Characterization of Anthocyanins in Fruit of Kadsura coccinea (Lem.) A.C. Smith by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS Analysis and Evaluation of Stability of the Major Anthocyanins

Rapid Identification of Constituents in Cephalanthus tetrandrus (Roxb.) Ridsd. et Badh. F. Using UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

Cephalanthus tetrandrus (Roxb.) Ridsd. et Badh. F. (CT) belongs to the Rubiaceae family. Its dried leaves are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat enteritis, dysentery, toothache, furuncles, swelling, traumatic injury, fracture, bleeding, and scalding. In order to further clarify the unknown chemical composition of CT, a rapid strategy based on UHPLC-Q-exactive orbitrap was established for this analysis using a Thermo Scientific Hypersil GOLD^TM aQ (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.9 µm) chromatographic column. The mobile phase was 0.1% formic acid water–acetonitrile, with a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min and injection volume of 2 µL; for mass spectrometry, an ESI ion source in positive and negative ion monitoring modes was adopted. A total of 135 chemicals comprising 67 chlorogenic acid derivatives, 48 flavonoids, and 20 anthocyanin derivatives were identified by comparing the mass spectrum information with standard substances, public databases, and the literature, which were all discovered for the first time in this plant. This result broadly expands the chemical composition of CT, which will contribute to understanding of its effectiveness and enable quality control.

Phenolics Profile and Protective Effect on Injuried HUVEC Cells of Epicarp Extracts from Kadsura coccinea

This study evaluated the phenolics profile and the antioxidative properties of K. coccinea fruits epicarp. A total of 13 phenolic compounds (six phenolic acids, four anthocyanins, two flavonols, and one flavone) were identified by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spetrometry(UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). Two anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-xylosylrutinoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside, comprise 30.89~74.76% and 13.90~46.17% of the total amount of anthocyanins in K. Coccinea. Cytoprotective effect results evidenced that pretreatment of Human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) with Kadsura. coccinea fruits' epicarp phenolic extracts at the concentrations of 50-200 µg/mL improved the cell viability after exposure to H2O2 significantly, and inhibited malonaldehyde(MDA) and reactive oxygen species(ROS) overproduction, as well as enhancing the content of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione Reductase (GR. This study proved that K. coccinea is a natural resource of phenolics rich with potential antioxidant ability, which may be valuable for developing nutraceuticals and dietary supplements.

Discovery of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors from Kadsura coccinea by affinity ultrafiltration mass spectrometry and the anti-inflammatory activity

The medicinal plant Kadsura coccinea distributing in South China, was widely used for reducing inflammation and relieving pain. Previous study in our laboratory had proved the significant therapeutic effects of K. coccinea extract on adjuvant arthritis rats. To explore the responsible components and possible mechanisms, an AUF-HPLC-Q-TOF/ MS method was employed for screening and characterizing COX-2 ligands from K. coccinea stems for the first time. Meanwhile, the molecular docking was performed to simulate the binding modes for ligands and COX-2, the cell-free enzyme activity assay was applied to verify the direct COX-2 inhibition of potential inhibitors, and the cell-based study on COX-2 expression was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of (+)-Anwulignan. As a result, the potential COX-2 inhibitor (+)-Anwulignan significantly suppressing COX-2 expressions in LPS signaling pathways might be a good candidate for anti-inflammation and analgesia. In conclusion, AUF mass spectrometry combining the molecular docking and bioassays in vitro was an efficient approach for discovering enzyme inhibitors from traditional herbs.

Three phytotoxins produced by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, the causal agent of ring spot on Kadsura coccinea

Phytotoxins are widely found in plant pathogens. In recent years, many diseases caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora have been reported. To better understand the pathogenicity of N. clavispora, a solid fermentation strategy was employed to isolate and identify virulence factors afritoxinone B, afritoxinone A and oxysporone. The phytotoxic activities of these toxins were evaluated. Oxysporone exhibited high levels of phytotoxic activity after 72 h and the lesion area ranged from 21.5-84.3 mm2 after 9 days of treatment. The phytotoxic activities of the other two compounds were lower than that for oxysporone. The phytotoxic activity towards non-host organisms was also assessed for the three analyzed compounds; phytotoxic activity was observed in each case. Based on these results, we conclude that oxysporone is the main virulence factor in N. clavispora. We also suggest that each of the three compounds were non-host-specific toxins (NHST). To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze phytotoxins produced by N. clavispora.

Identification and analysis of anthocyanin components in fruit color variation in Schisandra chinensis

BACKGROUND

Fruit color is an important index and parameter for measuring fruit quality. As an important pigment, anthocyanin is a determinant which appears in all sorts of colors of fruits in nature.

RESULTS

Color parameters were measured using a spectrometer and used as a basis to divide the materials into three groups: reddish-orange, orange and yellow. A validated high-performance liquid chromatographic-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometric method was used for the analysis of anthocyanin in Schisandra chinensis and for determining major anthocyanin components in S. chinensis fruits, i.e. cyanidin xylosyl-glucoside (CyXylGlu), cyanidin glucosyl-rutinoside (CyGluRutin), cyanidin rutinoside (CyRutin) and cyanidin xylosyl-rutinoside (CyXylRutin). The anthocyanin contents vary obviously in different colored fruits in S. chinensis. The impact of anthocyanin on coloration of fruits was investigated by multiple regression analysis between color parameters and anthocyanin components, which indicated that CyRutin is the primary cause of fruit color variation in S. chinensis.

CONCLUSION

The content and type of anthocyanin determine fruit coloration in S. chinensis, laying the early foundations for systematically interpreting the mechanism of fruit coloration in S. chinensis. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.