Extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography of hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive components in a Chinese herb Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae

Danshen: a phytochemical and pharmacological overview

Danshen, the dried root or rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., is a traditional and folk medicine in Asian countries, especially in China and Japan. In this review, we summarized the recent researches of Danshen in traditional uses and preparations, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities and side effects. A total of 201 compounds from Danshen have been reported, including lipophilic diterpenoids, water-soluble phenolic acids, and other constituents, which have showed various pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, anti-atherogenesis, and anti-diabetes. This article intends to provide novel insight information for further development of Danshen, which could be of great value to its improvement of utilization.

Biogenic Amines in Traditional Fiore Sardo PDO Sheep Cheese: Assessment, Validation and Application of an RP-HPLC-DAD-UV Method

This contribution aimed to measure for the first time the amount of biogenic amines (BAs) in one of the most ancient and traditional sheep cheese produced in Sardinia, Italy: the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Fiore Sardo. To achieve this, an original RP-HPLC-DAD-UV method has been developed that was completely validated in terms of LoD, LoQ, linearity, precision and trueness, and tested on 36 real Fiore Sardo PDO cheese samples produced by four different cheesemakers and marketed by four stores. The average total concentration of the eight BAs (i.e., tyramine, tryptamine, histidine, putrescine, cadaverine, 2-phenylethylamine, spermine and spermidine) measured in Fiore Sardo cheese was 700 mg/kg, with a range between 170 mg/kg and 1,100 mg/kg. A great variability in the total amount of BAs has been evidenced among the Fiore Sardo marketed in the four stores as well as for the cheeses purchased in different times in the same store. Tyramine (350 mg/kg), putrescine (150 mg/kg), histamine (80 mg/kg) and cadaverine (30 mg/kg) are the most abundant BAs found in this matrix. Among the many factors concurring, the dominant microflora of Fiore Sardo PDO is likely the principal cause of the qualitative and quantitative distribution of BAs in this matrix. Finally, the total amount of BAs found in Fiore Sardo PDO is not able to cause any health alert situation for consumers.

A rapid, simple, and high-throughput UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of bioactive constituents in Salvia miltiorrhiza with positive/negative ionization switching

The dried root of Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) is a Chinese medicine that has been used in traditional treatments for more than 2000 years in Asia. It has also been used to treat cardiovascular diseases for decades. The goal of this study was to develop a new, fast, and simple ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analytical method for the analysis of phenolic acids and tanshinones in Danshen. The samples were separated on a Kinetex F5 column (2.1 x 100 mm, 1.7 μm, pentafluorophenyl) using 78% acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase with isocratic elution while the flow rate was set at 0.45 mL/min. The analysis was performed in a Waters Xevo TQ mass spectrometer via multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in polarity switching mode. The linearity values of the calibration curves of eight compounds were in the range from 3 to 3200 ng/mL (r² > 0.99). Method validation was performed in terms of linearity, the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the intra-day and inter-day, and it was found that precisions were within 15% and the accuracy ranged from 93% to 118%. The recovery was more than 87%. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values of the eight analytes varied between 0.023 to 0.75 ng/mL and 0.375 to 1.5 ng/mL, respectively. This approach has the shortest analysis time for the separation of phenolic acids and tanshinones in Danshen using a UPLC core-shell column with F5 stationary phase. Meanwhile, this robust and high-throughput method not only has a short run time (2 min) but also reduce the consumption of organic solvents.

Pouteria ramiflora (Mart.) Radlk. extract: Flavonoids quantification and chemopreventive effect on HepG2 cells

