening and systematic characterization of flavonoids in Scutellaria barbata using hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry

In this study, full scan (FS)-parent ions list (PIL)-higher energy collision induced dissociation (HCD)-MS/MS (FS-PIL-HCD-MS/MS) was used to acquire the chemical profile of flavonoids in Scutellaria barbata. Mass defect filtering (MDF) induced subtype classification and diagnostic product ions (DPIs) dominated structural confirmation were integrated into an effective strategy for the systematic screening and identification of the flavonoids. An in-house flavonoid MS database based on molecular design was established to construct a modified triangle MDF algorithm for progressive screening and subtype classification. The obtained results demonstrated that the modified MDF was capable of simplifying the workload in formula editing and subsequent screening process, and distinguishing different subtypes. The fragmentation behaviors of eleven reference standards were evaluated to obtain the MS² fragmentation pathway and DPIs which can provide a criterion to eliminate false-positive results and judge the target flavonoids with the exact number and position of substituents for the first time. Structure confirmation was characterized by comparing with the reference substance, searching the database, and analyzing DPIs. To distinguish some isomers, ClogP (the calculated lipophilicity parameter) was adopted. As a result, 127 target flavonoids, including 30 flavone/flavonol aglycones, 10 flavanone/flavanonol aglycones, 49 flavone/flavonol monoglycosides, 16 flavanone/flavanonol monoglycosides, 21 flavone/flavonol diglycosides and 1 flavanone/flavanonol diglycoside, were ultimately identified or tentatively characterized based on the MS fragmentation pathway and DPIs analysis. This study provides a novel MDF method with improved subtype classification and develops a novel strategy for the progressive screening, subtype classification and systematic characterization of complex components in herbal medicines.

Identification of alkaloids and related intermediates of Dendrobium officinale by solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Jasmonate (JA) signaling plays a pivotal role in plant stress responses and secondary metabolism. Many studies have demonstrated that JA effectively induce the expressions of alkaloid biosynthetic genes in various plants, which rendered to the accumulation of alkaloid to counteract stresses. Despite the multiple roles of JA in the regulation of plant growth and different stresses, less studied involved in the regulatory role of JA in Dendrobium officinale alkaloids. A strategy for the rapid identification of alkaloid and the intermediates of D. officinale was established based on a solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. By using SPE-LC-MS/MS method, the potential compounds were tentatively identified by aligning the accurate molecular weight with the METLIN and Dictionary of Natural Products databases. The chemical structures and main characteristic fragments of the potential compounds were further confirmed by retrieving the multistage mass spectra from the MassBank and METLIN databases. The Mass Frontier software was used to speculate the fragmentation pathway of the identified compounds. Seven alkaloids were separated and identified from D. officinale, which were mainly classified into five types (tropane alkaloids, tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, quinolizidine alkaloids, piperidine alkaloids, and spermidine alkaloids). Besides the alkaloids, forty-nine chemical substances, including guanidines, nucleotides, dipeptides, sphingolipids and nitrogen-containing glucosides, were concurrently identified. These findings gives the composition of chemicals currently found in D. officinale, which could provide the scientific method for the identification of alkaloids in other Dendrobium plants.

Classification-based strategies to simplify complex traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) researches through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in the last decade (2011-2020): Theory, technical route and difficulty

The difficulty of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) researches lies in the complexity of components, metabolites, and bioactivities. For a long time, there has been a lack of connections among the three parts, which is not conducive to the systematic elucidation of TCM effectiveness. To overcome this problem, a classification-based methodology for simplifying TCM researches was refined from literature in the past 10 years (2011-2020). The theoretical basis of this methodology is set theory, and its core concept is classification. Its starting point is that "although TCM may contain hundreds of compounds, the vast majority of these compounds are structurally similar". The methodology is composed by research strategies for components, metabolites and bioactivities of TCM, which are the three main parts of the review. Technical route, key steps and difficulty are introduced in each part. Two perspectives are highlighted in this review: set theory is a theoretical basis for all strategies from a conceptual perspective, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is a common tool for all strategies from a technical perspective. The significance of these strategies is to simplify complex TCM researches, integrate isolated TCM researches, and build a bridge between traditional medicines and modern medicines. Potential research hotspots in the future, such as discovery of bioactive ingredients from TCM metabolites, are also discussed. The classification-based methodology is a summary of research experience in the past 10 years. We believe it will definitely provide support and reference for the following TCM researches.

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.

