Comparative analysis of the main active constituents from different parts of Leonurus japonicus Houtt. and from different regions in China by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

The influence of processing methods on polyphenol profiling of tea leaves from the same large-leaf cultivar (Camellia sinensis var. assamica cv. Yunkang-10): nontargeted/targeted polyphenomics and electronic sensory analysis

Tea polyphenols transform under processing methods, but a systematic study on their changes in the same large-leaf tea cultivar is lacking. Here, Camellia sinensis var. assamica cv. Yunkang-10 leaves underwent six processing methods and were assessed using optimized nontargeted (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS) and targeted (UHPLC-QqQ-MS) polyphenomics, along with molecular networking analysis. 903 and 52 polyphenolic compounds (catechins, flavones and flavonols, and phenolic acids) were respectively relatively and absolutely quantified for the first time. Dark and black teas, with the lowest polyphenol content, differed from the other four tea types, although variations existed among these four teas. However, some flavonol and flavone aglycones (e.g. kaempferol, apigenin), as well as some phenolic acids (e.g. ellagic acid, gallic acid), exhibited higher levels in dark and black teas. Correlations between polyphenolic composition and electronic sensory characteristics were observed using E-tongue and E-eye. This study enriches understanding of polyphenol profiles in Chinese teas post diverse processing.

Stachydrine, a pyrrole alkaloid with promising therapeutic potential against metabolic syndrome and associated organ dysfunction

Metabolic syndrome is a multifaceted condition marked by interconnected risk factors, significantly increasing the risk of serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. Effective management often demands new medications due to complexity of the conditions and limitations of current treatments. Natural compounds are increasingly recognized in drug discovery due to their vast chemical diversity, commercial availability, low cost, and minimal side effects. One such compound is stachydrine (STA), also known as proline betaine or N-dimethyl proline. This simple pyrrole alkaloid is a major constituent of the genus Leonurus and the family Lamiaceae, and it shows promise due to its potential therapeutic properties. A comprehensive review of the literature, sourced from databases such as PubMed, Scopus, SciFinder, and Google Scholar, has provided extensive information on the sources, chemistry, biosynthesis, derivatives, molecular targets, biological activities, bioavailability, and toxicity of STA. This review highlights numerous in vitro and in vivo studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of STA in various therapeutic areas, including anti-obesity, neuroprotective, nephroprotective, and cardiovascular protection, among others. The wide range of biological activities of STA is attributed to its influence on multiple molecular targets and signaling pathways, such as ACE/AngII/AT1R-TGFβ1, NF-κB, JAK/STAT, AKT/ERK, AMPK/CAMKKβ/LKB1, CaMKII/PLN, etc. which are critical in the development and progression of metabolic syndrome. Additionally, this review addresses limitations related to the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of STA. Overall, the findings underscore the potential of STA as a therapeutic agent for metabolic syndrome and related disorders, suggesting that further clinical investigation is warranted to fully understand and utilize its benefits.

Preliminary Evaluation of Wound Healing Potential of Leonurus japonicus Houtt. Extracts

Leonurus japonicus Houtt. is a medicinal plant popular in Brazil as "rubim", used in local folk medicine for several applications as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, and antimicrobial phytomedicine. The traditional use for wound healing is related; however, few studies have evaluated the wound healing activity. Thus, this study aimed to analyse the popular indication of the hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts of L. japonicus aerial parts in a rat wound healing model. The initial chemical characterization was performed using flavonoid quantification and complemented with mass spectroscopy/chemometrics analysis. The wound's lesion contraction and tissue regeneration (histological study stained with hematoxylin-eosin and picrosirius) were determined. Hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts presented high flavonoid content, and mass spectrometry analysis of the extracts demonstrated the presence of compounds with a mass between 100-650, reinforcing the presence of polyphenolic constituents. The extracts of L. japonicus improve various wound healing phases, like inflammatory modulation, wound contraction, and collagen synthesis, resulting in faster healing in rats. These effects could be related to the extracts' polyphenolic compounds.

Genetic diversity and population divergence of Leonurus japonicus and its distribution dynamic changes from the last interglacial to the present in China

BACKGROUND

Leonurus japonicus, a significant medicinal plant known for its therapeutic effects on gynecological and cardiovascular diseases, has genetic diversity that forms the basis for germplasm preservation and utilization in medicine. Despite its economic value, limited research has focused on its genetic diversity and divergence.

