Recent advances in analysis of Chinese medical plants and traditional medicines

Untargeted Metabolomics Based on Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Quadrupole Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Differential Metabolite Analysis of Pinelliae Rhizoma and Its Adulterants

The present study investigates the chemical composition variances among Pinelliae Rhizoma, a widely used Chinese herbal medicine, and its common adulterants including Typhonium flagelliforme, Arisaema erubescens, and Pinellia pedatisecta. Utilizing the non-targeted metabolomics technique of employing UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, this research aims to comprehensively delineate the metabolic profiles of Pinelliae Rhizoma and its adulterants. Multivariate statistical methods including PCA and OPLS-DA are employed for the identification of differential metabolites. Volcano plot analysis is utilized to discern upregulated and downregulated compounds. KEGG pathway analysis is conducted to elucidate the differences in metabolic pathways associated with these compounds, and significant pathway enrichment analysis is performed. A total of 769 compounds are identified through metabolomics analysis, with alkaloids being predominant, followed by lipids and lipid molecules. Significant differential metabolites were screened out based on VIP > 1 and p-value < 0.05 criteria, followed by KEGG enrichment analysis of these differential metabolites. Differential metabolites between Pinelliae Rhizoma and Typhonium flagelliforme, as well as between Pinelliae Rhizoma and Pinellia pedatisecta, are significantly enriched in the biosynthesis of amino acids and protein digestion and absorption pathways. Differential metabolites between Pinelliae Rhizoma and Arisaema erubescens are mainly enriched in tyrosine metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism pathways. These findings aim to provide valuable data support and theoretical references for further research on the pharmacological substances, resource development and utilization, and quality control of Pinelliae Rhizoma.

Comparative pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of polydatin, resveratrol, and emodin after oral administration of Huzhang and Huzhang-Guizhi herb-pair extracts to rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Huzhang-Guizhi herb pair (HGHP), composed of Polygonum cuspidatum (Huzhang [HZ] in Chinese, the root of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc.) and Ramulus Cinnamomi (Guizhi [GZ] in Chinese, the dried twig of Cinnamomum cassia Presl.), is a popular herb pair commonly used to treat arthritis and involved in many Chinese prescriptions. In order to reveal the influence of GZ on HZ on bioavailability, the pharmacokinetic behaviors and tissue distribution variations of the three analytes from HZ were detected between oral administration of HZ and HGHP extracts to rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to two groups for pharmacokinetics study and eight groups for tissues distribution research with the equivalent dose of 18 g crude HZ/kg. Assays for analytes from HZ (polydatin, resveratrol, emodin) were developed and validated using high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV).

RESULTS

Part pharmacokinetic parameters including area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), biological half-life (t1/2), mean residence time (MRT), time to peak concentration (Tmax), clearance rate/bioavailability (CL/F) and volume of distribution/bioavailability (Vd/F) showed significant difference (P < 0.05) after oral administration of HGHP, as compared to those of HZ. The three analytes could be detected in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and brain. Compared with the HZ group, AUC0-t of polydatin in heart, liver and kidney increased significantly (p < 0.05) while that in spleen decreased significantly (p < 0.05); AUC0-t of resveratrol in all detected tissues increased conspicuously (p < 0.05) in the HGHP group; AUC0-t of emodin in heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney increased conspicuously (p < 0.05), and decreased obviously (p < 0.05) in brain in the HGHP group.

CONCLUSIONS

GZ could strongly influence the pharmacokinetic parameters and tissue distribution characteristics of polydatin, resveratrol and emodin in rats when administrated with HZ or HGHP extracts. It might provide a reference for further explanation of the compatibility mechanism and the clinical application of HGHP.

Effects of Vegetal Extracts and Metabolites against Oxidative Stress and Associated Diseases: Studies in Caenorhabditis elegans

Oxidative stress is a natural physiological process where the levels of oxidants, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS), exceed the strategy of antioxidant defenses, culminating in the interruption of redox signaling and control. Oxidative stress is associated with multiple pathologies, including premature aging, neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and arthritis. It is not yet clear whether oxidative stress is the cause or consequence of these diseases; however, it has been shown that using compounds with antioxidant properties, particularly compounds of natural origin, could prevent or slow down the progress of different pathologies. Within this context, the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model has served to study the effect of different metabolites and natural compounds, which has helped to decipher molecular targets and the effect of these compounds on premature aging and some diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases and dyslipidemia. This article lists the studies carried out on C. elegans in which metabolites and natural extracts have been tested against oxidative stress and the pathologies associated with providing an overview of the discoveries in the redox area made with this nematode.

