An integrated strategy for establishment of curcuminoid profile in turmeric using two LC–MS/MS platforms

Traceability of chemicals from Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook. f. in raw honey and the potential synergistic effects of honey on acute toxicity induced by celastrol and triptolide

The object of this study was to trace TwHf-derived toxins in raw honey and clarify their acute toxic effect related to the addition of honey or sugars. TwHf flowers, raw honey from TwHf planting base and from beekeepers in high-risk area were detected using LC-MS/MS. The results revealed five target toxins were detected in TwHf flowers; only celastrol was detected in one raw honey sample, as a food safety risk factor, celastrol had been traced back to TwHf flowers from raw honey. In a series of acute toxic tests on zebrafish, toxification effects were observed when honey, mimic honey or sugar was mixed with toxins. The degree of toxicity varied among various sugar-based solutions. At the same mass concentration, they follow this order: raw honey/mimic honey > glucose > fructose. The main toxic target organs of triptolide and celastrol with honey were the heart and liver.

The chemical composition of Diwu YangGan capsule and its potential inhibitory roles on hepatocellular carcinoma by microarray-based transcriptomics

The Traditional Chinese Medicine compound preparation known as Diwu Yanggan capsule (DWYG) can effectively hinder the onset and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is recognized worldwide as a significant contributor to fatalities associated with cancer. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms implicated have remained ambiguous. In present study, the model of HCC was set up by the 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF)/partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats. To confirm the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in the microarray analysis, real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) was conducted. In the meantime, the liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS/MS) was employed to characterize the component profile of DWYG. Consequently, the DWYG treatment exhibited the ability to reverse 51 variation genes induced by 2-AAF/PH. Additionally, there was an overlap of 54 variation genes between the normal and model groups. Upon conducting RT-qPCR analysis, it was observed that the expression levels of all genes were increased by 2-AAF/PH and subsequently reversed after DWYG treatment. Notably, the fold change of expression levels for all genes was below 0.5, with 3 genes falling below 0.25. Moreover, an investigation was conducted to determine the signaling pathway that was activated/inhibited in the HCC group and subsequently reversed in the DWYG group. Moreover, the component profile of DWYG encompassed a comprehensive compilation of 206 compounds that were identified or characterized. The findings of this study elucidated the potential alleviative mechanisms of DWYG in the context of HCC, thereby holding significant implications for its future clinical utilization and widespread adoption.

Targeted Screening of Curcumin Derivatives as Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitors Using Computer-Aided Drug Design

Curcumin has demonstrated promising preclinical antiobesity effects, but its low bioavailability makes it difficult to exert its full effect at a suitable dose. The objective of this study was to screen curcumin derivatives with enhanced bioavailability and lipid-lowering activity under the guidance of computer-aided drug design (CADD). CAAD was used to perform virtual assays on curcumin derivatives to assess their pharmacokinetic properties and effects on pancreatic lipase activity. Subsequently, 19 curcumin derivatives containing 5 skeletons were synthesized to confirm the above virtual assay. The in vitro pancreatic lipase inhibition assay was employed to determine the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of these 19 curcumin derivatives. Based on CADD analysis and in vitro pancreatic lipase inhibition, 2 curcumin derivatives outperformed curcumin in both aspects. Microscale thermophoresis (MST) experiments were employed to assess the binding equilibrium constants (K d) of the aforementioned 2 curcumin derivatives, curcumin, and the positive control drug with pancreatic lipase. Through virtual screening utilizing a chemoinformatics database and molecular docking, 6 derivatives of curcumin demonstrated superior solubility, absorption, and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity compared to curcumin. The IC50 value for 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)heptane-3,5-dione (C4), which displayed the most effective inhibitory effect, was 42.83 μM, while the IC50 value for 1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)heptane-3,5-dione (C6) was 98.62 μM. On the other hand, the IC50 value for curcumin was 142.24 μM. The MST experiment results indicated that the K d values of C4, C6, and curcumin were 2.91, 18.20, and 23.53 μM, respectively. The results of the activity assays exhibited a relatively high degree of concordance with the outcomes yielded by CADD screening. Under the guidance of CADD, the targeted screening of curcumin derivatives with excellent properties in this study exhibited high-efficiency and low-cost benefits.