Pouteria ramiflora (Mart.) Radlk., popularly known as curriola, is commonly used in Brazil as medicinal plant to treat worm infections, dysentery, pain, inflammation, hyperlipidemia, and obesity. At present the safety of this extract when used therapeutically in human remains to be determined. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine cytotoxicity, antiproliferative, and antimutagenic actions of this extract. The hydroalcoholic extract from P. ramiflora leaves consisted of flavonoids identified and quantified as myricetin-3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside (13.55 mg/g) and myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (9.61 mg/g). The extract exhibited cytotoxicity at concentrations higher than 1.5 µg/ml in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2)and 2.5 µg/ml in non-tumoral primary gastric (GAS) cells using the MTT assay, and at concentrations higher than 3 µg/ml in HepG2 and 3.5 µg/ml in GAS cells by the neutral red assay. The extract did not show antiproliferative effect as evidenced by the nuclear division index (NDI). However, in the presence of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) (positive control), an enhanced cytostatic effect in the NDI and flow cytometry was noted. It is of interest that when the extract was co-incubated with BaP a significant decrease in DNA damage was observed indicating an antimutagenic action. This protective effect might be attributed to myricetin and gallic acid found in P. ramiflora extract. The low cytotoxicity action and protective effect observed in the present study encourage further studies regarding other biological effects of P. ramiflora, as well as its potential use as a chemopreventive agent.

Effect of methanol extract of Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic mice

Background

The dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza, Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix (SR), is one of the most popular medicinal herbs in Asian countries such as China and Korea. In Asian traditional medicine, SR is considered to have a bitter flavor, be slightly cold in nature, and exert therapeutic actions in the heart and liver meridians. Thus, SR has been used to control symptoms related to cardiovascular diseases. Hyperlipidemia is recognized as the main cause of cerebrovascular and heart diseases; consequently, therapeutic strategies for hyperlipidemia have been widely studied. In this study, the effects and molecular targets of methanol extract of SR (SRme) in hyperlipidemic mice were investigated.

Methods

High-fat diet was fed to mice to induce hyperlipidemia, and measurement of blood cholesterol and triglycerides were conducted to evaluate the effect of SRme on hyperlipidemic mice, and gene expression in mice liver was analyzed to identify key molecules which could be potential targets for developing anti-hyperlipidemic herbal medicines.

Results

There was no significant effect on the body weight gain of hyperlipidemic mice, but the triglyceride content in blood was significantly reduced by the administration of SRme to hyperlipidemic mice. Proteins such as minichromosome maintenance (Mcm) family which play a key role in DNA replication were identified as molecular targets in the amelioration of hyperlipidemia.

Conclusions

SRme ameliorated hyperlipidemia in high-fat diet fed mice by inhibiting increase of blood serum level of triglycerides. And several proteins such as Mcm proteins were deduced to be molecular targets in treating hyperlipidemia.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13020-017-0150-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Quality Evaluation and Chemical Markers Screening of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. (Danshen) Based on HPLC Fingerprints and HPLC-MSn Coupled with Chemometrics

Danshen, the dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., is a widely used commercially available herbal drug, and unstable quality of different samples is a current issue. This study focused on a comprehensive and systematic method combining fingerprints and chemical identification with chemometrics for discrimination and quality assessment of Danshen samples. Twenty-five samples were analyzed by HPLC-PAD and HPLC-MSⁿ. Forty-nine components were identified and characteristic fragmentation regularities were summarized for further interpretation of bioactive components. Chemometric analysis was employed to differentiate samples and clarify the quality differences of Danshen including hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and partial least squares discriminant analysis. Consistent results were that the samples were divided into three categories which reflected the difference in quality of Danshen samples. By analyzing the reasons for sample classification, it was revealed that the processing method had a more obvious impact on sample classification than the geographical origin, it induced the different content of bioactive compounds and finally lead to different qualities. Cryptotanshinone, trijuganone B, and 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I were screened out as markers to distinguish samples by different processing methods. The developed strategy could provide a reference for evaluation and discrimination of other traditional herbal medicines.

Zhongdanyaozhi No. 1 and Zhongdanyaozhi No. 2 Are Hybrid Cultivars of Salvia miltiorrhiza with High Yield and Active Compounds Content

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is an important medicinal plant used for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Intraspecific hybridization between a male sterile line and inbred lines was followed by 39 F1 crossings. Cultivars “Zhongdanyaozhi No. 1” (ZD1) and “Zhongdanyaozhi No. 2” (ZD2) were obtained. In 2012 and 2013 tests in Beijing, the two cultivars were compared with three widely accepted types, SDCK, SXCK and HNCK from Shandong, Shanxi and Henan provinces. The yield of ZD1 and ZD2 exceeded the three CKs by more than 48.2% and 39.2%, respectively; the composition of the two hybrid cultivars was similar to the control, although the content of some compounds varied to some extent. The content of salvianolic acid B and tanshinone II A of both ZD1 and ZD2 could measure up the requirement of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The former showed no obvious advantage than the three CKs, while the later’s tanshinone II A was 29.6% higher than the three CKs. Taken together, ZD1 is a high yielding and thick-root-type cultivar which is suitable for decoction pieces; while ZD2 is suitable for component especially lipophilic component extraction. ZD1 and ZD2 reported here are the first cultivars obtained by the hybridization of S. miltiorrhiza.