Pharmacological Effects of Houttuynia cordata Thunb (H. cordata): A Comprehensive Review

Houttuynia cordata Thunb (H. cordata) is a rhizomatous, herbaceous, and perennial plant widely distributed in Asia. It has multiple chemical constituents, such as alkaloids, essential oils, phenolic acids, and flavonoids used against various health problems. The essential oils and flavonoids are the main components of H. cordata that play an essential role in disease treatment and traditional health care. Moreover, the leaves and stems of H. cordata have a long medicinal history in China. In addition, H. cordata is used against several health issues, such as cold, cough, fever, pneumonia, mumps, and tumors, due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, and anti-tumor effects. It protects organs due to its anti-inflammatory activity. H. cordata regulates immunity by enhancing immune barriers of the oral cavity, vagina, and gastrointestinal tract, and shows broad-spectrum activity against liver, lung, breast, and colon tumors. However, there are some gaps to be filled to understand its pathways and mechanisms. Mechanisms such as its interaction with cells, cell membranes, and various drugs are important. Studies in relation to the blood–brain barrier, lipophilicity, cAMP signaling, and skin permeability, including pharmaceutical effects, will be very useful. This review includes the biological and pharmacological activities of H. cordata based on up-to-date research.

In Vitro Activity of Water Extracts of Olive Oil against Planktonic Cells and Biofilm Formation of Arcobacter-like Species

Extra-virgin olive oils contain many bioactive substances that are phenolic compounds. The survival of Arcobacter-like strains in non-buffered (WEOO) and buffered (BEOO) extracts of olive oils were studied. Time kill curves of different strains were measured in the environment of olive oil extracts of different grades. The activity of the extracts was also monitored for biofilm formation using the Christensen method. In vitro results revealed that extra-virgin olive oil extracts exhibited the strongest antimicrobial effects, especially non-buffered extracts, which exhibited strain inhibition after only 5 min of exposure. The weakest inhibitory effects were observed for olive oil extracts. A decrease in biofilm formation was observed in the environment of higher WEOO concentrations, although at lower concentrations of extracts, increased biofilm formation occurred due to stress conditions. The dialdehydic forms of oleuropein derivatives, hydroxytyrosol, and tyrosol were the main compounds detected by HPLC-CoulArray. The results indicate that not all olive oils had a similar bactericidal effect, and that bioactivity primarily depended on the content of certain phenolic compounds.

Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Kudzu Roots and Soy Molasses against Pediatric Tumors and Phytochemical Analysis of Isoflavones Using HPLC-DAD-ESI-HRMS

Pediatric solid tumors (PSTs) are life-threatening and can lead to high morbidity and mortality rates in children. Developing novel remedies to treat these tumors, such as glioblastoma multiforme and sarcomas, such as osteosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma, is challenging, despite immense attempts with chemotherapeutic or radiotherapeutic interventions. Soy (Glycine max) and kudzu roots (KR) (Pueraria spp.) are well-known phytoestrogenic botanical sources that contain high amounts of naturally occurring isoflavones. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of the extracts of KR and soy molasses (SM) against PSTs. The green extraction of isoflavones from KR and SM was performed using natural deep eutectic solvents. The extracts were subsequently analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detector (DAD) coupled with high-resolution (HR) mass spectrometry (MS), which identified 10 isoflavones in KR extracts and 3 isoflavones in the SM extracts. Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of KR and SM extracts were assessed against glioblastoma multiforme (A-172), osteosarcoma (HOS), and rhabdomyosarcoma (Rd) cancer cell lines. The KR and SM extracts showed satisfactory cytotoxic effects (IC₅₀) against the cancer cell lines tested, particularly against Rd cancer cell lines, in a dose-dependent manner. Antioxidant activity was found to be significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in KR than in SM, which was consistent with the results of the cytotoxic activity observed with KR and SM extracts against glioblastoma and osteosarcoma cells. The total flavonoid content and antioxidant activities of the extracts were remarkably attributed to the isoflavone content in the KR and SM extracts. This study provides experimental evidence that HPLC-ESI-HRMS is a suitable analytical approach to identify isoflavones that exhibit potent antioxidant and anticancer potential against tumor cells, and that KR and SM, containing many isoflavones, can be a potential alternative for health care in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Potential and applications of capillary electrophoresis for analyzing traditional Chinese medicine: a critical review

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) presents a promising possibility for analyzing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) due to its low reagent consumption, high analysis speed, and enhanced efficiency. Herein we review the employment of CE for analyzing the effective components in TCM and identifying TCM via a fingerprint. Furthermore, we discuss the application of state-of-the-art capillary electrophoresis modes for screening enzyme inhibitors and investigating the interactions between TCM and plasma proteins. The review concludes with recommendations for future studies and improvements in this field of research. The general development trend identified in this review indicates that the application of CE has significantly improved TCM assay performance.