Configuration of the ion exchange chromatography, hydrophilic interaction chromatography, and reversed-phase chromatography as off-line three-dimensional chromatography coupled with high-resolution quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry for the multicomponent characterization of Uncaria sessilifructus

Herbs represent complex chemical systems involving various primary and secondary metabolites that are featured by large spans of acid-base property, polarity, molecular mass, and content, etc., which thus poses great challenges to characterize the metabolites contained. Here, the combination of multiple-mechanism chromatography coupled with improved data-dependent-MS² acquisition (DDA-MS²) is presented as a strategy to support the deep metabolites characterization. Targeting Uncaria sessilifructus, a reputable medicinal herb containing alkaloids and triterpenic acids (TAs) as the main pharmacologically bioactive ingredients, a three-dimensional liquid chromatography (3D-LC) system was established by integrating ion exchange chromatography, hydrophilic interaction chromatography, and reversed-phase chromatography (IEC-HILIC-RPC). The first-dimensional chromatography, configuring a PhenoSphere SCX column eluted by methanol/20 mM ammonium acetate-0.05% formic acid in water, could well fractionate the total extract into two fractions (unretained ingredients and alkaloids). The subsequent HILIC using an XAmide column and RPC by a CSH Phenyl-Hexyl column achieved the sufficient resolution of the total TAs and total alkaloids, respectively. A polarity-switching precursor ions list-including DDA approach by Q-Orbitrap-MS enabled the high-efficiency, coverage-enhanced identification of alkaloids and TAs. This 3D-LC/Q-Orbitrap-MS system was validated as precise (RSD < 5% for intra-day/inter-day precision), Up to 308 components were separated from U. sessilifructus, and 128 thereof (including 85 alkaloids, 29 TAs, and 14 others) were identified or tentatively characterized, exhibiting superiority over the conventional one-dimensional LC/MS. Conclusively, 3D-LC/MS in an off-line mode can facilitate the flexible configuration of multiple chromatography to accomplish the fit-for-purpose characterization of the metabolites from an herbal extract or a biosample.

Evaluation of extraction methods for pharmacologically active compounds from anticonvulsant traditional Chinese medicines: Gou Teng, Tian Ma, Jiang Can using DART-TOF-MS

Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) are classified as dietary supplements. Interactions with western medications, the presence of contaminants or adulterants, or a mis-labeled or mis-used CHM may lead to toxicological emergencies that can be undetected in death investigations. Laboratories must be able to efficiently analyze cases in which CHMs are suspected. Five extractions were evaluated for their ability to extract pharmacologically active compounds from herbal matrices: water, ethanol, microwave-assisted (MAE), ethanol : chloroform, and acid-wash. Anticonvulsive and other pharmacologically active compounds in Gou Teng, Tian Ma, and Jiang Can purchased from Beijing, China and New York were compared in the powder and the extracts using Direct Analysis in Real Time-Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS). Approximately 0.25 g of macerated herb was used per extraction. The water and ethanol extractions were simple liquid extractions. For the MAE, powdered herb was soaked in 65% ethanol, microwaved, and concentrated. The ethanol : chloroform extraction involved soaking in 1 : 1 ethanol : chloroform, sonication, and concentration. In the acid-wash extraction, powdered herb was soaked in acetic acid, followed by addition of sodium hydroxide, hexane extraction, and reconstitution in ethyl acetate. The powdered herbs and extracts were analyzed using a Jeol JMS T100LC AccuTOF DART-MS in positive and negative mode. Of the evaluated methods, no single extraction worked for all active compounds from the three CHMs. The MAE extract contained the most pharmacologically active compounds, while the acid-wash contained the least for the three products. Gou Teng purchased from different sources did exhibit a difference in pharmacologically active compounds, potentially from different species.

Nontargeted metabolomic analysis and multiple criteria decision-making method induced robust quality markers screening for the authentication of herbal medicines from different origins by taking Ophiopogon japonicus (L. f.) Ker-Gawl. as a case study

A key segment in medicinal plant authentication is the establishment of quality markers that embody the intrinsic metabolites difference independent of instruments and experiment conditions. A strategy integrating nontargeted metabolomics and multicriteria decision-making model for robust quality markers discovery is presented and applied to authenticate Ophiopogon japonicus (L. f.) Ker-Gawl. First, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight MS^E approach was established for global metabolites profiling and identification. Second, multivariate statistical analysis was performed to explore potential quality markers of different origins of ophiopogonis radix. Third, potential quality markers were ordered and filtered by multicriteria decision-making model to infer robust quality markers and further validated in different instruments and experiment conditions by validation model. Fourth, the validation model using the robust quality markers managed to discriminate the origins of ophiopogonis radix samples procured from the herbal markets. Consequently, two robust quality markers, cixi-ophiopogon B and ophiopogonin D, were discovered and further validated on different instruments and experiment conditions. This integrated strategy provided a practical solution for reliable and convenient authentication of geo-authentic herb.