UFLC-MS/MS analysis of four tanshinone components in Salvia miltiorrhizae after ultrasound-assisted extraction

A sensitive and rapid ultra-fast liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous qualitative and quantitative of four characteristic tanshione components including tanshinone IIA, cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and dihydrotanshinone I in Salvia miltiorrhizae after ultrasound-assisted extraction. By using a C18 column, the four analytes were separated by gradient elution with acetonitrile and water both containing 0.1% formic acid at the flow rate of 0.3mL/min. Multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) was used for quantification, and an information-dependent acquisition (IDA) method was used to trigger enhanced product ion scans (EPI) for supplementary characteristic identification for qualitative research. Calibration curves showed good linearities with correlation coefficients (r) higher than 0.9990. The method showed high sensitivity with limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) less than 0.0002ng/mL and 0.0008ng/mL, respectively, as well as good precision and reproducibility. Mean recoveries for four analytes ranged from 92.5% to 106.2% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 14.59%. Real application of the developed method in 32 batches of S. miltiorrhizae samples demonstrated that the total contents of four analytes in all samples were in the range of 2.258-52.342mg/g. Ultrasound-assisted extraction technique took a small amount of sample and low time but giving high extraction efficiency. Combining with UFLC-MS/MS method in MRM-IDA-EPI mode, more components in other complicated matrices can be simultaneously analyzed for qualitation and quantitation in one run.

Optimization of Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Seven Hydrophilic and Four Lipophilic Bioactive Components in Three Salvia Species

A micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of seven hydrophilic phenolic acids and four lipophilic tanshinones in three Salvia species. In normal MEKC mode using SDS as surfactant, the investigated 11 compounds could not be well separated. Therefore, several buffer modifiers including β-cyclodextrins (β-CD), ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim]BF4) and organic solvents have been added to the buffer solution to improve the separation selectivity. Under the optimized conditions (BGE, 15 mM sodium tetraborate with 10 mM SDS, 5 mM β-CD, 10 mM [bmim]BF4 and 15% ACN (v/v) as additives; buffer pH, 9.8; voltage, 20 kV; temperature, 25 °C), the 11 investigated analytes could achieve baseline separation in 34 min. The proposed MEKC was additionally validated by evaluating the linearity (R(2) ≥ 0.9965), LODs (0.27-1.39 μg·mL(-1)), and recovery (94.26%-105.17%), demonstrating this method was reproducible, accurate and reliable. Moreover, the contents of the 11 compounds in three Salvia species, including S. miltiorrhiza, S. przewalskii and S. castanea were analyzed. The result showed that the established MEKC method was simple and practical for the simultaneous determination of the hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive components in Salvia species, which could be used to effectively evaluate the quality of these valued medicinal plants.

Screening of direct thrombin inhibitors from Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae by a peak fractionation approach

Thrombin plays a significant role in thromboembolic disease. In this work, a peak fractionation approach combined with an activity assay method was used to screen direct thrombin inhibitors from Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (RSM), a famous herbal remedy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in China. A total of 91 fractions were collected from the RSM extract, and 19 fractions out of them showed thrombin inhibitory effects with dose-effect relationship. Among them, three compounds were unambiguously identified as 15, 16-dihydrotanshinone I, cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA with IC50 values of 29.39, 81.11 and 66.60μM, respectively. The three compounds were reported with direct thrombin inhibition activities for the first time and their ligand-thrombin interactions were explored by a molecular docking research. These results may contribute to explain the medical benefit of RSM for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Metabolite profiling and fingerprinting of Suillus species (Basidiomycetes) by electrospray mass spectrometry

