Simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolic acids and flavonoids for the quality control of Apocynum venetum L. leaves by HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MS and HPLC-DAD

Scavenging of Methylglyoxal by the Total Flavonoids of Apocyni Veneti Folium in Mice

Scavenging MGO has been considered as an effective strategy for preventing atherosclerosis. A previous study showed that the total flavonoids of Apocyni Veneti Folium (TFAVF) had a significant antiatherosclerotic effect. However, there are no studies that have investigated the MGO scavenging capacities of TFAVF in mice. We found that TFAVF consisted mainly of quercetin glycosides and kaempferol glycosides using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). TFAVF was first demonstrated to effectively scavenge MGO in mice based on the formation of mono-MGO-quercetin, mono-MGO-dehydroquercetin, mono-MGO-isorhamnetin, mono-MGO-dehydroisorhamnetin, mono-MGO-kaempferol, and mono-MGO-dehydrokaempferol. In addition, one mono-MGO-quercetin was separated and purified, and its structure was elucidated as 8-MGO-quercetin based on UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and NMR data. Quantification studies have demonstrated that kaempferol, dehydrokaempferol, quercetin, dehydroquercetin, isorhamnetin, and dehydroisorhamnetin can dose dependently scavenge MGO in mice. Taken together, these results indicated that TFAVF showed a significant antiatherosclerotic effect, which might be based on MGO detoxification.

Chemical profiling of Sanjin tablets and exploration of their effective substances and mechanism in the treatment of urinary tract infections

Introduction: Sanjin tablets (SJT) are a well-known Chinese patent drug that have been used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs) for the last 40 years. The drug consists of five herbs, but only 32 compounds have been identified, which hinders the clarification of its effective substances and mechanism. Methods: The chemical constituents of SJT and their effective substances and functional mechanism involved in the treatment of UTIs were investigated by using high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-ion trap-time of flight-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-IT-TOF-MSⁿ), network pharmacology, and molecular docking. Results: A total of 196 compounds of SJT (SJT-MS) were identified, and 44 of them were unequivocally identified by comparison with the reference compounds. Among 196 compounds, 13 were potential new compounds and 183 were known compounds. Among the 183 known compounds, 169 were newly discovered constituents of SJT, and 93 compounds were not reported in the five constituent herbs. Through the network pharmacology method, 119 targets related to UTIs of 183 known compounds were predicted, and 20 core targets were screened out. Based on the "compound-target" relationship analysis, 94 compounds were found to act on the 20 core targets and were therefore regarded as potential effective compounds. According to the literature, 27 of the 183 known compounds were found to possess antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities and were verified as effective substances, of which 20 were first discovered in SJT. Twelve of the 27 effective substances overlapped with the 94 potential effective compounds and were determined as key effective substances of SJT. The molecular docking results showed that the 12 key effective substances and 10 selected targets of the core targets have good affinity for each other. Discussion: These results provide a solid foundation for understanding the effective substances and mechanism of SJT.

Solid-state fermentation of Apocynum venetum L. by Aspergillus niger: Effect on phenolic compounds, antioxidant activities and metabolic syndrome-associated enzymes

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of solid-state fermentation (SSF) with Aspergillus niger on the total phenolic content (TPC), the total flavonoid content (TFC), individual phenolic contents, and antioxidant and inhibitory activities against metabolic syndrome-associated enzymes in an ethanol extract from Apocynum venetum L. (AVL). TPC, TFC, and the contents of quercetin and kaempferol during SSF were 1.52-, 1.33-, 3.64-, and 2.22-fold higher than those of native AVL in the ethyl acetate (EA) subfraction of the ethanol extract. The ABTS·⁺, DPPH· scavenging, and inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase were found to be highest in the EA subfraction. Fermentation significantly increased the ABTS radical cation, DPPH radical scavenging, and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities by 1.33, 1.39, and 1.28 times, respectively. TPC showed a significantly positive correlation with antioxidant activities or inhibition against metabolic syndrome-associated enzymes. This study provides a theoretical basis for producing tea products with enhanced antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antihyperlipidemic activities.

Integrating serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology to identify chemical markers for quality control of Apocyni Veneti Folium

INTRODUCTION

Apocyni Veneti Folium (AVF) is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herb for the treatment of hypertension. Chemical markers are crucial for the quality control of herbal medicines; however, the therapeutic components of AVF remain to be well elucidated.