Efficacy based ginger fingerprinting reveals potential antiproliferative analytes for triple negative breast cancer

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most widely consumed dietary supplements worldwide. Its anticancer potential has been demonstrated in various studies. However, ginger roots obtained from different geographical locations showed extensive variability in their activities, mainly due to differences in the levels of bioactive compounds. Here we evaluated the effect of these differences on the anticancer activity of ginger by performing efficacy-based fingerprinting. We characterized the fingerprint profiles of 22 ginger samples using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy, followed by a principal component analysis (PCA) and pearson correlation analysis. We also evaluated the anti-proliferative effects (IC50) of these samples on triple-negative breast cancer cells using the MTT assays. The supervised PCA identified a subset of analytes whose abundance strongly associated with the IC50 values of the ginger extracts, providing a link between ginger extract composition and in vitro anticancer efficacy. This study demonstrated that variation in the ginger fingerprint profiles resulting from differences in their chemical composition could have a significant impact on efficacy and bioactivity of ginger extracts. Also, this first-of-a-kind efficacy-based fingerprinting approach proposed here can identify potent anticancer candidates from the ginger fingerprint without the need for isolating individual components from the extracts.

Cardiotoxicity and Cardioprotection by Artesunate in Larval Zebrafish

Although artesunate (ART) is generally accepted as a safe and well-tolerated first-line treatment of severe malaria, cases of severe side effects and toxicity of this compound are also documented. This study applied larval zebrafishes to determine the acute toxicity and efficacy of ART and performed RNA-sequencing analyses to unravel the underlying signaling pathways contributing to ART’s activities. Results from acute toxicity assay showed that a single-dose intravenous injection of ART from 3.6 ng/fish (1/9 maximum nonlethal concentration) to 41.8 ng/fish (lethal dose 10%) obviously induced pericardial edema, circulation defects, yolk sac absorption delay, renal edema, and swim bladder loss, indicating acute cardiotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and developmental toxicity of ART. Efficacy assay showed that ART at 1/2 lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) exerted cardioprotective effects on zebrafishes with verapamil-induced heart failure. Artesunate significantly restored cardiac malformation, venous stasis, cardiac output decrease, and blood flow dynamics reduction. No adverse events were observed with this treatment, indicating that ART at doses below LOAEL was effective and safe. These results indicate that ART at low doses was cardioprotective, but revealed cardiotoxicity at high doses. RNA-sequencing analysis showed that gene expression of frizzled class receptor 7a (fzd7a) was significantly upregulated in zebrafishes with verapamil-induced heart failure and significantly downregulated if ART at 1/2 LOAEL was coadministrated, indicating that fzd7a-modulated Wnt signaling may mediate the cardioprotective effect of ART. For the first time, this study revealed the biphasic property of ART, providing in-depth knowledge on the pharmacological efficacy-safety profile for its therapeutic and safe applications in clinic.

Preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the selective extraction of salidroside from Rhodiola crenulata

Salidroside is one of the bio-active compounds found in Rhodiola crenulata. To find an easy, time saving and efficient way to extract, purify and enrich salidroside from Rhodiola and other natural plants, we prepared a highly selective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for extraction and preconcentration of salidroside using salidroside (SD) as a template, acrylamide (AM) as a functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) as a crosslinking monomer, and dimethyl formamide (DMF) as a porogen. The performance of the MIPs was evaluated through selective recognition capacity and adsorption isotherms and kinetics. The results showed that MIPs possessed excellent specific recognition toward SD and could effectively discriminate its structural analogue. The application of the developed MIPs as a selective sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE) of SD was also investigated. Under the optimum conditions, a rapid, economical, and efficient method based upon MIP-SPE coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the determination of SD in Rhodiola crenulata. The method showed satisfactory recoveries (from spiked real samples at 3 fortification levels of 0.5, 1 and 10 mg L^-1) of 88.74%- 97.64% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 2.05%-3.54%. Furthermore, MIP-SPE was successfully used to separate and purify SD from different parts in Rhodiola crenulata and it should be available for determination of salidroside in others herbs.