The genus Suillus is known for the occurrence of a series of prenylated phenols and boviquinones. The extracts of four different Suillus species [S. bovinus, S. granulatus, S. tridentinus and S.variegatus) were investigated by using rapid ultra-performance Liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-MS) and direct infusion electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FT-ICR-MS). While direct infusion ESI-FT-ICR mass spectra give a fast overview concerning the elemental compositions of the compounds and, therefore, hints to the main metabolites, UPLC/ESI-tandem mass spectrometry is shown to be a useful tool for their identification. A principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) based on the UPLC/ESI-MS clearly showed that the metabolite profiles can be used not only for the identification and classification of such fungi but also as a sophisticated and powerful tool for the chemotaxonomy of fungi. Furthermore, a clear discrimination of various types of biological samples (fruiting bodies versus mycelial cultures) is also possible. The orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) two-class models of both UPLC/ESI-MS and ESI-FT-ICR-MS possess a clear differentiation of two compared Suillus species representing the between class variation and the within class variation. Based on generated S-plots and Loading plots, statistically significant metabolites could be identified as potential biomarker for one species.

Fingerprint analysis of Hibiscus mutabilis L. leaves based on ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector combined with similarity analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis methods

Background:

A method for chemical fingerprint analysis of Hibiscus mutabilis L. leaves was developed based on ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (UPLC-PAD) combined with similarity analysis (SA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA).

Materials and Methods:

10 batches of Hibiscus mutabilis L. leaves samples were collected from different regions of China. UPLC-PAD was employed to collect chemical fingerprints of Hibiscus mutabilis L. leaves.

Results:

The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the relative retention times (RRT) and relative peak areas (RPA) of 10 characteristic peaks (one of them was identified as rutin) in precision, repeatability and stability test were less than 3%, and the method of fingerprint analysis was validated to be suitable for the Hibiscus mutabilis L. leaves.

Conclusions:

The chromatographic fingerprints showed abundant diversity of chemical constituents qualitatively in the 10 batches of Hibiscus mutabilis L. leaves samples from different locations by similarity analysis on basis of calculating the correlation coefficients between each two fingerprints. Moreover, the HCA method clustered the samples into four classes, and the HCA dendrogram showed the close or distant relations among the 10 samples, which was consistent to the SA result to some extent.

Quantitative and transformation product analysis of major active physalins from Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii (Chinese lantern) using ultraperformance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry and time-of-flight mass spectrometry

INTRODUCTION

Chinese lantern is the calyx or calyx-with-fruit of the plant Physalis alkekengi .var. franchetii (Solanaceae), and is potential material for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Physalins are the most active and representative secondary metabolites of Chinese lantern. A separation and quantification method based on UPLC-ESI-MS/MS was developed for the quantitative analysis of five active physalins. The transformation products were also detected and identified for the first time.

OBJECTIVE

To establish a LC-MS/MS method to quantify five physalins in Chinese lantern for the purpose of quality control, and to identify the transformation products of 4,7-didehydrophysalin B.

METHODOLOGY

The separation was carried out on an Acquity UPLC BEH Shield RP C₁₈-column with water and acetonitrile as the mobile phase under gradient conditions. ESI-MS/MS was used as the detector to quantify the five physalins. The transformation products of 4,7-didehydroneophysalin B were detected by UPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS and identified through comparing their HRMS and MS² ion fragmentations with corresponding references.

RESULTS

All the compounds showed good linearity (R²  > 0.998). The recoveries, measured at three concentration levels, varied from 98.8 to 101.4% with RSDs < 4.5%. The total contents of the five physalins in Chinese lantern varied significantly. Three transformation products of 4,7-didehydroneophysalin B were detected and tentatively identified.

CONCLUSION

The present study developed a highly effective analytical method for the quality control of Chinese lantern, and it could provide comprehensive information for quality evaluation and new drug development of Chinese lantern.