OBJECTIVES

This study was intended to integrate serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology to identify chemical markers of AVF and establish an efficacy-related quality control method of AVF.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) was applied to identify the absorbed AVF constituents in rat serum. Network pharmacology was further used to identify anti-hypertension-related chemical markers. Subsequently, a quantitative method was established using UPLC with diode array detection (DAD) and applied for quality evaluation of commercial AVF samples.

RESULTS

Thirteen prototype constituents were unequivocally or tentatively characterized in serum samples, among which quercetin, kaempferol, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, and neochlorogenic acid were identified as dominant chemicals related to anti-hypertensive efficacy. The quantitative data showed that the total contents of seven marker components even showed 2-fold variation among 14 batches of commercial AVF samples with RSD values ranging from 12.15% to 75.61%. Hierarchical cluster analysis and heatmap analysis showed that 14 batches of commercial AVF samples could be divided into three main groups.

CONCLUSION

The chemical markers obtained from this study could be applicable for efficacy-related quality control of AVF.

Apocynum venetum, a medicinal, economical and ecological plant: a review update

Apocynum venetum L. is an important medicinal perennial rhizome plant with good ecological and economic value. Its leaves have many pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-depression, anti-anxiolytic, etc., while its fibers have the title of "king of wild fibers". Furthermore, it was suitable for the restoration of degraded saline soil in arid areas. An increasing studies have been published in the past years. A scientometric analysis was used to analyze the publications of Apocynum venetum L. to clearly review the pharmacology, fiber application of Apocynum venetum L. and the potential value with its similar species (Apocynum pictum Schrenk) to the environment.

LC-MS Characterization and Quantification of Known and Unknown (Poly)phenol Metabolites-Possible Pitfalls and Their Avoidance

This review focuses on the LC-MS characterization and quantification of dietary (poly)phenols and their metabolites. It draws attention to errors, omissions, and misunderstandings that appear frequently in published papers, and suggests strategies for their avoidance. Aspects covered include the use of authentic standards and surrogate reference materials, the importance of collecting and archiving Total Ion Current MS data, the limitations of using on-line compilations of accurate mass MS data to assign unknown components when multiple isomers are possible, and the often understated magnitude of person-to-person variation that may significantly impact at population level any potential health benefit.

Exploring the interaction of quercetin-3-O-sophoroside with SARS-CoV-2 main proteins by theoretical studies: A probable prelude to control some variants of coronavirus including Delta

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of interaction between quercetin-3-O-sophoroside and different SARS-CoV-2's proteins which can bring some useful details about the control of different variants of coronavirus including the recent case, Delta. The chemical structure of the quercetin-3-O-sophoroside was first optimized. Docking studies were performed by CoV disease-2019 (COVID-19) Docking Server. Afterwards, the molecular dynamic study was done using High Throughput Molecular Dynamics (HTMD) tool. The results showed a remarkable stability of the quercetin-3-O-sophoroside based on the calculated parameters. Docking outcomes revealed that the highest affinity of quercetin-3-O-sophoroside was related to the RdRp with RNA. Molecular dynamic studies showed that the target E protein tends to be destabilized in the presence of quercetin-3-O-sophoroside. Based on these results, quercetin-3-O-sophoroside can show promising inhibitory effects on the binding site of the different receptors and may be considered as effective inhibitor of the entry and proliferation of the SARS-CoV-2 and its different variants. Finally, it should be noted, although this paper does not directly deal with the exploring the interaction of main proteins of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant with quercetin-3-O-sophoroside, at the time of writing, no direct theoretical investigation was reported on the interaction of ligands with the main proteins of Delta variant. Therefore, the present data may provide useful information for designing some theoretical studies in the future for studying the control of SARS-CoV-2 variants due to possible structural similarity between proteins of different variants.

Development and application of a rapid HPLC method for simultaneous determination of hyperoside, isoquercitrin and eleutheroside E in Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus

Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus have been used for hundreds of years to treat hypertension in China. In previous research, there was not a suitable quality control of method for the formulas of Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus. It is urgent and essential to develop modern analytical methods for Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus to ensure the quality of the formulas. A rapid approach for simultaneous determination of hyperoside, isoquercitrin and eleutheroside E in Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector was described and validated. The full method validation, including the linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, repeatability, stability and recovery, was examined. All target components, including isomers of hyperoside and isoquercitrin, were baseline separated in 35 min. The developed method was sensitive, reliable and feasible. With this method, the optimal decoction conditions of Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus were selected, and their quality analysis was carried out. Furthermore, an herbal compatibility study of Apocynum venetum L. and Eleutherococcus senticosus based on detecting variations in the content of their active ingredients was performed by the developed HPLC method. It could be an alternative for the quantitative analysis of herbs that contain hyperoside, isoquercitrin or (and) eleutheroside E in the future.