Rapid quality assessment and traceability of ginger powder from Northeast India and Indian market based on near infrared spectroscopic fingerprinting

INTRODUCTION

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) varies widely due to varying concentrations of phytochemicals and geographical origin. Rapid non-invasive quality and traceability assessment techniques ensure a sustainable value chain.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is the development of suitable machine learning models to estimate the concentration of 6-gingerol and check traceability based on the spectral fingerprints of dried ginger samples collected from Northeast India and the Indian market using near-infrared spectrometry.

METHODS

Samples from the market and Northeast India underwent High Performance Liquid Chromatographic analysis for 6-gingerol content estimation. Near infrared (NIR) Spectrometer acquired spectral data. Quality prediction utilized partial least square regression (PLSR), while fingerprint-based traceability identification employed principal component analysis and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE). Model performance was assessed using RMSE and R2 values across selective wavelengths and spectral fingerprints.

RESULTS

The standard normal variate pretreated spectral data over the wavelength region of 1,100-1,250 nm and 1,325-1,550 nm showed the optimal calibration model with root mean square error of calibration and R2 C (coefficient of determination for calibration) values of 0.87 and 0.897 respectively. A lower value (0.24) of root mean square error of prediction and a higher value (0.973) of R2 P (coefficient of determination for prediction) indicated the effectiveness of the developed model. t-SNE performed better clustering of samples based on geographical location, which was independent of gingerol content.

CONCLUSION

The developed NIR spectroscopic model for Indian ginger samples predicts the 6-gingerol content and provides geographical traceability-based identification to ensure a sustainable value chain, which can promote efficiency, cost-effectiveness, consumer confidence, sustainable sourcing, traceability, and data-driven decision-making.

Components from Curcuma longa (Turmeric) Against Hepatobiliary Diseases Based on Gut-Liver Axis: Pharmacotherapeutic Properties and Potential Clinical Applications

Turmeric is widely used worldwide, and there are many examples of its use in treating hepatobiliary diseases. The gut-liver axis is a bidirectional relationship between gut microorganisms and the liver that is closely related to the pathogenesis of hepatobiliary diseases. This review systematically summarizes the components of turmeric. It links the studies on turmeric affecting gut microorganisms to its effects on liver and biliary diseases to explain the potential mechanism of turmeric's regulation of the gut-liver axis. Besides, ethnopharmacology, phytochemicals, and clinical adverse events associated with turmeric have been researched. Furthermore, turmeric is a safe agent with good clinical efficacy and without apparent toxicity at a certain amount. By summarizing the influence of turmeric on the liver by regulating the gut-liver axis, especially the gut microbiota, it provides a preclinical basis for using turmeric as a safe and effective therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of hepatobiliary diseases based on the gut-liver axis. However, more efforts should be made to exploit its clinical application further.

The Golden Spice for Life: Turmeric with the Pharmacological Benefits of Curcuminoids Components, Including Curcumin, Bisdemethoxycurcumin, and Demethoxycurcumins

BACKGROUND

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, is a perennial rhizomatous plant of tropical and subtropical regions. The three major chemical components responsible for the biological activities of turmeric are curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin.

METHODS

The literature search included review articles, analytical studies, randomized control experiments, and observations, which have been gathered from various sources, such as Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. A review of the literature was carried out using the keywords: turmeric, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Iranian medicine, traditional Indian medicine, curcumin, curcuminoids, pharmaceutical benefits, turmerone, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. The main components of the rhizome of the leaf are α-turmerone, β-turmerone, and arturmerone.

RESULTS

The notable health benefits of turmeric are antioxidant activity, gastrointestinal effects, anticancer effects, cardiovascular and antidiabetic effects, antimicrobial activity, photoprotector activity, hepatoprotective and renoprotective effects, and appropriate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and inflammatory and edematic disorders.