Fighting fire with fire: poisonous Chinese herbal medicine for cancer therapy

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Following the known principle of "fighting fire with fire", poisonous Chinese herbal medicine (PCHM) has been historically used in cancer therapies by skilled Chinese practitioners for thousands of years. In fact, most of the marketed natural anti-cancer compounds (e.g., camptothecin derivatives, vinca alkaloids, etc.) are often known in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and recorded as poisonous herbs as well. Inspired by the encouraging precedents, significant researches into the potential of novel anticancer drugs from other PCHM-derived natural products have been ongoing for several years and PCHM is increasingly being recognized as a gathering place for promising anti-cancer drugs. The present review aimed at giving a rational understanding of the toxicity of PCHM and, especially, providing the most recent developments on PCHM-derived anti-cancer compounds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Information on the toxicity and safety control of PCHM, as well as PCHM-derived anti-cancer compounds, was gathered from the articles, books and monographs published in the past 20 years.

RESULTS

Based on an objective introduction to the CHM toxicity, we clarified the general misconceptions about the safety of CHM and summarized the traditional experiences in dealing with the toxicity. Several PCHM-derived compounds, namely gambogic acid, triptolide, arsenic trioxide, and cantharidin, were selected as representatives, and their traditional usage and mechanism of anti-cancer actions were discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

Natural products derived from PCHM are of extreme importance in devising new drugs and providing unique ideas for the war against cancer. To fully exploit the potential of PCHM in cancer therapy, more attentions are advocated to be focused on their safety evaluation and mechanism exploration.

Nanoscale hepatoprotective herbal decoction attenuates hepatic stellate cell activity and chloroform-induced liver damage in mice

BACKGROUND

San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang (SHXXT) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine containing Rhei rhizome, Coptidis rhizome, and Scutellariae radix, is widely used in hepatoprotective therapy. However, preparation of the decoction requires addition of boiling water that causes loss of numerous effective components.

METHODS

To improve the bioavailability of the decoction, nanoscale SHXXT was developed. Chloroform-induced liver injury and hepatic stellate cell activity in mice were used to demonstrate the hepatoprotective characteristics of nanoscale SHXXT decoction.

RESULTS

Liver/body weight ratio and serum aspartate and alanine aminotranferase levels were recovered by the nanoscale SHXXT. TIMP-1 gene expression was inhibited and MMP-2 gene expression was accelerated in activated hepatic stellate cells.

CONCLUSION

Nanoscale SHXXT decoction prepared in room temperature water could have preserved hepatoprotective ability. The results of this study indicate that nanoscale SHXXT could be extracted easily. The simple preparation of this herbal decoction is more convenient and energy-efficient.

Quantitative and chemical fingerprint analysis for quality control of rhizoma Coptidischinensis based on UPLC-PAD combined with chemometrics methods

To control the quality of rhizoma Coptidis, a method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (UPLC-PAD) was developed for quantitative analysis of five active alkaloids and chemical fingerprint analysis. In quantitative analysis, the five alkaloids showed good regression (R > 0.9992) within test ranges and the recovery of the method was in the range of 98.4-100.8%. The limit of detections and quantifications for five alkaloids in PAD were less than 0.07 and 0.22 microg/ml, respectively. In order to compare the UPLC fingerprints between rhizoma Coptidis from different origins, the chemometrics procedures, including similarity analysis (SA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to classify the rhizoma Coptidis samples according to their cultivated origins. Consistent results were obtained to show that rhizoma Coptidis samples could be successfully grouped in accordance with the province of origin. Furthermore, five marker constituents were screened out to be the main chemical marker, which could be applied to accurate discrimination and quality control for rhizoma Coptidis by quantitative analysis. This study revealed that UPLC-PAD method was simple, sensitive and reliable for quantitative and chemical fingerprint analysis, moreover, for the quality evaluation and control of rhizoma Coptidis.

Development and validation of UPLC for the determination of phenolic compounds and furanic derivatives in Brandy de Jerez

Brandy and other aged distillates are a rich source of polyphenols. For brandies, contact with wood during ageing makes an important contribution to their polyphenols content. This paper describes the use of a previously devised ultra performance LC (UPLC) method to study the polyphenols content of Brandy de Jerez. UPLC is a new technique in LC offering several potential advantages, especially the reduction of time. Analyses of brandy performed by HPLC were repeated by UPLC. A special UPLC analytical column (Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column, 100 x 2.1 mm), with a particle size of 1.7 microm, forms part of this system. Using the UPLC system enabled the time needed for analysis to be reduced to one tenth of the time needed in the conventional HPLC system. In conclusion, the separation factor results of the UPLC were compared to those obtained using HPLC methods; this demonstrated that simple, high efficiency UPLC gradients are viable and advantageous substitutes for traditional analysis of polyphenols in brandy by HPLC. The method enabled 14 phenolic compounds to be identified and determined in 33 different commercial brandies, and this allowed them to be differentiated in function of quality.