RESULTS

The avg. nucleotide diversity of 59 accessions from China were 0.00029 and hotspot regions in petN-psbM and rpl32-trnL_(UAG) spacers, which can be used for genotype discrimination. These accessions divided into four clades with significant divergence. The four subclades, which split at approximately 7.36 Ma, were likely influenced by the Hengduan Mountains uplift and global temperature drop. The initial divergence gave rise to Clade D, with a crown age estimated at 4.27 Ma, followed by Clade C, with a crown age estimated at 3.39 Ma. The four clades were not showed a clear spatial distribution. Suitable climatic conditions for the species were identified, including warmest quarter precipitation 433.20 mm ~ 1,524.07 mm, driest month precipitation > 12.06 mm, and coldest month min temp > -4.34 °C. The high suitability distribution showed contraction in LIG to LGM, followed by expansion from LGM to present. The Hengduan Mountains acted as a glacial refuge for the species during climate changes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings reflected a clear phylogenetic relationships and divergence within species L. japonicus and the identified hotspot regions could facilitate the genotype discrimination. The divergence time estimation and suitable area simulation revealed evolution dynamics of this species and may propose conservation suggestions and exploitation approaches in the future.

Isolation of three glucaric acids from Leonurus japonicus Houtt. by using high-speed countercurrent chromatography combined with semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography

The isomerism of glucaric acids and the complexity of composition of Leonurus. japonicus Houtt. increased the difficulty of the separation of glucaric acids from the herb. In the present study, three glucaric acids were isolated from Leonurus japonicus Houtt. by using high-speed countercurrent chromatography combined with semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. Cation exchange resin chromatography was applied to remove the alkaloids and enrich the glucaric acid fractions. Preliminary separation of glucaric acids extract by high-speed countercurrent chromatography was carried out at 45℃ by using an optimized solvent system of ethyl acetate/n-butanol/formic acid/water (1:1:0.01:2, v/v/v/v) with satisfied stationary phase retention and separation factor. The semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography was used for further separation and purification of the target fractions, and three monomeric compounds were obtained with the purities of 90.0%, 91.0%, and 95.3%. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and MS were employed to identify their structures, which were assigned as 2-syringyl glucaric acid, 2,4-disyringyl glucaric acid, and 3,4-disyringyl glucaric acid, respectively, and 2,4-disyringyl glucaric acid was reported for the first time. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Standardization of Leonurus sibiricus L. aerial part and capillary electrophoresis quantitative analysis of its leonurine content

The quality parameters of Leonurus sibiricus L. aerial part crude drugs were evaluated. Fifteen crude drugs were collected from various locations throughout Thailand. The transverse section of the stem of L. sibiricus showed quadrangular character highlighted the ribs with angular collenchyma. The epidermis was uniseriate with abundant glandular trichomes distribution. Prismatic calcium oxalate prisms were found in the stem medullary parenchyma.The histological character of crude drug powder showed bordered pitted vessel, fragment of fiber, glandular trichome, prism crystal, spiral vessel, starch granule, and stomata. The loss on drying, total ash, acid-insoluble ash, and moisture contents should be not more than 8.18, 15.28, 4.04, and 8.91 g/100 g dry weight, whereas ethanol and water-soluble extractive values should be not less than 7.67, and 17.21 g/100 g of dry weight, respectively. Leonurine in the crude drugs were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with photodiode array detector. The ethanolic extraction performed by Soxhlet apparatus yielded 18.86 ± 4.09 g/100 g dry weight. The electropherogram detected at 277 nm showed the migration time of leonurine at 6.2 min. The developed CE was found to be valid for leonurine quantification in L. sibiricus ethanolic extract. The contents of leonurine in 15 crude drugs ranged from 0.79 to 4.23 mg/g with the average of 2.38 ± 1.10 mg/g dry weight. This study established the pharmacognostic specification of L. sibiricus crude drug in Thailand with special reference to a bioactive compound, leonurine. CE was beneficial technique for the analysis of leonurine in L. sibiricus aerial parts.

Chemical profiling and multicomponents quantitative analysis of Panzerina lanata by ultra-fast liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

Panzerina lanata is a Chinese medicine with the bioactivity of detumescence and detoxification. In this study, novel qualitative and quantitative methods were established by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry, respectively. As a result, 20 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized including flavonoids, organic acids, alkaloids, and lignans, five of which were identified for the first time based on the reference standards. The quantitative approach exhibited good linearity (R²  > 0.995), precision (RSDs < 4.97%), stability (RSDs < 4.77%), and recovery (96.04-104.14%). Afterward, this method was implemented to determine 11 flavonoids in four batches of P. lanata. Among them, seven compounds were quantified for the first time. Narcissin was abundant in each batch of P. lanata (average of 10.890-14.230 mg/g) with the highest quantities. The results provide valuable information for quality evaluation.