Anti-Obesity Effects of Petasites japonicus (Meowi) Ethanol Extract on RAW 264.7 Macrophages and 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and Its Characterization of Polyphenolic Compounds

Koreans have been consuming Petasites Japonicus (PJ) as food. Although the therapeutic effect of PJ on allergic or inflammatory reactions associated with asthma has been proven, its effect on obesity is unclear. Therefore, the present study was aimed to assess the obesity related anti-inflammatory and anti-adipogenic effects of ethanol extract PJ (EPJ) on the inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 macrophages and on differentiation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In addition, the polyphenolic compound was quantitatively characterized from the EPJ using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector, quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-QToF-MS). In RAW 264.7 or 3T3-L1, reduction of nitric oxide (in macrophages) production as well as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α were observed. Treatment of EPJ in adipocyte differentiation showed an improvement in adiponectin and lipid accumulation and a significant reduction of PPARγ and FABP-4 mRNA expression levels. On the other hand, mRNA expression of UCP-1, PPARα, and ACO increased in the EPJ treated group. In addition, a total of 26 polyphenolic compounds were detected and of which 12 are reported for the first time from PJ. The higher content of diverse polyphenolic compounds presented in EPJ might be responsible for the observed anti-inflammatory and anti-adipogenic effect. These results suggest that PJ is valuable in improving obesity-related inflammatory responses.

Phytochemical analysis and hypotensive activity of Ipomoea pes-caprae on blood pressure of normotensive rats

Abstract Ipomoea pes-caprae (Convolvulaceae), popularly known as “salsa-da-praia”, is used in folk medicine for the treatment of several diseases, including hypertension. The aim of this research was to evaluate hypotensive activity attributed to this species and identify the bioactive compounds responsible for this effect. Hydroalcoholic extract of aerial parts of Ipomoea pes-caprae (PIEA) was fractionated by column chromatography with Amberlite XAD-2, thus achieving a methanolic fraction (PIEA-M). The chemical profile investigation of PIEA-M was conducted by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and compound isolation through High Performance Countercurrent Chromatography (HPCCC). Hemodynamic evaluations of PIEA, PIEA-M and isolated compounds were carried out on normotensive rats. The locomotor activity of PIEA and PIEA-M were performed by Rota Rod test using Swiss mice. UPLC-MS analysis of PIEA-M led to the identification of 11 compounds corresponding to seven phenolic acids and four flavonoids. By means of HPCCC, quercetin 6”-O-acetyl-3-O- glucoside (1), a mixture of quercetin-3-O-galactoside and quercetin-3-O- glucoside (2) and quercetin 3-O-glucoside (3) were isolated. PIEA, PIEA-M and the obtained compounds (1 and 2) significantly reduced blood pressure. Also, PIEA and PIEA-M caused significant impairment on mice locomotor activity. These results indicate the potential of Ipomoea pes-caprae as a source of hypotensive agents suggesting that phenolic compounds present in the species are responsible for its hypotensive activity.

In Vitro Analysis of Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Bioactive Components of Apocynum venetum Tea Extracts