DISCUSSION

Curcuminoids are phenolic compounds usually used as pigment spices with many health benefits, such as antiviral, antitumour, anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, anticancer, and antifungal effects. Curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin are the major active and stable bioactive constituents of curcuminoids. Curcumin, which is a hydroponic polyphenol, and the main coloring agent in the rhizomes of turmeric, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anticarcinogenic activities, as well as beneficial effects for infectious diseases and Alzheimer's disease. Bisdemethoxycurcumin possesses antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-metastasis activities. Demethoxycurcumin, which is another major component, has anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and anti-cancer activities and is the appropriate candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

CONCLUSION

The goal of this review is to highlight the health benefits of turmeric in both traditional and modern pharmaceutical sciences by considering the important roles of curcuminoids and other major chemical constituents of turmeric.

Polyphenolic HRMS Characterization, Contents and Antioxidant Activity of Curcuma longa Rhizomes from Costa Rica

Curcuma longa constitutes an important source of secondary metabolites that have been associated with multiple health benefits. For instance, curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin, have been found to perform important biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, antihypertensive and anticoagulant. These promising results prompted this research to evaluate the polyphenols of C. longa rhizomes in Costa Rica. The present work reports a comprehensive study on the polyphenolic profile and the contents of the three main curcuminoids as well as the antioxidant activity of extracts from C. longa rhizomes (n = 12) produced in Costa Rica. Through UPLC-QTOF-ESI MS, a total of 33 polyphenols were identified, grouped in eight types of structures. In addition, our findings on the main curcuminoids using UPLC-DAD show all rhizomes complying with total curcuminoids (TC) content established by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). At an individual level, samples NW-3 and NE-1 show the higher contents (118.7 and 125.0 mg/g dry material), representing more than twice the average values of the lowest samples. These samples also exhibit the highest Folin−Ciocalteu (FC) reducing capacity results as well as the best DPPH (IC50 15.21 and 16.07 µg extract/mL) and NO (IC50 between 52.5 and 54.3 µg extract/mL) antioxidant values. Further, Pearson correlation analysis findings indicated positive correlation (p < 0.05) between TC, CUR with FC results (r = 0.833 and r = 0.867 respectively) and negative correlation (p < 0.05) between CUR, TC and FC with DPPH results (r = −0.898, r = −0.911, and r = −0.890, respectively) and between NO results and DPPH (r = −0.805, p < 0.05). Finally, results for Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed composition variability associated with their region of origin with products from the Northeastern (NE) region exhibiting higher average values for FC, TC and antioxidant activities. Further, PCA confirmed that two samples, namely NE-1 and NW-3, stand out by presenting the highest PC1 due to their particularly high TC, CUR and antioxidant activities. Consequently, our findings agree with previous results indicating the importance of C. longa extracts to elaborate products with potential benefits for health, while delivering extracts with higher levels of curcuminoids than previous reports and exhibiting high antioxidant activity.

Quantitative proteomics of plasma and liver reveals the mechanism of turmeric in preventing hyperlipidemia in mice

Hyperlipidemia is manifested by abnormal levels of circulating lipids and may lead to various cardiovascular diseases. Studies have demonstrated that turmeric supplemented in food can effectively prevent hyperlipidemia. The aim of this study is to elucidate the underlying mechanism. 27 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups, which were fed with a standard diet, a high-fat diet and a high-fat diet supplemented with turmeric powder (2.0% w/w), respectively. After eight weeks of feeding, turmeric intervention significantly reduced the plasma TC, TG, and LDL-C levels and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio of mice compared with high-fat diet fed mice. TMT-based proteomic analysis showed that the expression of 24 proteins in mouse plasma and 76 proteins in mouse liver was significantly altered by turmeric, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis showed that differential proteins in the plasma were mainly involved in complement and coagulation cascades and the cholesterol metabolism pathway. The differential proteins in the liver were mainly involved in arachidonic acid metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis and the PPAR signaling pathway. Key differential proteins were successfully validated by western blot analysis. This study is the first to reveal the preventive mechanism of turmeric on hyperlipidemia from proteomics. The results showed that dietary turmeric could prevent hyperlipidemia through regulating the expression of proteins in metabolism pathways.

Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Effects of New Diarylheptanoids from Rhynchanthus beesianus

Rhynchanthus beesianus (Zingiberaceae) has been an important food spice and vegetable in southern China. Fifteen phenolic compounds (1-15) including three new diarylheptanoids, rhynchanines A-C (1-3) and one new phenylpropanoid, 4-O-methylstroside B (9), were isolated from R. beesianus rhizomes. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by comprehensive analyses through NMR, HRMS technique, acid hydrolysis, and Mosher's reaction. Among them, compound 5 is the first isolated natural product and its NMR data are reported. Most of the isolated compounds, especially 3-6 and 8, showed significant antioxidant activities on DPPH, ABTS⁺ radical scavenging, and FRAP assays. Furthermore, the antioxidant phenolic compounds were evaluated for their cytoprotective capacity against H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in HepG-2 cells. Compounds 3 and 5 could significantly inhibit reactive oxygen species production, and compounds 3, 5, and 6 could remarkably prevent the cell apoptosis. Then, the R. beesianus rhizome, which contained phenolic compounds, might serve as a functional food for potential application on preventing oxidative stress-connected diseases.

Insight into chemical basis of traditional Chinese medicine based on the state-of-the-art techniques of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been an indispensable source of drugs for curing various human diseases. However, the inherent chemical diversity and complexity of TCM restricted the safety and efficacy of its usage. Over the past few decades, the combination of liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry has contributed greatly to the TCM qualitative analysis. And novel approaches have been continuously introduced to improve the analytical performance, including both the data acquisition methods to generate a large and informative dataset, and the data post-processing tools to extract the structure-related MS information. Furthermore, the fast-developing computer techniques and big data analytics have markedly enriched the data processing tools, bringing benefits of high efficiency and accuracy. To provide an up-to-date review of the latest techniques on the TCM qualitative analysis, multiple data-independent acquisition methods and data-dependent acquisition methods (precursor ion list, dynamic exclusion, mass tag, precursor ion scan, neutral loss scan, and multiple reaction monitoring) and post-processing techniques (mass defect filtering, diagnostic ion filtering, neutral loss filtering, mass spectral trees similarity filter, molecular networking, statistical analysis, database matching, etc.) were summarized and categorized. Applications of each technique and integrated analytical strategies were highlighted, discussion and future perspectives were proposed as well.

Qualitative analysis on chemical constituents from different polarity extracted fractions of the pulp and peel of ginger rhizomes by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Ginger pulp is the dried rhizome scraped off the skin which originates from Zingiber officinale Rosc., a Zingiberaceae plant. Ginger peel is the dried rhizome skin of Zingiber officinale Rosc. (Zingiberaceae). The present work aims to investigate the different chemical constituents that are related to the medicinal properties of the ginger pulp and ginger peel.

METHODS

A rapid ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI-QTOF/MS) method was developed for qualitative analysis of the constituents in different polarity extracted fractions of the pulp and peel of ginger rhizomes.

RESULTS

A total of 83 compounds were identified from the pulp and peel of ginger rhizomes, including 36 diarylheptanoids, 25 gingerols and 22 other compounds. Nine of these were new compounds. In total, 46, 27, 65 and 51 compounds were identified from the crude extract, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions of the ginger pulp, respectively, and 60, 30, 70 and 62 compounds were identified from the crude extract, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol fractions of the ginger peel, respectively. Each identified compound is marked on the corresponding chromatogram.

CONCLUSIONS

The integrated method is sensitive and reliable for searching the different chemical constituents from different polarity extracted fractions of the ginger pulp and ginger peel. This work may provide a significant contribution to research into the medicinal properties of the ginger pulp and ginger peel.

Discrimination of turmeric from different origins in China by MRM-based curcuminoid profiling and multivariate analysis

In this research, a three-step strategy was utilized for discriminating turmeric samples from different provinces and regions in China. Firstly, MRM-based UPLC-MS/MS method for chemical profiling of curcuminoids in turmeric samples was established. Then, response surface methodology was applied for optimizing the extraction process of targeted curcuminoids. Finally, multivariate analysis was conducted for systematic characterization of 66 curcuminoids in turmeric. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projection to latent structure-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed that turmeric samples from Sichuan and other regions could be classified into two distinct groups. Turmeric samples from the same group had similar curcuminoids content distribution. 25 differential curcuminoids were discovered through OPLS-DA, among which most curcuminoids were more abundant in Sichuan. Furthermore, turmeric samples from different provinces could be clearly discriminated based on hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) using the screened differential curcuminoids.