Enantiomeric Recognition and Separation by Chiral Nanoparticles

Chiral molecules are stereoselective with regard to specific biological functions. Enantiomers differ considerably in their physiological reactions with the human body. Safeguarding the quality and safety of drugs requires an efficient analytical platform by which to selectively probe chiral compounds to ensure the extraction of single enantiomers. Asymmetric synthesis is a mature approach to the production of single enantiomers; however, it is poorly suited to mass production and allows for only specific enantioselective reactions. Furthermore, it is too expensive and time-consuming for the evaluation of therapeutic drugs in the early stages of development. These limitations have prompted the development of surface-modified nanoparticles using amino acids, chiral organic ligands, or functional groups as chiral selectors applicable to a racemic mixture of chiral molecules. The fact that these combinations can be optimized in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and enantioselectivity makes them ideal for enantiomeric recognition and separation. In chiral resolution, molecules bond selectively to particle surfaces according to homochiral interactions, whereupon an enantiopure compound is extracted from the solution through a simple filtration process. In this review article, we discuss the fabrication of chiral nanoparticles and look at the ways their distinctive surface properties have been adopted in enantiomeric recognition and separation.

In vivo acute toxicity of detoxified Fuzi (lateral root of Aconitum carmichaeli) after a traditional detoxification process

Many herbs of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) possess not only therapeutic efficacy, but also toxicity towards normal tissues. The herbal toxicities occasionally cause serious adverse events or even fatal poisoning due to the erroneous use of TCM herbs. Fuzi (lateral root of Aconitum carmichaeli) is such an herb with its toxic ingredient, aconites. Aconitine, mesaconitine, and hypaconitine are the main toxic components of Fuzi, which are hydrolyzed into non-toxic derivatives by water decoction. Therefore, long-time decoction was commonly applied as a traditional way to detoxify Fuzi before use. Nevertheless, recent clinical trials presorted on adverse events induced by long-time decocted Fuzi, putting some doubt on the safety of Fuzi after the traditional detoxification procedure. To thoroughly determine whether or not long-time decocted Fuzi was safe, we conducted in vivo acute toxicity assays using both rodent and zebrafish models and performed chemoprofile analyses using HPLC and UPLC-MS. The HPLC analysis showed that toxic aconitine components were hydrolyzed into benzoyl derivatives with increasing time of decoction. These aconitines were undetected by HPLC in Fuzi after 2 h-decoction (FZ-120), indicating seemingly non-toxicity of FZ-120. Unlike the non-decocted Fuzi (FZ-0) and 60 min-decocted Fuzi (FZ-60) with lethal toxicity, FZ-120 at 130 g/kg did not cause any deaths or side effects in mice regarding body weight and biochemical parameters. This seems to confirm safety of Fuzi after long-time decoction. However, histopathological observations revealed an abnormal liver phenotype and a significant decrease of the liver index following FZ-120 treatment, indicating a potential hepatoxicity of FZ-120. By using a zebrafish model, we observed that FZ-120 at a dose range from 288 to 896 μg/ml caused considerable adverse events including arrhythmia, liver degeneration, yolk sac absorption delay, length decrease, and swim bladder loss, which clearly speak for acute toxicity on cardiovascular, digestive, development, and respiratory systems. The dose range of FZ-120 was lower than that used for clinical application in human beings. Moreover, UPLC-MS revealed that FZ-120 still contained toxic aconitines that were not detectable by HPLC, which might explain its acute toxicity in zebrafish. We concluded that Fuzi is not sufficiently safe even after long-time decoction. The zebrafish model combined with UPLC-MS assay may represent an appropriate test system to unravel aconitine-related acute toxicity.

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.

A targeted strategy to identify untargeted metabolites from in vitro to in vivo: Rapid and sensitive metabolites profiling of licorice in rats using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry

It is challenging to conduct in vivo metabolic study for traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) because of complex components, unpredictable metabolic pathways and low metabolite concentrations. Herein, we proposed a sensitive strategy to characterize TCM metabolites in vivo at an orally clinical dose using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTRAP-MS). Firstly, the metabolism of individual compounds in rat liver microsomes was studied to obtain the metabolic pathways and fragmentation patterns. The untargeted metabolites in vitro were detected by multiple ion monitoring-enhanced product ion (EPI) and neutral loss-EPI scans. Subsequently, a sensitive multiple reaction monitoring-EPI method was developed according to the in vitro results and predicted metabolites to profile the in vivo metabolites. Licorice as a model herb was used to evaluate and validate our strategy. A clinical dose of licorice water extract was orally administered to rats, then a total of 45 metabolites in urine, 21 metabolites in feces and 35 metabolites in plasma were detected. Among them, 18 minor metabolites have not been reported previously and 6 minor metabolites were first detected in vivo. Several isomeric metabolites were well separated and differentiated in our strategy. These results suggested that this new strategy could be widely used for the detection and characterization of in vivo metabolites of TCMs.