The dry leaf of Apocynum venetum tea extracts (AVTEs) belonging to the Apocynaceae family is a traditional Chinese medicine. The aim of this study is to identify the bioactive components of AVTE and analyse its antioxidant and anticancer activity in vitro. Method. Flavones and polyphenols in AVTE were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay. The scavenging capacity of tea extracts to 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS); hydroxyl (OH); and superoxide anion-free radicals were investigated by spectrophotometry. We also detailed the cytotoxicity assay of AVTE (50, 100, and 200 μg/mL) to human embryonic kidney 293T cells, the protective effect of AVTE on 293T cells induced by hydrogen peroxide (0.3 mmol/L), and the anticancer effect against the human hepatoma HepG2 cells via 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. We investigated the antioxidative effects of AVTE in human embryonic kidney 293T cells and the anticancer mechanism in HepG2 human hepatoma cells via quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. Results. HPLC analysis showed that AVTEs contain neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, isoquercetin, isochlorogenic acid B, astragalin, isochlorogenic acid C, rosmarinic acid, quercetin, and trans-cinnamic acid. These extracts have high antioxidant activity and dose-dependent relation through free radical scavenging experiments. The cell viability of 293T cells treated with hydrogen peroxide (0.3 mmol/L) was significantly lower than that of normal cells, and the cell viability of oxidatively stressed 293T cells after AVTE (50, 100, and 200 μg/mL) treatment was significantly improved (P<0.05). Moreover, cytotoxicity experiments showed that the survival rate of 293T cells was over 90%, but the proliferation of HepG2 cells was significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by AVTE. Furthermore, cytoprotective effects in 293T cells were induced via upregulation of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), GSH, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) antioxidant-related factors, as well as apoptosis in HepG2 cells was induced via upregulation of caspase-3, caspase-9, p21, and p53 apoptosis-associated factors, as assessed via mRNA expression levels after treatment with AVTE, which were consistent with the results of antioxidant gene detections. As a conclusion, AVTE appears to be an effectively functional drink, due to its rich functional components and antioxidant and anticancer activities.

A strategy for quality evaluation of salt-treated Apocyni Veneti Folium and discovery of efficacy-associated markers by fingerprint-activity relationship modeling

In this study, a fingerprint-activity relationship between chemical fingerprints and hepatoprotective activity was established to evaluate the quality of salt-treated Apocyni Veneti Folium (AVF). Characteristic fingerprints of AVF samples exposed to different concentrations of salt were generated by ultrafast liquid chromatography tandem triple time-of-flight mass/mass spectrometry (UFLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS), and a similarity analysis was performed based on common characteristic peaks by hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). Then, the hepatoprotective activity of AVF against CCl₄-induced acute liver damage in mice was investigated by assessing biochemical markers and histopathology, which showed that a high dose of AVF exposed to low levels of salt stress produced a marked amelioration of hepatic damage compared with the other salt-treated AVF. Finally, fingerprint-activity relationship modeling, which was capable of discovering the bioactive markers used in the quality evaluation, was investigated by the chemical fingerprints and the hepatoprotective activities utilizing multivariate statistical analysis, gray correlation analysis (GCA) and bivariate correlation analysis (BCA). The results showed that the accumulation of polyphenols, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, in AVF subjected to low levels of salt stress could result in the effective scavenging of free radicals. Therefore, the present study may provide a powerful strategy to holistically evaluate the quality of salt-treated AVF in combination with chemical fingerprint and bioactivity evaluation.

Metabolomics characterizes metabolic changes of Apocyni Veneti Folium in response to salt stress

Apocyni Veneti Folium (AVF) has been raised great interest in the antioxidant properties recently for the preservation of human health. However, little research was found on the integrate metabolites except our previous investigation on the variations of the bioactive constituents. To understand the salt-tolerant mechanisms of the halophyte, metabolomic platform based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography tandem triple time-of-flight mass/mass spectrometer was applied in this study. The results showed that metabolic profiles were separated and differentiated among groups based on multivariate statistical analysis; different metabolites belonged to various chemical classes. Besides, phenylpropanoid pathway and terpenoid biosynthesis were disturbed in all salt-stressed AVF and low salt-treated group appeared to be better than other samples in terms of relative contents (peak areas) of the wide variety of bioactive components and physiological variations of photosynthetic pigments, osmotic homeostasis, lipid peroxidation product and antioxidative enzymes. This study may provide additional insight into the salt-tolerant mechanisms and the quality assessment of AVF in a holistic level based on the plant metabolomics.

Sensitive Determination of C-Alkylated Flavonoids by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS Using Multiple Reaction Monitoring Approach: Pseudarthria hookeri as a Case Study

One of the major problems with the formulation of herbal medicines is the quality control of plant material to ensure its efficacy and safety. Quality control of medicinal plants requires analysis of many bioactive compounds present in the plant. C-alkylated flavonoids are an important bioactive subclass of flavonoids. A simple, rapid, sensitive and selective method is presented here for the quantification of bioactive C-alkylated flavonoids. This is the first quantitative method for analysis of C-alkylated flavonoids based on the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) approach so far. This study focuses on method development for quantification of bioactive C-alkylated flavonoids. Quantification of a total of five C-alkylated flavonoids was done employing the MRM approach on an HPLC-QqQ-MS instrument. LODs and LOQs for quantified flavonoids were in the range of 0.41–1.32 and 1.23–3.96 ng/mL, respectively. Linear calibration curves between 25 and 1500 ng/mL were obtained with the regression coefficients of ≥0.996. Accuracy (% bias) and precision (% RSD) of the analyses were found to be less than 5%. Developed HPLC-ESI-MS/MS can be employed as a quality control method of plant raw materials.