Recent advances in the application of metabolomics for food safety control and food quality analyses

As one of the omics fields, metabolomics has unique advantages in facilitating the understanding of physiological and pathological activities in biology, physiology, pathology, and food science. In this review, based on developments in analytical chemistry tools, cheminformatics, and bioinformatics methods, we highlight the current applications of metabolomics in food safety, food authenticity and quality, and food traceability. Additionally, the combined use of metabolomics with other omics techniques for "foodomics" is comprehensively described. Finally, the latest developments and advances, practical challenges and limitations, and requirements related to the application of metabolomics are critically discussed, providing new insight into the application of metabolomics in food analysis.

A two-step approach for systematic identification and quality evaluation of wild and introduced Anemone flaccida Fr. Schmidt (Di Wu) based on DNA barcode and UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS

Herbal materials have both medicinal and commercial values. As such, accurate species and content identification and verification are necessary to ensure the safe and effective use for medical and commodity purposes. Herein, we introduce a two-step approach for systematic identification and quality evaluation of wild and introduced Anemone flaccida Fr. Schmidt (aka Di Wu) using DNA barcode and ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). To begin, a precise and rapid identification method based on internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence was developed to ensure the authenticity of 'Di Wu' species. Next, the major active components were fully characterized utilizing a targeted profile of oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins, which was established via UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. As a result, 34 oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins were identified or characterized in 'Di Wu.' The qualitative and relative quantitative analysis showed obvious differences between wild and introduced 'Di Wu.' Furthermore, dynamic changes in the contents of triterpenoid saponins throughout various harvesting periods were clearly explained and mid-April was identified as the appropriate harvest time. Moreover, results indicate that the contents of five main saponins (anhuienoside E, glycosideSt-I4a, hemsgiganoside B, flaccidoside II, and hederasaponin B) are more appropriate as a quality evaluation indicator than the current quality standard. The two-step approach provides a suitable strategy to evaluate the genuine quality of wild and introduced 'Di Wu,' and can be applied to the targeted analysis of other triterpenoid saponin analogues for quality evaluation. Graphical Abstract .

Effects of chromatographic conditions and mass spectrometric parameters on the ionization and fragmentation of triterpene saponins of Ilex asprella in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis

High performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF-MS) is widely used to qualitatively characterize the chemical profiles of herbal medicines, in which the generated adducts and fragments are crucial for confirming molecular ion (deprotonated/protonated ion) and deducing structure of detected components. However, how chromatographic and mass spectrometric (LC-MS) conditions/parameters affect the quantity and intensity of adducts and fragments of detected components is scarcely concerned. In present study, three types of triterpene saponins from the root of Ilex asprella (RIA) were selected as a case study to systematically investigate the effects of LC/MS conditions/parameters on their ionization and fragmentation, so as to obtain higher intensity (higher detection sensitivity) and quantity (rich information) of adducts and fragments for the characterization of components in RIA. It was found that for LC conditions, methanol as organic phase was more benefit for generating more adducts with higher intensity; formic acid as a modifier suppressed the formation of [M-2H]^2-, thus promoted the generation of other types of adducts at lower concentration but inhibited the generation when the concentration exceeded 0.1%. MS parameters affect scarcely the quantity but mainly intensity of adducts, cone voltage, source temperature and desolvation gas flow have relatively higher impacts when compared with other parameters. Collision energy affected both quantity and intensity of fragments. MS parameters at the medium value largely increased the quantity and intensity of adducts and fragments. Three-types of triterpene saponins presented structurally specific ionization and fragmentation due to their amounts of acidic substitutes. A total of 55 components were detected and definitely or tentatively identified in RIA under the optimized LC-MS conditions, among which 35 triterpene saponins were firstly discovered. This is the first report that proposes and validates a systematic approach for assessing the effects of LC/MS conditions/parameters on the ionization and fragmentation of analytes, which could be helpful for the optimization of LC-MS conditions for effective chemical profiling analysis of herbal medicines.