Chemical characteristics of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen) collected from different locations in China

The chemical characteristics of Salvia miltiorrhiza , also called "danshen" in China, were investigated on the basis of the simultaneous quantitative determination of 13 hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds, namely, protocatechuic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, isoferulic acid, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, salvianolic acid A, dihydrotanshinone I, przewalskin, cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I, and tanshinone IIA, in 74 samples collected from different locations using ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Hierarchical clustering analysis based on 13 investigated compounds and the similarity of the entire chromatographic pattern showed that S. miltiorrhiza was significantly different from Salvia przewalskii , an adulterant of danshen. The chemical characteristics of S. miltiorrhiza collected from different locations in China were revealed, and salvianolic acid B, rosmarinic acid, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinones I and IIA were optimized as markers for the evaluation, which is helpful in the quality control of S. miltiorrhiza.

Bile acids metabonomic study on the CCl4- and alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate-induced animal models: quantitative analysis of 22 bile acids by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Bile acids (BAs) are crucial for the diagnosis, follow-up, and prognostics of liver and intestinal disorders and other diseases affecting BA metabolism. A rapid, simple, and sensitive analytical method is needed to demonstrate the full metabolic profile and simultaneously determine the individual BAs in biological samples. In our present study, an ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) method has been established and validated for simultaneous quantitation of 22 BAs and a metabonomic study was performed based on the chemometric analysis of the serum samples from carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)- and alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced liver failure rats. The optimal chromatographic condition was effected by UPLC (Acquity UPLC BEH column, 1.7 microm, 2.1 mm x 100 mm) using a linear gradient elution system of methanol-5 mM ammonium acetate containing 0.01% acetic acid after a simple-step deproteinization by precipitation. The separation of the 22 BAs can be finished in less than 12 min, and the concentrations of these BAs in rat serums were simultaneously determined using a selective ions monitoring mode. The method was validated with respect to repeatability (relative standard deviation < 9.78%) and accuracy (relative errors from -13.55 to 9.58%). The range of each BA was found from not detected (nd) to 8301 ng mL(-1), respectively. Furthermore, the developed method was successfully applied to the metabonomics analysis of BAs in CCl4- and ANIT-induced liver failure rats, using principle component analysis and canonical discriminant analysis. The serum samples from the two types of rat liver injury could be distinguished from each other and from the untreated animals according to the varieties of BAs. It indicated that the level of BAs could be considered as a sensitive parameter of hepatotoxicity induced by different chemical toxins. This novel metabonomics study of BAs based on the UPLC-MS profile provides not only an accurate quantitative assay of the serum concentrations of biomarkers but also a promising methodology for evaluation of liver injury.

Application of metabonomic analytical techniques in the modernization and toxicology research of traditional Chinese medicine

In the recent years, a wide range of metabonomic analytical techniques are widely used in the modern research of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). At the same time, the international community has attached increasing importance to TCM toxicity problems. Thus, many studies have been implemented to investigate the toxicity mechanisms of TCM. Among these studies, many metabonomic-based methods have been implemented to facilitate TCM toxicity investigation. At present, the most prevailing methods for TCM toxicity research are mainly single analysis techniques using only one analytical means. These techniques include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), etc.; with these techniques, some favourable outcomes have been gained in the toxic reaction studies of TCM, such as the action target organs assay, the establishment of action pattern, the elucidation of action mechanism and the exploration of action material foundation. However, every analytical technique has its advantages and drawbacks, no existing analytical technique can be versatile. Multi-analysed techniques can partially overcome the shortcomings of single-analysed techniques. Combination of GC-MS and LC-MS metabolic profiling approaches has unravelled the pathological outcomes of aristolochic acid-induced nephrotoxicity, which can not be achieved by single-analysed techniques. It is believed that with the further development of metabonomic analytical techniques, especially multi-analysed techniques, metabonomics will greatly promote TCM toxicity research and be beneficial to the modernization of TCM in terms of extending the application of modern means in the TCM safety assessment, assisting the formulation of TCM safety norms and establishing the international standards indicators.