Genome-Wide Variation Patterns Uncover the Origin and Selection in Cultivated Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer)

Chinese ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a medicinally important herb and plays crucial roles in traditional Chinese medicine. Pharmacological analyses identified diverse bioactive components from Chinese ginseng. However, basic biological attributes including domestication and selection of the ginseng plant remain under-investigated. Here, we presented a genome-wide view of the domestication and selection of cultivated ginseng based on the whole genome data. A total of 8,660 protein-coding genes were selected for genome-wide scanning of the 30 wild and cultivated ginseng accessions. In complement, the 45s rDNA, chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes were included to perform phylogenetic and population genetic analyses. The observed spatial genetic structure between northern cultivated ginseng (NCG) and southern cultivated ginseng (SCG) accessions suggested multiple independent origins of cultivated ginseng. Genome-wide scanning further demonstrated that NCG and SCG have undergone distinct selection pressures during the domestication process, with more genes identified in the NCG (97 genes) than in the SCG group (5 genes). Functional analyses revealed that these genes are involved in diverse pathways, including DNA methylation, lignin biosynthesis, and cell differentiation. These findings suggested that the SCG and NCG groups have distinct demographic histories. Candidate genes identified are useful for future molecular breeding of cultivated ginseng.

Phellodendron chinense Schneid: A novel yellow-emitting luminescent material for white light-emitting diodes

To facilitate the next generation of environmental material for white light emitting diodes, the discovery of natural luminesce is essential. In this study, we disclose a rare-earth free and yellow-emission phosphor, Phellodendron, which could be both excited by near ultraviolet light and blue light. The new yellow phosphor is obtained by extraction of Phellodendron chinense Schneid. The emission wavelength, full width at half maximum and CIE coordinates of extracted Phellodendron are 540 nm, 120 nm and (0.41, 0.55), respectively. The corresponding luminescent properties of Phellodendron are characterized by PL, PLE, reflection spectra, FITR and decay lifetime. Surprising thing is luminous intensity of Phellodendron phosphors excited at 380 nm was stronger than YAG:Ce phosphor by more than 139%. In addition, we firstly introduce the yellow phosphor in white LED fabrication by combining blue chip and Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³⁺ phosphor, to create warm white. For comparison, red-emission CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ phosphors are also introduced for LED package tests. The results demonstrate that Phellodendron is a potential candidate for white LED applications.

Comparative analysis of main bio-active components in the herb pair Danshen-Honghua and its single herbs by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive, reliable, and powerful ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for simultaneous quantification of the 15 main bio-active components including phenolic acids and flavonoids within 13 min for the first time. The proposed method was first reported and validated by good linearity (r²  > 0.9975), limit of detection (1.12-7.01 ng/mL), limit of quantification (3.73-23.37 ng/mL), intra- and inter-day precisions (RSD ≤ 1.92%, RSD ≤ 2.45%), stability (RSD ≤ 5.63%), repeatability (RSD ≤ 4.34%), recovery (96.84-102.12%), and matrix effects (0.92-1.02). The established analytical methodology was successfully applied to comparative analysis of main bio-active components in the herb pair Danshen-Honghua and its single herbs. Compared to the single herb, the content of most flavonoid glycosides was remarkably increased in their herb pair, and main phenolic acids were decreased, conversely. The content changes of the main components in the herb pair supported the synergistic effects on promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. The results provide a scientific basis and reference for the quality control of Danshen-Honghua herb pair and the drug interactions based on variation of bio-active components in herb pairs.

High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry technology in the analysis of Chinese Medicine Formulas: A bibliometric analysis (1997-2015)

There is a recognized challenge in analyzing traditional Chinese medicine formulas because of their complex chemical compositions. The application of modern analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a tandem mass spectrometry has improved the characterization of various compounds from traditional Chinese medicine formulas significantly. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to recognize the overall trend of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry approaches in the analysis of traditional Chinese medicine formulas, its significance and possible underlying interactions between individual herbs in these formulas. Electronic databases were searched systematically, and the identified studies were collected and analyzed using Microsoft Access 2010, Graph Pad 5.0 software and Ucinet software package. 338 publications between 1997 and 2015 were identified, and analyzed in terms of annual growth and accumulated publications, top journals, forms of traditional Chinese medicine preparations and highly studied formulas and single herbs, as well as social network analysis of single herbs. There is a significant increase trend in using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry related techniques in analysis of commonly used forms of traditional Chinese medicine formulas in the last 3 years. Stringent quality control is of great significance for the modernization and globalization of traditional Chinese medicine, and this bibliometric analysis provided the first and comprehensive summary within this field.