The metabolic change in serum lysoglycerophospholipids intervened by triterpenoid saponins from Kuding tea on hyperlipidemic mice

Triterpenoid saponins from Kuding tea have demonstrated preventive effects on hyperlipidaemia induced by a high-fat diet. Lysoglycerophospholipids (Lyso-GPLs) are known to be associated with proatherogenic conditions such as hyperlipidaemia. In this study, a target profiling strategy based on a multiple reaction monitoring mode was applied for the analysis of Lyso-GPLs. The metabolic changes were evaluated by the qualitative and relative quantitative distribution of six classes of Lyso-GPLs in mouse serum. A total of 153 Lyso-GPL regioisomers, consisting of 85 lysophosphatidylcholines, 15 lysophosphatidic acids, 23 lysophosphatidylethanolamines, 5 lysophosphatidylserines, 19 lysophosphatidylinositols and 6 lysophosphatidylglycerols, were detected and quantified. The results showed decreased trends in the content of total Lyso-GPLs in the serum of hyperlipidemic mice compared with that in normal controls. The content of total Lyso-GPLs significantly increased after treatment with triterpenoid saponins from Kuding tea. Among them, the proportions of most Lyso-GPLs with a higher degree of unsaturation or a longer carbon chain in fatty acyl chains dramatically decreased in hyperlipidemic mice. However, this tendency reversed after the treatment of triterpenoid saponins from Kuding tea. This is the first study regarding a target profiling strategy for the quantitative analysis of six different types of Lyso-GPLs on high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic mice intervened by Kuding tea. Those Lyso-GPLs changed significantly may be potential biomarkers for hyperlipidaemia, and involved in the mechanism of the preventive intervention of Kuding tea on Lipid metabolic diseases.

MS-Based Analytical Techniques: Advances in Spray-Based Methods and EI-LC-MS Applications

Mass spectrometry is the most powerful technique for the detection and identification of organic compounds. It can provide molecular weight information and a wealth of structural details that give a unique fingerprint for each analyte. Due to these characteristics, mass spectrometry-based analytical methods are showing an increasing interest in the scientific community, especially in food safety, environmental, and forensic investigation areas where the simultaneous detection of targeted and nontargeted compounds represents a key factor. In addition, safety risks can be identified at the early stage through online and real-time analytical methodologies. In this context, several efforts have been made to achieve analytical instrumentation able to perform real-time analysis in the native environment of samples and to generate highly informative spectra. This review article provides a survey of some instrumental innovations and their applications with particular attention to spray-based MS methods and food analysis issues. The survey will attempt to cover the state of the art from 2012 up to 2017.

Identification and characterization of curcuminoids in turmeric using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry

A three-step strategy was developed for systematic characterization of curcuminoids in turmeric. Based on UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis, 89 curcuminoids including 16 novel ones were identified in the turmeric samples using this approach. During the identification process, false positive results were excluded by combining the positive and negative ESI-MS/MS analyses. Moreover, the characterization of the keto and enol forms of type A, B and C curcuminoids was first discussed and they were clearly distinguished using negative ESI-MS/MS method with UV spectra analyses. The structures of detected curcuminoids were identified and rationalized in both ion modes. Additionally, the fragmentation behaviors of the 15 types of curcuminoids were clearly illustrated in this work, which will be helpful for detection and identification of corresponding trace curcuminoids in complex turmeric samples using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS methods.

Enrichment and Cytotoxic Activity of Curcuminoids from Turmeric Using Macroporous Resins

Curcuminoids are functional secondary metabolites abundant in turmeric. In the present study, a simple and efficient method for enrichment of curcuminoids from turmeric was developed using macroporous resin. Eight different types of macroporous resins were examined by static adsorption/desorption properties and the type of XDA-7 was selected as the optimum one. Under the optimized conditions, the final contents of refined extract excluded 84.2% of impurities, by comparison with crude extract in a scale-up experiment. Meanwhile, 8 representative curcuminoids including 4 dihydro- and tetrahydro-curcuminoids were enriched, isolated, and identified by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. In addition, the individual curcuminoids were prepared to evaluate their cytotoxic activity toward HeLa tumor cell lines. All compounds, especially the trace amount of curcuminoids, demonstrated notable cytotoxic activity. The results supported that those trace amount of curcuminoids can be good candidates for drug development as anticancer agents. The purification process was simple and efficient, which could afford a potential method to enrich and concentrate not only the major curcuminoids, but also the trace amount of ones from turmeric raw materials for industrial applications.