"Force iteration molecular designing" strategy for the systematic characterization and discovery of new protostane triterpenoids from Alisma Rhizoma by UHPLC/LTQ-Orbitrap-MS

Comprehensive analysis and identification of chemical components are of great significance for evaluating the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines, as well as for drug exploitation and development. Here we developed a "force iteration molecular designing" strategy, by combing a database-based in-house software for a precursor ion list (PIL) and PIL-triggered collision-induced dissociation-MS² and high-energy C-trap dissociation-MS² (PIL-CID/MS²-HCD/MS²) on an LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer, aiming for the systematic characterization and discovery of new protostane triterpenoids (PTs) from Alisma Rhizoma (AR). AR was a well-known herbal remedy widely used for diarrhea, but its systematic characterization and comparison between two botanical origins have not been reported. Firstly, in-house software was developed based on force iteration, to generate a PIL that contains 483 accurate precursor ions. Secondly, to facilitate the acquisition of rich fragments and diagnostic ions sufficient for the structural elucidation of different types of PTs, a hybrid data acquisition method, namely PIL-CID/MS²-HCD/MS², was generated. Thirdly, a total of 473 PTs were rapidly characterized from two botanical origins of AR according to an established four-step interpretation method, and the common constituents were 277 with ratio 70% (277/395) and 78% (277/355) in the rhizome of Alisma plantago-aquatica and A. orientale, respectively. Finally, two new PTs were isolated and unambiguously identified by NMR verifying the feasibility of this combined data acquisition strategy. This integrated strategy could improve the efficiency in the detection of new compounds in a single run and is practical to comprehensively characterize the complex components in herbal medicines.

Recent research progress of Uncaria spp. based on alkaloids: phytochemistry, pharmacology and structural chemistry

Medicinal plants are well-known in affording clinically useful agents, with rich medicinal values by combining with disease targets through various mechanisms. Plant secondary metabolites as lead compounds lay the foundation for the discovery and development of new drugs in disease treatment. Genus Uncaria from Rubiaceae family is a significant plant source of active alkaloids, with anti-hypertensive, sedative, anti-Alzheimer's disease, anti-drug addiction and anti-inflammatory effects. This review summarizes and discuss the research progress of Uncaria based on alkaloids in the past 15 years, mainly in the past 5 years, including biosynthesis, phytochemistry, pharmacology and structural chemistry. Among, focusing on representative compounds rhynchophylline and isorhynchophylline, the pharmacological activities surrounding the central nervous system and cardiovascular system are described in detail. On the basis of case studies, this article provides a brief overview of the synthesis and analogues of representative compounds types. In summary, this review provides an early basis for further searching for new targets and activities, discussing the mechanisms of pharmacological activity and studying the structure-activity relationships of active molecules.

Molecular networking-based dereplication of strictosidine-derived monoterpene indole alkaloids from the curare ingredient Strychnos peckii

RATIONALE

Monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) are a large group of biologically active compounds produced by hundreds of plant species in numerous plant families, such as Apocynaceae, Loganiaceae and Rubiaceae. Although this diversity is biosynthetically intermediated by strictosidine, there are no works focused on the fragmentation patterns under collision-induced dissociation of strictosidine-derived alkaloids.

METHODS

Initially, the alkaloid fingerprint of Strychnos peckii was established using leaf spray with tandem mass spectrometry (LS-MS/MS). Then, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) analyses were carried out to focus on the patterns of neutral losses in product ion scan experiments with the leaf aqueous extract. Finally, the product ion spectra from a set of presumable strictosidine-type derivatives were analyzed and organized via molecular networking (MN), and dereplicated by manual interpretation of MS/MS spectra.

RESULTS

LS-MS/MS allowed the tentative identification of strictosidine-derived alkaloids in the leaves of S. peckii, showing useful neutral losses for the dereplication of strictosidine analogues by HPLC/MS/MS experiments. The use of MN combined with manual interpretation of the fragmentation patterns highlighted characteristic fragmentation pathways, and allowed the tentative identification of strictosidine, desoxycordifoline, strictosidinic acid, 10-hydroxystrictosidine, 5-carboxystrictosidine, lyaloside, 3,4-dehydrostrictosidine and strictosidine lactam.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of MN combined with the analysis of the fragmentation patterns proved to be a useful strategy for the dereplication of strictosidine-derived MIAs from S. peckii, highlighting known and unprecedented structures, as well as useful diagnostic product ions. Therefore, this workflow is an effective approach for the characterization of strictosidine-type alkaloids in future dereplication works.