Integrated identification, qualification and quantification strategy for pharmacokinetic profile study of Guizhi Fuling capsule in healthy volunteers

Guizhi Fuling capsule (GZFL), a traditional Chinese medicine formulation, is widely used in China to relieve pain from dysmenorrhea and is now in a Phase II clinical trial in the USA. Due to the low exposure of the five main medicative ingredients (amygdalin, cinnamic acid, gallic acid, paeoniflorin and paeonol) of GZFL in human, a strategy was built to qualitatively and quantitatively identify the possible metabolites of GZFL and to describe the pharmacokinetic profiles of GZFL in human. In this strategy, LC-Q-TOF/MS was used to identify and structurally elucidate the possible metabolites of GZFL in vivo; and a time-based metabolite-confirming step (TBMCs) was used to confirm uncertain metabolites. The simultaneously quantitation results by LC-MS/MS showed low exposure of the five medicative ingredients. According to the strategy we built, a total of 36 metabolites were found and structurally elucidated. The simultaneously semi-quantitative analysis by LC-MS/MS showed that obvious time-concentration curves could be established for 12 of the metabolites, and most of them showed a relatively higher exposure. This study provides a better understanding of the metabolic processes of GZFL in human.

DNA Barcoding and Pharmacovigilance of Herbal Medicines

Pharmacovigilance of herbal medicines relies on the product label information regarding the ingredients and the adherence to good manufacturing practices along the commercialisation chain. Several studies have shown that substitution of plant species occurs in herbal medicines, and this in turn poses a challenge to herbal pharmacovigilance as adverse reactions might be due to adulterated or added ingredients. Authentication of constituents in herbal medicines using analytical chemistry methods can help detect contaminants and toxins, but are often limited or incapable of detecting the source of the contamination. Recent developments in molecular plant identification using DNA sequence data enable accurate identification of plant species from herbal medicines using defined DNA markers. Identification of multiple constituent species from compound herbal medicines using amplicon metabarcoding enables verification of labelled ingredients and detection of substituted, adulterated and added species. DNA barcoding is proving to be a powerful method to assess species composition in herbal medicines and has the potential to be used as a standard method in herbal pharmacovigilance research of adverse reactions to specific products.

A Useful Strategy to Evaluate the Quality Consistency of Traditional Chinese Medicines Based on Liquid Chromatography and Chemometrics

Evaluation of the batch consistency of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) is essential for the promotion of the development and quality control of TCMs. The aim of the present work was to develop a useful strategy via liquid chromatography and chemometrics to evaluate the batch consistency of TCM preparations. Xin-Ke-Shu (XKS) tablet was chosen as a model for this method development. Four types of chromatographic fingerprint approaches were compared by using similarity analysis based on cosine of angel or correlation coefficient. Differences in the fingerprints of 71 batches of XKS tablet were illustrated by hierarchical cluster analysis. Then, Mahalanobis distance was employed for estimating the probability level (P < 0.05) of the differences mentioned above. Additionally, t-test was applied to find out the chromatographic peaks which had significant differences. For XKS tablet, the maximum wavelength fingerprint had the largest range and dispersion degree of similarity as compared with the other three ones. There were two clear clusters in all the batches of samples. And we clearly arrived at the conclusion that higher similarity does not exactly indicate small Mahalanobis distance, while lower similarity indicated larger Mahalanobis distance. Finally, a useful strategy was proposed for evaluation of the batch consistency of XKS tablet.

Traceability and Quality Control in Traditional Chinese Medicine: From Chemical Fingerprint to Two-Dimensional Barcode

Chemical fingerprinting is currently a widely used tool that enables rapid and accurate quality evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, chemical fingerprints are not amenable to information storage, recognition, and retrieval, which limit their use in Chinese medicine traceability. In this study, samples of three kinds of Chinese medicines were randomly selected and chemical fingerprints were then constructed by using high performance liquid chromatography. Based on chemical data, the process of converting the TCM chemical fingerprint into two-dimensional code is presented; preprocess and filtering algorithm are also proposed aiming at standardizing the large amount of original raw data. In order to know which type of two-dimensional code (2D) is suitable for storing data of chemical fingerprints, current popular types of 2D codes are analyzed and compared. Results show that QR Code is suitable for recording the TCM chemical fingerprint. The fingerprint information of TCM can be converted into data format that can be stored as 2D code for traceability and quality control.

Quantitative analysis of the eight major compounds in the Samsoeum using a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometer

Background:

Samsoeum was traditionally used for treatment of a respiratory disease.