Protective Effects of Apocynum venetum Against Pirarubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity

Pirarubicin (THP) is an anthracycline antibiotic, frequently used for the treatment of various human cancers. Unfortunately, the clinical effectiveness of THP is limited by its dose-related cardiotoxicity. Apocynum leaf extract is an extract of the dried leaves of Apocynum venetum L. (a member of the Apocynaceae family, AVLE) that has many positive effects on the cardiovascular system and is widely consumed as tea in China. In this study we established a cardiactoxicity rat model, which showed that pretreatment with AVLE attenuated THP-induced myocardial histopathological injury, electrocardiogram abnormalities, and cardiac dysfunction. AVLE also significantly reduced serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), creatine kinase (CK-MB), cardiac troponin (CTnT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); and increased serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels. Treatment with AVLE or dexrazoxane (DZR) resulted in an increase Cytochrome C (cytc) in the mitochondria and reduced Cytc and cleaved-caspase-3 levels (p<0.05) in cytoplasm. We also found that AVLE significantly reduced voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), adenosine nucleotide transporter 1 (ANT1), and cyclophilin D (CYPD) mRNA expression (p<0.05). Furthermore, AVLE appeared to exert therapeutic effects in a dose-dependent manner. Our study suggests the anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic properties of AVLE may be responsible for the observed cardioprotective effects.

Simultaneous LC-MS quantification of anthocyanins and non-anthocyanin phenolics from blueberries with widely divergent profiles and biological activities

A sensitive and straightforward LC-IT-TOF-MS method was validated for the profiling and simultaneous quantification of anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavonols, phenolic acids, and resveratrol in blueberry genotypes with fruit color ranging from deep purple (Vaccinium angustifolium) to various shades of pink (crosses of V. corymbosum, V. darrowii, and V. ashei). Standard calibration curves were linear for all analytes with correlation coefficients >0.99. The relative standard deviation for intra- and inter-day precision was lower than 10%. The method allowed an easy and selective identification and quantification of phenolics in blueberries with divergent profiles. The in vitro antioxidant assay results were strongly correlated with total phenolics and total anthocyanin content. Lowbush blueberry extracts (50 μg/mL) reduced ROS and NO production, and inhibited the transcription of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6β, COX2, iNOS, and IL-6 in the in vitro assays at much lower concentrations than pink fruited berries (250 μg/mL).

Variations in Physiology and Multiple Bioactive Constituents under Salt Stress Provide Insight into the Quality Evaluation of Apocyni Veneti Folium

As one of the major abiotic stresses, salinity stress may affect the physiology and biochemical components of Apocynum venetum L. To systematically evaluate the quality of Apocyni Veneti Folium (AVF) from the perspective of physiological and the wide variety of bioactive components response to various concentrations of salt stress, this experiment was arranged on the basis of ultra-fast liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) technology and multivariate statistical analysis. Physiological characteristics of photosynthetic pigments, osmotic homeostasis, lipid peroxidation product, and antioxidative enzymes were introduced to investigate the salt tolerance mechanism of AVF under salinity treatments of four concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 300 mM NaCl, respectively). Furthermore, a total of 43 bioactive constituents, including 14 amino acids, nine nucleosides, six organic acids, and 14 flavonoids were quantified in AVF under salt stress. In addition, multivariate statistical analysis, including hierarchical clustering analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and gray relational analysis (GRA) was employed to systematically cluster, distinguish, and evaluate the samples, respectively. Compared with the control, the results demonstrated that 200 mM and 100 mM salt stress contributed to maintain high quality of photosynthesis, osmotic balance, antioxidant enzyme activity, and the accumulation of metabolites, except for total organic acids, and the quality of AVF obtained by these two groups was better than others; however, under severe stress, the accumulation of the oxidative damage and the reduction of metabolite caused by inefficiently scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) lead to lower quality. In summary, the proposed method may provide integrated information for the quality evaluation of AVF and other salt-tolerant Chinese medicines.