Metabolomics Combined with Multivariate Statistical Analysis for Screening of Chemical Markers between Gentiana scabra and Gentiana rigescens

Gentianae Radix et Rhizome (Longdan in Chinese, GRR) in Chinese Pharmacopoeia is derived from the dried roots and rhizomes of Gentiana scabra and G. rigescens, that have long been used for heat-clearing and damp-drying in the medicinal history of China. However, the characterization of the chemical components of two species and the screening of chemical markers still remain unsolved. In current research, the identification and characterization of chemical components of two species was performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap (LTQ-Orbitrap) mass spectrometry. Subsequently, the chemical markers of two species were screened based on metabolomics and multivariate statistical analysis. In total, 87 chemical constituents were characterized in G. scabra (65 chemical constituents) and G. rigescens (51 chemical constituents), with 29 common chemical constituents being discovered. Thereafter, 11 differential characteristic components which could differentiate the two species were designated with orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and random forest (RF) iterative modeling. Finally, seven characteristic components identified as (+)-syringaresinol, lutonarin, trifloroside, 4-O-β-d-glu-trifloroside, 4″-O-β-d-glucopyranosy1-6′-O-(4-O-β-d-glucaffeoyl)-linearroside, macrophylloside a and scabraside were selected as the chemical markers for the recognition of two Gentiana species. It was implied that the results could distinguish the GRR derived from different botanical sources, and also be beneficial in the rational clinical use of GRR.

UFLC-PDA-MS/MS Profiling of Seven Uncaria Species Integrated with Melatonin/5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptors Agonistic Assay

Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis (Gou-Teng), the dried hook-bearing stems of several Uncaria plants (Rubiaceae), is a well-known herbal medicine in China. The clinical application of Gou-Teng is bewildered for the morphological and chemical similarity between different species. In order to discern their chemical and biological difference, an ultra-fast liquid chromatography equipped with ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UFLC-IT/TOF-MS) combining with melatonin (MT1 and MT2) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT1A and 5-HT2C) receptors agonistic assay in vitro was conducted on seven Uncaria species. As a result, 57 compounds including 35 indole alkaloids, ten flavonoids, five triterpenoids, five chlorogenic analogues, and two other compounds were characterized based on their MS/MS patterns and UV absorptions. Specifically, cadambine-type and corynanthein-type alkaloids were exclusively present in U.rhynchophylla and U.scandens, whereas corynoxine-type alkaloids were commonly detected in all the seven Uncaria plants. Three Uncaria species, U. rhynchophylla, U. macrophylla, and U. yunnanensis showed obviously agnostic activity on four neurotransmitter receptors (MT1, MT2, 5-HT1A, and 5-HT2C). This first-time UFLCMS-IT-TOF analyses integrated with biological assay on seven Uncaria plants will provide scientific viewpoints for the clinical application of Gou-Teng.

A metabolomics strategy for authentication of plant medicines with multiple botanical origins, a case study of Uncariae Rammulus Cum Uncis

Source authentication of herbal medicines was essential for ensuring their safety, efficacy and quality consistency, especially those with multiple botanical origins. This study proposed a metabolomics strategy for species discrimination and source recognition. Uncariae Rammulus Cum Uncis, officially stipulating the stems with hooks of five Uncaria species as its origins, was taken as a case study. Firstly, an untargeted MS^E method was developed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography hyphenated with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry for global metabolite characterization. Subsequently, data pretreatment was conducted by using Progenesis QI software and screening rules. The obtained metabolite features were defined as variables for statistical analyses. Principal component analysis and chemical fingerprinting spectra suggested that five official species were differentiated from each other except for Uncaria hirsuta and Uncaria sinensis. Furthermore, orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis was performed to discriminate confused two species, and resulted in the discovery of nine contributing markers. Ultimately, a Support Vector Machine model was developed to recognize five species and predict origins of commercial materials. The study demonstrated that the developed strategy was effective in discrimination and recognition of confused species, and promising in tracking botanical origins of commercial materials.

Glucoconjugated Monoterpene Indole Alkaloids from Uncaria rhynchophylla

Twenty-six glucoconjugated monoterpene indole alkaloids, including 12 new compounds, rhynchophyllosides A-L (1-12), and 14 known ones, 13-26, were obtained from the hook-bearing stems of Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Miq. ex Havil. Their structures were unambiguously elucidated by analyses of UV, MS, NMR, ECD, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The ESI-MSⁿ behavior of the new glucoalkaloids was also elucidated. Although comprising the same glucosyl moiety, the aglycone skeletons and glucosidic numbers and linkage varied greatly, implying the diversity in biosynthetic pathways. This is the first report of such structurally diverse glucoconjugated monoterpene indole alkaloids from U. rhynchophylla. Compound 1 represents a new subtype of oxindole alkaloid with a seven-membered D-ring, 10 is a rare monoterpene indole alkaloid with the glucosyl moiety located at C-9, 4 and 5 are the first two oxindole alkaloid diglycosides, and 11 and 12 represent the first two examples of alkaloids with a quinolone nucleus from the genus Uncaria. Compound 10 exhibited moderate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity with an IC₅₀ value of 10.5 μM. Molecular docking was performed to explore the binding mode of inhibitor 10 at the active site of AChE.