Spectrum-effect relationships between ultra performance liquid chromatography fingerprints and anti-bacterial activities of Rhizoma coptidis

The fingerprints of Rhizoma coptidis from various sources were established by ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and the anti-bacterial activities of R. coptidis on Escherichia coli (E. coli) growth was studied by microcalarimetry. The UPLC fingerprints were evaluated using similarity analysis (SA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). Some quantitative parameters obtained from the thermo-genic curves of E. coli growth affected by R. coptidis were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). The spectrum-effect relationships between UPLC fingerprints and anti-bacterial activities were investigated using canonical correlation analysis (CCA). The results showed that close correlation existed between the spectrum-effect relationships. Berberine, jateorrhizine and palmatine in the UPLC fingerprints might be the main anti-bacterial components. The anti-bacterial activities of R. coptidis were related with the main active constituents, along with the production place and the harvesting time of this herb, the latitude and longitude of the place. This work provides a general model of the combination of UPLC and microcalorimetry to study the spectrum-effect relationships of R. coptidis, which can be used to discover principle components of it on bioactivity.

Advancement in analysis of Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Danshen)

This review summarizes the recent advances in the chemical analysis of Danshen and its finished products, including the introduction of the identified bioactive components, analytical methods for quantitative determination of target analytes and fingerprinting authentication, quality criteria of Danshen crude herb and its preparations, as well as the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies on the active components of Danshen and its finished products. Danshen contains mainly two types of constituents, the hydrophilic depsides and lipophilic diterpenoidal quinones and both of them are responsible for the pharmacological activities of Danshen. In order to monitor simultaneously both types of components which have different physicochemical properties, numerous analytical methods have been reported using various chromatographic and spectrophotometric technologies. In this review, 110 papers on analysis of Danshen are discussed, various analytical methods and their chromatographic conditions are briefly described and their advantages/disadvantages are compared. For obtaining a quick, accurate and applicable analytical approach for quality evaluation and establishing a harmonized criteria of Danshen and its finished products, the authors' suggestion and opinions are given, including the reasonable selection of marker compounds with high concentration and commercial availability, a simple sample preparation procedure with high recoveries of both the hydrophilic phenols and lipophilic tanshinones, and an optimized chromatographic condition with ideal resolutions of all the target components. The chemical degradation and transformation of the predominant constituent salvianolic acid B in Danshen during processing and manufacturing are also emphasized in order to assure the quality consistency of Danshen containing products.

Characterization of C-glycosyl quinochalcones in Carthamus tinctorius L. by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry

C-Glycosyl quinochalcones are unique components in Carthamus tinctorius L. The reported C-glycosyl quinochalcones have the same quinochalcone skeleton with a hydroxyl group at the 5'-position and a glucose linked to this position with a carbon-carbon bond. In this study, the standard hydroxysafflor yellow A and water-extracted fraction of Carthamus tinctorius L. were analyzed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOFMS) in both positive and negative ion modes. The fragmentation pathways of C-glycosyl quinochalcones were interpreted and validated by accurate mass measurement. Their fragmentation showed a special cleavage at the C-C bond except for the typical internal cleavage at the sugar moiety of other C-glycosyl flavonoids. In positive ion mode, cleavage of the 5'-glucose produced an [M+H-162](+) ion by a neutral loss, while cleavage of the 5'-glucose in negative ion mode led to an [M-H-163](-.) ion by radical cleavage. The cleavage from the carbonyl group produced fragment ions containing an A or a B ring. The fragment ions containing an A ring were common product ions of seven compounds in both ion modes, and fragment ions containing the B ring were used to judge the different substituent groups at the 3'-position. The fragmentation patterns of seven structurally related C-glycosyl quinochalcones were analyzed systematically and the formation of the fragment ions in two modes is explained in detail in this report. UPLC/Q-TOFMS is an effective tool for characterizing a complex sample, which gives higher resolution separation and generates accurate mass measurement of the product ions.