Quality Evaluation of Apocyni Veneti Folium from Different Habitats and Commercial Herbs Based on Simultaneous Determination of Multiple Bioactive Constituents Combined with Multivariate Statistical Analysis

Apocyni Veneti Folium (AVF) is a kind of staple traditional Chinese medicine with vast clinical consumption because of its positive effects. However, due to the habitats and adulterants, its quality is uneven. To control the quality of this medicinal herb, in this study, the quality of AVF was evaluated based on simultaneous determination of multiple bioactive constituents combined with multivariate statistical analysis. A reliable method based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of a total of 43 constituents, including 15 flavonoids, 6 organic acids, 13 amino acids, and 9 nucleosides in 41 Luobumaye samples from different habitats and commercial herbs. Furthermore, according to the contents of these 43 constituents, principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to classify and distinguish between AVF and its adulterants, leaves of Poacynum hendersonii (PHF), and gray relational analysis (GRA) was performed to evaluate the quality of the samples. The proposed method was successfully applied to the comprehensive quality evaluation of AVF, and all results demonstrated that the quality of AVF was higher than the PHF. This study will provide comprehensive information necessary for the quality control of AVF.

Qualitative analysis of major constituents from Xue Fu Zhu Yu Decoction using ultra high performance liquid chromatography with hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Xue Fu Zhu Yu Decoction, a famous formula that has been used for treating many blood stasis-caused diseases for many centuries, comprises 11 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines. A convenient, efficient, and rapid analytical method was developed to simultaneously determine the major compounds in this decoction. An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry method was used to rapidly separate and detect the major constituents of the decoction. Using this technique, we identified or tentatively identified 34 compounds, including 21 flavonoids, 5 terpenoids, 3 organic acids, 2 lactones, 1 alkaloid, 1 amino acid, and 1 cyanogenic glycoside. The MS analysis of these constituents was described in detail. Findings may contribute to future metabolic and pharmacokinetic studies of this medicine.

Enhanced HPLC-DAD Method for Fast Determination of Quercetin-3-O-β-d-Glucoside in Extracts and Polyherbal Formulations Containing Azadirachta indica-Optimization and Validation

Azadirachta indica has been used for its medicinal properties since time immemorial. Herbal medicines which are prepared using this medicinal tree are utilized to treat various diseases and disorders. No reports are available for marker-based standardization of these herbal medicines prepared from leaves of A. indica. Also existing HPLC methods for determination quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucoside are time consuming. There is an obvious need for development of new HPLC method for quantification of quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucoside which is fast enough to carry out analysis in stipulated time period. This article deals with the development, optimization and validation of fast HPLC-DAD method for the determination of quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucoside in extracts containing A. indica for its successive application for marker-based standardization of herbal formulations containing A. indica. The retention time of quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucoside was 11.213 min. The method was found to be linear in the range of 4.0-60 µg mL-1. Limit of detection and limit of quantitation of the proposed method were found to be 1.33 and 4.0 µg mL-1, respectively. The mean recoveries were found to be within 93.53-103.75%. The method can be used as quality control tool for routine analysis of herbal extracts and formulations containing A. indicia.

Characterization and quantitative analysis of phenolic derivatives in Longxuetongluo Capsule by HPLC-DAD-IT-TOF-MS

Longxuetongluo Capsule (LTC), which is derived from the total phenolic extract of Chinese dragon's blood, has been proved to be safe as well as effective towards ischemic stroke. However, the effective material basis remains unclear. The present study thereby focused on the clarification of the qualitative and quantitative properties for the phenolic derivatives in LTC. Regarding homolog-focused chemical profiling, the mass fragmentation patterns of the primary subtypes of phenolic compounds such as homoisoflavanones, flavanes, chalcones, and flavonoid oligomers were summarized by assaying authentic references with hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the chemical structures of 124 phenolic compounds, in total, were unambiguously or tentatively annotated in LTC by matching the accurate mass spectral profiles with the proposed mass cracking rules and those reference substances. Afterwards, simultaneous determination of 12 primary phenolic compounds was carried out in different batches of LTC using HPLC-DAD, after that the method was proved to be accurate, precise, and reproducible according to diverse method validation assays. The obtained findings are expected to be meaningful for clarifying the effective substances and quality assessment of LTC.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis data of the major constituents of Ilex paraguariensis leaves by UPLC-PDA and QTOF-MS

Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil. is a native plant of South America widely consumed as beverages for its ethno pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic as well as its benefits on the cardiovascular system. Since these properties are related to its chemical composition, the identification and quantification of the major compounds of I. paraguariensis extracts still remains relevant. The data described in this article supports previous results on the anti-inflammatory effect of I. paraguariensis A. St. Hil (Mate), “The anti-inflammatory effect of I. paraguariensis A. St. Hil (Mate) in a murine model of pleurisy” [1]. The present data article reports on nine major compounds identified in I. paraguariensis extracts and its related fractions by using UPLC-PDA and UPLC-QTOF. Identification of the constituents was based on their retention times, UV absorption spectra and mass spectra data, as well as by comparison with authentic samples. The validated parameters show that the quantification by UPLC-PDA methodology developed is sensitive, precise and accurate.

Extraction, Preconcentration and Isolation of Flavonoids from Apocynum venetum L. Leaves Using Ionic Liquid-Based Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction Coupled with an Aqueous Biphasic System

BACKGROUND

Ionic liquids (ILs) are considered as green solvents, and widely applied for the extraction of various compounds.

METHODS

The present research focuses on the extraction of flavonoids from Apocynum venetum L. leaves by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). Several major influencing factors were optimized. Then, an aqueous biphasic system (ABS) was applied for further isolation of flavonoids.

RESULTS

The flavonoids were mainly distributed in the top phase, while impurities were extracted to the bottom phase. The parameters influencing the extraction, namely type and concentration of salt, temperature, and pH, were studied in detail. Under optimized conditions (72.43% IL extract, 28.57% (NH4)2SO4, 25 °C temperature, pH 4.5), the preconcentration factor and extraction efficiency were found to be 3.78% and 93.35%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This simple and efficient methodology is expected to see great use in the extraction and isolation of pharmaceutically active components from medicinal plant resources.

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Phenolic Acids, Flavonoids and Iridoid Glycosides in Yinhua Kanggan Tablet by UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS

A simple, rapid and specific ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method was developed for the analysis of 29 bioactive components (10 phenolic acids, 16 flavonoids, and three iridoid glycosides) in Yinhua Kanggan tablet (YHKGT), a herbal prescription used for treating upper respiratory infections, fevers, coughs and pharyngalgia. The separation was successfully achieved using a Waters Cortecs UPLC C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.6 μm) and gradient elution with water-0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile. Polarity switching mode was used in the optimization of multiple reaction monitoring conditions. The analytical method was validated for linearity, precision and accuracy. Calibration curves for the 29 marker compounds showed good linear regression (r > 0.9982). The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) for the 29 analytes were in the range of 0.03–4.99 ng/mL and 0.16–14.87 ng/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values of intra-day precision, inter-day precision, repeatability, and stability were less than 2.79%, 4.87%, 4.18% and 4.71%, respectively. The recoveries of the 29 marker compounds were in the range of 94.67%–104.78% (RSD ≤ 4.72%). These results have shown that this developed method was efficient for the quality evaluation of YHKGT.

Apocynum venetum Attenuates Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury in Mice

Apocynum venetum L. (A. venetum) has long been used in oriental folk medicine for the treatment of some liver diseases; however, the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. Acetaminphen (APAP) is a widely used analgesic drug that can cause acute liver injury in overdose situations. In this study, we investigated the potential protective effect of A. venetum leaf extract (ALE) against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. Mice were intragastrically administered with ALE once daily for 3 consecutive days prior to receiving a single intraperitoneal injection of APAP. The APAP group showed severe liver injury characterized by the noticeable fluctuations in the following parameters: serum aminotransferases; hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione (GSH). These liver damages induced by APAP were significantly attenuated by ALE pretreatments. A collective analysis of histopathological examination, DNA laddering and western blot for caspase-3 and cytochrome c indicated that the ALE is also capable of preventing APAP-induced hepatocyte death. Hyperoside, isoquercitrin and their derivatives have been identified as the major components of ALE using HPLC-MS/MS. Taken together, the A. venetum possesses hepatoprotective effects partially due to its anti-oxidant action.