Objective:

The simultaneous determination of eight major compounds, ginsenoside Rg3, caffeic acid, puerarin, costunolide, hesperidin, naringin, glycyrrhizin, and 6-gingerol in the Samsoeum using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with diode array detection (DAD) and an electrospray ionization mass spectrometer was developed for an accurate and reliable quality assessment.

Materials and Methods:

Eight compounds were qualitative identified based on their mass spectra and by comparing with standard compounds and quantitative analyzed by HPLC-DAD. Separation of eight compounds was carried out on a LUNA C₁₈ column (S-5 μm, 4.6 mm i.d. ×250 mm) with gradient elution composed of acetonitrile and 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid.

Results:

The data showed good linearity (R² > 0.9996). The limits of detection and the limits of quantification were <0.53 μg and 1.62 μg, respectively. Inter- and Intra-day precisions (expressed as relative standard deviation values) were within 1.94% and 1.91%, respectively. The recovery of the method was in the range of 94.24–107.90%.

Conclusion:

The established method is effective and could be applied to quality control of Samsoeum.

Extraction methods of natural products from Traditional Chinese medicines

In recent years, many research activities have focused on Natural Products (NPs) derived from Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), thus making a renaissance in the drug discovery process of TCMs. Maximizing the diversity of extracts from those plants is the key for the chemical biology process. Methods for the preparation and pretreatment of plant extracts are very important for further purification and discovery of active compounds present in minor quantities. In this chapter, two methods of extraction, including one of the most broadly applicable method (solvent extraction) and one newly developed technique (supercritical fluid extraction), have been described in detail.

System-level study on synergism and antagonism of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine by using molecular imprinting technology

In this work, synergism and antagonism among active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were studied at system-level by using molecular imprinting technology. Reduning Injection (RDNI), a TCM injection, was widely used to relieve fever caused by viral infection diseases in China. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) synthesized by sol-gel method were used to separate caffeic acid (CA) and analogues from RDNI without affecting other compounds. It can realize the preparative scale separation. The inhibitory effects of separated samples of RDNI and sample combinations in prostaglandin E2 biosynthesis in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells were studied. The combination index was calculated to evaluate the synergism and antagonism. We found that components which had different scaffolds can produce synergistic anti-inflammatory effect inside and outside the RDNI. Components which had similar scaffolds exhibited the antagonistic effect, and the antagonistic effects among components could be reduced to some extent in RDNI system. The results indicated MIPs with the characteristics of specific adsorption ability and large scale preparation can be an effective approach to study the interaction mechanism among active ingredients of complex system such as TCM at system-level. And this work would provide a new idea to study the interactions among active ingredients of TCM.

Characteristic fingerprint based on gingerol derivative analysis for discrimination of ginger (Zingiber officinale) according to geographical origin using HPLC-DAD combined with chemometrics

Chromatographic fingerprints of gingers from five different ginger-producing countries (China, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam) were newly established to discriminate the origin of ginger. The pungent bioactive principles of ginger, gingerols and six other gingerol-related compounds were determined and identified. Their variations in HPLC profiles create the characteristic pattern of each origin by employing similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). As results, the ginger profiles tended to be grouped and separated on the basis of the geographical closeness of the countries of origin. An effective mathematical model with high predictive ability was obtained and chemical markers for each origin were also identified as the characteristic active compounds to differentiate the ginger origin. The proposed method is useful for quality control of ginger in case of origin labelling and to assess food authenticity issues.

New concepts and approaches for drug discovery based on traditional Chinese medicine

In this review, we report a new reverse approach (from finding bioactive molecules to separating target compounds in the related plant) by using virtual screening, immobilized enzyme and polyclonal antibody, molecularly imprinted polymers for finding, and separating the active compounds from TCM. This approach is faster and more efficient than the traditional time-consuming approach (from selecting the plant to separating compounds following the bioassay guidance).:

Discrimination of wild Paris based on near infrared spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography combined with multivariate analysis

Different geographical origins and species of Paris obtained from southwestern China were discriminated by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with multivariate analysis. The NIR parameter settings were scanning (64 times), resolution (4 cm(-1)), scanning range (10,000 cm(-1)∼4000 cm(-1)) and parallel collection (3 times). NIR spectrum was optimized by TQ 8.6 software, and the ranges 7455∼6852 cm(-1) and 5973∼4007 cm(-1) were selected according to the spectrum standard deviation. The contents of polyphyllin I, polyphyllin II, polyphyllin VI, and polyphyllin VII and total steroid saponins were detected by HPLC. The contents of chemical components data matrix and spectrum data matrix were integrated and analyzed by partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). From the PLS-DA model of NIR spectrum, Paris samples were separated into three groups according to the different geographical origins. The R(2)X and Q(2)Y described accumulative contribution rates were 99.50% and 94.03% of the total variance, respectively. The PLS-DA model according to 12 species of Paris described 99.62% of the variation in X and predicted 95.23% in Y. The results of the contents of chemical components described differences among collections quantitatively. A multivariate statistical model of PLS-DA showed geographical origins of Paris had a much greater influence on Paris compared with species. NIR and HPLC combined with multivariate analysis could discriminate different geographical origins and different species. The quality of Paris showed regional dependence.