Uncarialins A-I, Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids from Uncaria rhynchophylla as Natural Agonists of the 5-HT1A Receptor

Nine new monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, uncarialins A-I (1-9), were isolated from Uncaria rhynchophylla as well as 14 known analogues (10-23). Their structures were determined by HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR, and experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism data. Compounds 5, 7, 15, and 22 displayed significant agonistic effects against the 5-HT_1A receptor with EC₅₀ values of 2.2 ± 0.1, 0.1 ± 0.1, 1.6 ± 0.3, and 2.0 ± 0.5 μM, respectively. The mechanisms of action of these four compounds with the 5-HT_1A receptor were investigated by molecular docking, and the results suggested that amino acid residues Asp116, Thr196, Asn386, and Tyr390 played critical roles in the observed activity of the above-mentioned compounds.

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.

An analytical strategy to explore the multicomponent pharmacokinetics of herbal medicine independently of standards: Application in Gelsemium elegans extracts

The multicomponent pharmacokinetic study of herbal medicine is a great challenge due to the low plasma concentrations, large range of concentration scales, lack of authentic standards and uncertain interactions of the components. The aim of this work was to explore the in vivo pharmacokinetics of herbal medicine independently of authentic standards using an integrated analytical strategy. First, ion pairs of multiple components were tuned and selected, and then major parameters were optimized for derivative multiple reaction monitoring (DeMRM) by LC-MS/MS, which was combined with characterization of the chemical profiles of the herbal medicine by LC-QqTOF/MS. Second, different concentrations of herbal extracts were employed instead of authentic standards to construct calibration curves for the semiquantitative determination of multiple components in plasma. Taking Gelsemium elegans as an example, in addition to the fully validated and sufficient methodological results, a total of 27 alkaloid components, major bioactive constituents of Gelsemium elegans, were simultaneously monitored in pig plasma. The concentration-time profiles and pharmacokinetic properties of these 27 components were characterized. The absolute quantification of three components was compared with the results obtained using authentic standards, and the method showed very similar analytical characteristics, such as linearity, precision, accuracy, and the values of the pharmacokinetic parameters T_max, Vd, Cl and MRT. This analytical strategy was found to be capable of assessing herbal pharmacokinetics independently of specific authentic compounds for each component. This study was the first attempt to systematically reveal the in vivo pharmacokinetics of Gelsemium elegans. This strategy and methodology will find widespread use in the quantitative pharmacokinetic analysis of multiple components independently of standards for herbal medicine, among other applications.

Dissecting the Metabolic Phenotype of the Antihypertensive Effects of Five Uncaria Species on Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

The sourcing of plants from multiple botanical origins is a common phenomenon in traditional Chinese medicines. Uncaria Stem with Hooks (UHs) are approved for using five botanical origins in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 Edition). All five UHs are commonly used for treating hypertension even though the plants have different chromatographic fingerprints based on our previous study. However, their hypotensive effects and metabolic phenotypes have not been fully studied. In the present study, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were orally administered five aqueous extracts (4 g crude drug/kg) prepared from the different UHs over a 6-week period. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured every week, and urine was collected after SBP measurement. Untargeted metabonomics was performed using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with an LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Bidirectional orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis (O2PLS-DA), Student's t test, and correlation analysis were used for pattern recognition and the selection of significant metabolites. A similar and prolonged reduction in SBP was observed in each of the groups given the five different UHs, while the metabolic profiles were perturbed slightly compared with that of SHR. Further analysis has shown that only a few common, different components were observed within the five groups, which showed the similar antihypertensive effect in spite of the distinct metabolic pathways due to their different alkaloid composition. These results help in understanding the mechanisms of the phenomenon "different species, same effect" of UHs.

Phylogenetic analysis of Uncaria species based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and ITS2 secondary structure

CONTEXT

The plant genus Uncaria (Rubiaceae), also known as Gouteng, is the source of an important traditional Chinese medicine. Misidentification and adulteration of Gouteng affect the safety and efficacy of the medication. Phylogenetic relationships among the species of this genus are unknown.