Discrimination between Leave of Apocynum venetum and Its Adulterant, A. pictum Based on Antioxidant Assay and Chemical Profiles Combined with Multivariate Statistical Analysis

An integrated approach including chemical and biological assessments was developed to investigate the differences between Apocynum venetum L. (AV) and its adulterant, Apocynum pictum Schrenk (AP). Ten flavonoids were tentatively identified by ultra-visible and mass spectra data. The chemical component, hyperoside, was identified as a critical parameter for discrimination of two species from the results of principal component analysis (PCA) and quantitative analysis. The anti-oxidative power of the herbal extracts were determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl (DPPH) assay and H₂O₂-induced cell damage on LO2 cells. The results of the biological assays suggested that the chemical differences between AV and AP do lead to difference in activity and AV is demonstrated to have higher anti-oxidant activity.

The multi-targets integrated fingerprinting for screening anti-diabetic compounds from a Chinese medicine Jinqi Jiangtang Tablet

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Jinqi Jiangtang Tablet is a traditional Chinese anti-diabetic formula containing three ingredients: Coptis chinensis Franch. (dried rhizome of C. chinensis Franch., Coptis deltoidea C. Y. Cheng et Hsiao and Coptis teeta Wall.), Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge. (dried root of A. membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge. ) Hsiao and A. membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. ) and Lonicera japonica Thunb. (dried alabastrum or with nascent flowers of L. japonica Thunb. ). Free radicals, α-glucosidase, α-amylase, aldose reductase and lipase are different targets related with diabetes. However, there are no chromatographic methods employed in screening the anti-diabetic compounds from natural products basing on these targets simultaneously. The present study was aimed at the establishment of a multi-targets integrated fingerprinting to clarify the possible mechanism of the action of Traditional Chinese Medicines which simultaneously contained multiple chemical characteristics and effects of constitutions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The multi-targets integrated fingerprinting was developed and validated to screen anti-diabetic compounds from natural products by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/quadruple-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, fraction collector and microplate reader. Ultra performance liquid chromatography was employed to separate the components in Jinqi Jiangtang Tablet, which were identified by quadruple-time-of-flight mass spectrometry to acquire their structural information and collected by the fraction collector. Finally the active fractions were tested for scavenging 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical and inhibition of α-glucosidase, α-amylase, aldose reductase, and lipase activities in vitro by microplate reader.

RESULTS

Our tests revealed that the Jinqi Jiangtang Tablet showed inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, α-amylase, aldose reductase and lipase with IC50 values of 0.80 ± 0.02 mg/mL, 1.28 ± 0.13 mg/mL, 0.80 ± 0.02 mg/mL, 1.90 ± 0.18 mg/mL respectively and the scavenging activity with IC50 value of 1.71 ± 0.178 mg/mL. The bioactive fractions were identified to be alkaloids, flavonoids and phenolic acids. The phenolic acids possessed antioxidant activities, namely the scavenging effect on 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl rull;). The alkaloids exhibited inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, aldose reductase, α-amylase, and lipase. The flavonoids also showed mild inhibition on α-glucosidase, aldose reductase, α-amylase and lipase.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate that Jinqi Jiangtang Tablet can scavenge free radicals and inhibit α-glucosidase, aldose reductase, α-amylase and lipase, which may be the possible mechanism of action of Jinqi Jiangtang Tablet for the treatment of diabetes and associated complications. Compared with conventional chromatographic separation and activity assays, the multi-targets integrated fingerprinting, which simultaneously contains the chemical characteristics and multiple effects of constitutions could comprehensively and properly reveal the activity of Jinqi Jiangtang Tablet. The results also show that the multi-targets integrated fingerprinting is a novel and powerful tool for screening and identifying active ingredients from Traditional Chinese Medicines.

Comparison of methods for rapid analysis of quercetin

Quercetin is a polyphenol of growing interest that is present in many foods. In this study, we compared two methods for its determination in samples of drinks made of juice and in dietary supplements, one chromatographic (HPLC) and other spectrofluorimetric (constant-wavelength synchronous spectrofluorimetry). To confirm the identification of the quercetin in the samples an HPLC-PDA-MS/MS system was used. It was concluded that both methods are suitable for dietary supplements and the choice of one or the other depends on the type of sample, time available for the analysis as well as the available resources. For juice beverages only HPLC is suitable.