Evaluation of Coptidis Rhizoma-Euodiae Fructus couple and Zuojin products based on HPLC fingerprint chromatogram and simultaneous determination of main bioactive constituents

CONTEXT

Coptidis Rhizoma-Euodiae Fructus couple (CEC) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine preparation consisting of Coptidis Rhizoma and Euodiae Fructus at the ratio of 6:1, and used to treat gastro-intestinal disorders. Alkaloids are the main bioactive component. This research provides comprehensive analysis information for the quality control of CEC.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection fingerprint for chemical composition characteristics of CEC and its products.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The samples were separated with a Gemini C18 column by using gradient elution with water-formic acid (100:0.03) and acetonitrile as mobile phase. Flow rate was 1.0 mL/min and detection wavelength was 250 nm. Similarity analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed to evaluate quality consistencies of analytes. Mean chromatograms and correlation coefficients of analytes were calculated by the software "Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine".

RESULTS

Fingerprint chromatogram comparison determined 20 representative general fingerprint peaks, and the fingerprint chromatogram resemblances are all better than 0.988. Consistent results were obtained to show that CEC and its related samples could be successfully divided into three groups. Contribution plots generated by PCA were performed to interpret differences among the sample groups while peaks which significantly contributed to classification were identified. Seven bioactive constituents in the samples were verified by quantitative analysis.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The chromatographic fingerprint with similarity evaluation and PCA assay combined with quantification of seven compounds could be utilized as a quality control method for the herbal couple.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of nine major compounds in the Bozhougyiqi-Tang using a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector and electrospray ionization mass spectrometer

Background:

Bozhougyiqi-Tang (BZYQT) is of traditional herbal medicine used for enhancement of digestive capacity.

Objective:

An accurate and reliable simultaneous determination using a HPLC-DAD and ESI-MS was developed and validated for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of 9 major compounds, ferulic acid (1), naringin (2), hesperidin (3), decursinol (4), glycyrrhizin (5), saikosaponin A (6), 6-gingerol (7), ginsenoside Rg3 (8), decursin (9), in traditional herbal medicine ‘Bozhougyiqi-Tang.’

Materials and Methods:

The chromatographic separation of 9 compounds was performed on a SHISEIDO C₁₈ column (250 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., S-5 μm) using gradient elution with 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The 9 compounds were identified based on peak retention time and UV spectrum and MS data of these compounds.

Results:

This developed method showed good linearity (R² > 0.999). The LOD and LOQ of the major compounds were less than 0.09 and 0.28 μg/ml, respectively. The intra - day and inter - day RSD values were within 2.06% and 1.64%, respectively. The mean recoveries were from 92.10% to 108.56% with less than 1.88%. The results indicated that established method had good precision and accuracy.

Conclusion:

The new method was successfully applied to the simultaneous analysis of 9 compounds in Bozhougyiqi-Tangs samples.

Simultaneous determination of eleven characteristic lignans in Schisandra chinensis by high-performance liquid chromatography

Background:

Schisandra chinensis, one of the well-known traditional Chinese herbal medicines, is derived from the dry ripe fruits of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. according to the 9th China Pharmacopeia. Lignans are the main components isolated from extracts of S. chinensis and their content varies depending on where S. chinensis was collected. We have established a qualitative and quantitative method based on the bioactive lignans for control of the quality of S. chinensis from different sources.

Materials and Methods:

To develop a high-performance liquid chromatography method, an Elite ODS C18 column (250 mm Χ 4.6 mm, 5μm) at a column temperature of 30°C and flow rate of 1.0ml/min using acetonitrile (A) and water (B) as the mobile phase with a linear gradient and the peaks were monitored at 217 nm.

Results:

All calibration curves showed good linearity (r ≥ 0.9995) within test ranges. This method showed good repeatability for the quantification of these eleven components in S. chinensis with intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations less than 0.43% and 1.21%, respectively. In the recovery test, results of accuracy ranged from 99.51% to 101.31% with RSD values less than 2.

Conclusion:

The validated method can be successfully applied to quantify the eleven investigated components in 22 samples of S. chinensis from different sources.