OBJECTIVE

The present study sought to detect the phylogenetic relationships based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of all 12 species of Uncaria recorded in the Flora of China.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Accession of seven species of Uncaria served as reference samples. ITS region was used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the reference samples representing 39 specimens. Distance analysis, species discrimination, and secondary structure of ITS2 were used to assess the ability of ITS sequence in authenticating. The phylogenetic relationships were detected using three methods: Bayesian inference (BI), maximum likelihood (ML), and neighbor joining (NJ).

RESULTS

Five species of traditional Chinese medicine Gouteng were well resolved in molecular phylogenetic tree. Besides, Uncaria lancifolia Hutch. was closer to U. rhynchophylloides F.C. How and U. sessilifructus Roxb. was closer to U. laevigata Wall. within the tree. Further, we also found that ITS2 secondary structure can be a candidate tool in distinguishing two closely related species U. yunnanensis K.C.Hsia and U. lanosa Wall. For accurate identification of different species of Uncaria based on species-specific nucleotide sites, a consensus sequences database with all 12 species is established.

DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

The results are able to discriminate Uncaria species and illustrate the phylogenetic relationships, which are essential for the investigation of adulterants and misidentifications of Uncaria.

An enhanced strategy integrating offline two-dimensional separation and step-wise precursor ion list-based raster-mass defect filter: Characterization of indole alkaloids in five botanical origins of Uncariae Ramulus Cum Unicis as an exemplary application

Comprehensive chemical profiling is of great significance for understanding the therapeutic material basis and quality control of herbal medicines, which is challenging due to its inherent chemical diversity and complexity, as well as wide concentration range. In this study, we introduced an enhanced strategy integrating offline two-dimensional (2D) separation and the step-wise precursor ion list-based raster-mass defect filter (step-wise PIL-based raster-MDF) scan by tandem LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. A comprehensive analysis of indole alkaloids in five botanical origins of Uncariae Ramulus Cum Unicis (Gou-Teng) was used as an exemplary application. A positively charged reversed phase (PR) × conventional RP LC system in different pH conditions was constructed with the orthogonality of 74%. A theoretical step-wise PIL among 310-950 Da with the step-size of 2 Da was developed to selectively trigger fragmentations and extend the coverage of potential indole alkaloids. Simultaneously, by defining parent mass width (PMW) of the step-wise PIL to ±55 mDa, a raster-MDF screening was achieved in the acquisition process. Additionally, subtype classification and structural elucidation were facilitated by a four-step interpretation strategy. As a result, a total of 1227 indole alkaloids were efficiently exposed and characterized from five botanical origins of Gou-Teng, which showed high chemical diversity. A systematic comparison among five species was first performed and only 66 indole alkaloids were common. For method validation, three new alkaloid N-oxides were isolated and unambiguously identified by NMR. The present study provides a novel data-dependent acquisition method with improved target coverage and high selectivity. The integrated strategy is practical to efficiently expose and comprehensively characterize complex components in herbal medicines.

Characteristic component profiling and identification of different Uncaria species based on high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection tandem ion trap and time of flight mass spectrometry coupled with rDNA ITS sequence

Uncaria is a multi-source herb and its species identification has become a bottleneck in quality control. To study the identification method of different Uncaria species herbs through HPLC-MS coupled with rDNA Internal Transcribed Spacer (rDNA ITS) sequence, both plant morphological traits and molecular identification were used to determine the species of every collected Uncaria herb. The genetic analysis of different Uncaria species was performed using their rDNA ITS sequence as a molecular marker. Meanwhile, the phylogenetic relationships of 22 samples from six Uncaria species were divided and classified clearly. By optimizing the chromatographic conditions, a practical HPLC method to differentiate various varieties of Uncaria herbs was set up based on a set of characteristic components across each species. A high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector tandem ion trap and time of flight mass spectrometry technique combined with reference substances was utilized to derive 21 characteristic compounds containing six groups of six Uncaria species in China. Thus, this study provides a feasible method to solve the current problem of confusion in Uncaria species, and makes a significant step forward in the appropriate clinical use, in-depth research and further utilization of different Uncaria species.

The Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability of Six Indole Alkaloids from Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis in the MDCK-pHaMDR Cell Monolayer Model

Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis (URCU) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine, and is reported to have various central nervous system effects. Alkaloids have been demonstrated to be the predominant pharmacological active components of URCU. In order to evaluate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and transport mechanism of six typical indole alkaloids from URCU, the MDCK-pHaMDR cell monolayer model was used as an in vitro surrogate model for BBB. The samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the apparent permeability coefficients (P_app) were calculated. Among the six alkaloids, isorhynchophylline (2), isocorynoxeine (4), hirsutine (5) and hirsuteine (6) showed high permeability, with P_app values at 10⁻⁵ cm/s level in bidirectional transport. For rhynchophylline (1) and corynoxeine (3), they showed moderate permeability, with P_app values from the apical (AP) side to the basolateral (BL) side at 10⁻⁶ cm/s level and efflux ratio (P_{app BL→AP}/P_{app AP→BL}) above 2. The time- and concentration-dependency experiments indicated that the main mechanism for 2, 4, 5 and 6 through BBB was passive diffusion. The efflux mechanism involved in the transports of compounds 1 and 3 could be reduced significantly by verapamil, and molecular docking screening also showed that 1 and 3 had strong bindings to P-glycoprotein. This study provides useful information for predicting the BBB permeability for 1–6, as well as better understanding of their central nervous system pharmacological activities.

Indole Alkaloids Inhibiting Neural Stem Cell from Uncaria rhynchophylla

Uncaria rhynchophylla is commonly recognized as a traditional treatment for dizziness, cerebrovascular diseases, and nervous disorders in China. Previously, the neuro-protective activities of the alkaloids from U. rhynchophylla were intensively reported. In current work, three new indole alkaloids (1-3), identified as geissoschizic acid (1), geissoschizic acid N ₄-oxide (2), and 3β-sitsirikine N ₄-oxide (3), as well as 26 known analogues were isolated from U. rhynchophylla. However, in the neural stem cells (NSCs) proliferation assay for all isolated compounds, geissoschizic acid (1), geissoschizic acid N ₄-oxide (2), isocorynoxeine (6), isorhynchophylline (7), (4S)-akuammigine N-oxide (8), and (4S)-rhynchophylline N-oxide (10) showed unexpected inhibitory activities at 10 μM. Unlike previous neuro-protective reports, as a warning or caution, our finding showcased a clue for possible NSCs toxicity and the neural lesions risk of U. rhynchophylla, while the structure-activity relationships of the isolated compounds were discussed also.

Chemical and biological comparison of different sections of Uncaria rhynchophylla (Gou-Teng)

Uncaria rhynchophylla (Gou-Teng in Chinese) is officially documented in Chinese pharmacopoeia as one of the authentic sources for the crude drug of Gou-Teng which has long been used for mental and cardiovascular diseases. Indole alkaloids are the characteristic constituents responsible for the desired hypotensive effect; however, the psychiatric active constituents of Gou-Teng are still unclear. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, only the hook-bearing stems of U. rhynchophylla are used as the crude materials for Gou-Teng, while its leaves and fruits are scarcely used. The present study aimed to compare the metabolic fingerprints of different parts (hooks, stems, leaves and fruits) of U. rhynchophylla by LC-DAD-MS/MS analysis and further evaluate their psychiatric activities on HEK293 cell line in vitro. A total of 38 constituents including 26 alkaloids, six flavonoids, two triterpenoids, two chlorogenic acid analogs and two other compounds were characterized. The different parts of U. rhynchophylla can be well differentiated from their chemical profiles. Leaves displayed the most potent activity on both MT₁ and MT₂ receptors, with agonistic rates of 39.7% and 97.6%. For 5-HT_1A and 5-HT_2C receptors, hooks showed the strongest activity with agonistic rates of 92.6% and 83.1%, respectively. This investigation provided valuable information for understanding the chemical divergence between different parts of U. rhynchophylla, and their substantial bases for psychiatric purposes.

The profiling of the metabolites of hirsutine in rat by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap Orbitrap mass spectrometry: An improved strategy for the systematic screening and identification of metabolites in multi-samples in vivo

Drug metabolites identification and construction of metabolic profile are meaningful work for the drug discovery and development. The great challenge during this process is the work of the structural clarification of possible metabolites in the complicated biological matrix, which often resulting in a huge amount data sets, especially in multi-samples in vivo. Analyzing these complex data manually is time-consuming and laborious. The object of this study was to develop a practical strategy for screening and identifying of metabolites from multiple biological samples efficiently. Using hirsutine (HTI), an active components of Uncaria rhynchophylla (Gouteng in Chinese) as a model and its plasma, urine, bile, feces and various tissues were analyzed with data processing software (Metwork), data mining tool (Progenesis QI), and HR-MSⁿ data by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (U-HPLC/LTQ-Orbitrap-MS). A total of 67 metabolites of HTI in rat biological samples were tentatively identified with established library, and to our knowledge most of which were reported for the first time. The possible metabolic pathways were subsequently proposed, hydroxylation, dehydrogenation, oxidation, N-oxidation, hydrolysis, reduction and glucuronide conjugation were mainly involved according to metabolic profile. The result proved application of this improved strategy was efficient, rapid, and reliable for metabolic profiling of components in multiple biological samples and could significantly expand our understanding of metabolic situation of TCM in vivo.

Profiling and identification of metabolites of isorhynchophylline in rats by ultra high performance liquid chromatography and linear ion trap Orbitrap mass spectrometry

The searching of potentially bioactive metabolites in the biological body is an interesting and meaningful work for the drug study. However, the structural clarification of possible metabolites is one of the most challenging tasks in drug metabolism studies because of the variety of metabolic reactions and complexity of metabolites in vivo. Here, an ultra high performance liquid chromatography/linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (U-HPLC/LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) with combination of data post-processing techniques, including extracted ion chromatogram (EIC) and multiple mass defect filters (MMDF), was established for profiling and identification of metabolites of isorhynchophylline (IR) in vivo and in vitro, and the possible metabolic pathways were subsequently proposed after the oral dose of 20mg/kg; A total of 47 metabolites of IR were tentatively identified, including 47, 21, 18, and 25 metabolites in rat urine, plasma, liver and rat liver microsomes (RLM) samples, respectively. To our knowledge, most of them were reported for the first time. Seven metabolic pathways, including dehydrogenation, oxidation, hydrolysis, reduction, demethylation, hydroxylation and glucuronide conjugation were involved in the metabolism. Among them, dehydrogenation, hydrolysis, hydroxylation and oxidation were considered as the main metabolic pathway of metabolism according to metabolic profile of in vivo and in vitro. The relative percentage of each metabolite and main metabolite types were also determined to better understand the metabolic behavior of IR in rats. The newly discovered IR metabolites significantly expanded our understanding and were going to be greatly helpful for the further pharmacokinetic study of IR in vivo.

Recent development in liquid chromatography stationary phases for separation of Traditional Chinese Medicine components

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient medical practice which has been used to prevent and cure diseases for thousands of years. TCMs are frequently multi-component systems with mainly unidentified constituents. The study of the chemical compositions of TCMs remains a hotspot of research. Different strategies have been developed to manage the significant complexity of TCMs, in an attempt to determine their constituents. Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) is still the method of choice for the separation of TCMs, but has many problems related to limited selectivity. Recently, enormous efforts have been concentrated on the development of efficient liquid chromatography (LC) methods for TCMs, based on selective stationary phases. This can improve the resolution and peak capacity considerably. In addition, high-efficiency stationary phases have been applied in the analysis of TCMs since the invention of ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). This review describes the advances in LC methods in TCM research from 2010 to date, and focuses on novel stationary phases. Their potential in the separation of TCMs using relevant applications is also demonstrated.

Identification of key active constituents of Buchang Naoxintong capsules with therapeutic effects against ischemic stroke by using an integrative pharmacology-based approach

Integrative pharmacology has been used to identify the key active constituents (KACs) of Buchang Naoxintong capsules (BNCs), a traditional Chinese medical preparation.

Selective and comprehensive characterization of the quinochalcone C-glycoside homologs in Carthamus tinctorius L. by offline comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography/LTQ-Orbitrap MS coupled with versatile data mining strategies

An offline 2D LC/LTQ-Orbitrap MS approach and versatile data mining techniques were developed to characterize new QCGs from C. tinctorius.

A strategy for establishment of practical identification methods for Chinese patent medicine from systematic multi-component characterization to selective ion monitoring of chemical markers: Shuxiong tablet as a case study

A SMC-SIM strategy for establishment of practical identification methods for Chinese patent medicine.

Analysis of Chemical Constituents in Wuzi-Yanzong-Wan by UPLC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS

Wuzi-Yanzong-Wan (WZYZW), a classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription containing Fructus Lych, Semen Cuscutae (fried), Fructus Rubi, FructusSchisandraechinensis (steamed) and Semen Plantaginis (fried with salt), is widely used to treat impotence, sterility, spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, lumbago and post-micturation dribble. However, the chemical profile of WZYZW has not been established yet. In this work, a rapid and sensitive method for systematically screening and identifying the chemical constituents of WZYZW in both positive and negative ion modes using Ultra-Performance LC coupled with ESI-linear ion trap-Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) has been developed. Based on the chromatographic and spectrometric data, and referring to the literature, we could tentatively identify 106 compounds, including organic acids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids and terpenoids. Fourteen ingredients from FructusLych were identified, while 10 ingredients were from Semen Cuscutae (fried), 33 ingredients were from Fructus Rubi, 37 ingredients were from Fructus Schisandrae chinensis (steamed), and 20 ingredients were from Semen Plantaginis (fried with salt). The results may provide essential data for further quality control, pharmacological research and clinical evaluation of WZYZW. Furthermore, this study indicates the developed approach based on UPLC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS is suitable for characterizing the chemical profiles of TCM prescriptions. This is the first report to provide a comprehensive analysis of the chemical constituents of WZYZW.