Rapid qualitative identification and quantitative analysis of Flos Mume based on Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy

Flos Mume, an ancient Chinese plant, is widely used for food and medicine. There are numerous varieties of Flos Mume, whose main active components are chlorogenic acid, hyperoside and isoquercitrin. Currently, Flos Mume varieties are mainly distinguished by physical appearance and they have not been scientifically indexed for identification. Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) is a technique that when combined with chemometrics, determines internal components of samples and classifies them. Here, to distinguish between different Flos Mume varieties, we used a qualitative identification model based on FT-NIR. Various model parameters indicated its stability and high predictive performance. We developed a rapid, non-destructive method of simultaneously analyzing 8 components but found that only neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, hyperoside, and isoquercitrin have application value. Other components were excluded due to low concentration and poor prediction. Chemometric analysis found that chlorogenic acid become an ingredient which is quite different in the different categories. The content of chlorogenic acid were the highest among these components. Different varieties of Flos Mume were distinguished based on chlorogenic acid content, indicating that chlorogenic acid has potential to become a key indicator for application in quality evaluation. The established FT-NIR model for chlorogenic acid detection had excellent predictive capacity. FT-NIR was the first time applied to Flos Mume and our findings offer theoretical reference for the rapid identification and quantitative analysis of Flos Mume based on FT-NIR. Flos Mume could be evaluated for quality quickly and easily by means of FT-NIR spectroscopy.

Comparison of content-toxicity-activity of six ingenane-type diterpenoids between Euphorbia kansui before and after stir-fried with vinegar by using UFLC-MS/MS, zebrafish embryos and HT-29 cells

The dried roots of Euphorbia kansui (EK) are especially beneficial for the treatment of edema, but the severe toxicity limits their clinical applications. Euphorbia kansui stir-fried with vinegar (VEK) is traditionally employed to reduce the toxicity of EK. However, the material basis for the toxicity reduction with effectivity conservation is still unclear. Therefore, in this study, a rapid, sensitive, and reliable ultra-fast liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) method was firstly established to simultaneously determine six ingenane-type diterpenoids, i.e. kansuiphorin C (1), 5-O-benzoyl-20-deoxyingenol (2), 20-deoxyingenol (3), 3-O-(2'E,4'E-decadienoyl)-20-O-acetylingenol (4), 20-O-(2'E,4'Z-decadienoyl)ingenol (5), and ingenol (6), in EK and VEK based on the processing conversion. Then, the toxicity evaluation on zebrafish embryos and modulation of the expression of aquaporin-3 (AQP3) proteins in HT-29 cells were employed to investigate the toxicity-activity of six compounds. Chromatographic separation was obtained on Waters BEH RP18 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 2.5 μm) with the mobile phase composed of 0.1 % formic acid in acetonitrile and water, respectively. The column temperature was 35 ℃ at a flow rate of 0.4 mL min^-1. Multiple reaction monitoring was conducted in both positive and negative modes for quantitative analysis. The method was then successfully used for the determination of six compounds in EK and VEK. In addition, 1, 2, 4, and 5 had evident cardiotoxicity, intestinal irritation and nutrient absorption disorders on zebrafish larvae, while no in-vivo toxicity was seen for groups given 3 and 6 (LC₅₀ > 200 μM). Meanwhile, 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 significantly increased the expression of AQP3 protein (p < 0.05) to promote the excretion of water in the colon. This study demonstrated that toxic ingenane-type diterpenoids converted into the less toxic compounds with the same core structure through the breakage of multiple ester bonds in the side chain. At the same time, the laxative effect was retained, providing useful information for the optimization of the process of EK and quality evaluation of other similar toxic Chinese herbal medicines.

Comparatively Evaluating the Role of Herb Pairs Containing Angelicae Sinensis Radix in Xin-Sheng-Hua Granule by Withdrawal Analysis

The present study aims to investigate the roles of herb pairs containing Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Danggui) in Xin-Sheng-Hua Granule (XSHG) on hemolytic and aplastic anemia (HAA) mice. HAA model mice were induced by acetyl phenylhydrazine and cyclophosphamide; then the samples of XSHG and its decomposed recipes (DY, DC, DT, DH, DJ, and DZ) were orally administrated to these mice. Indicators of peripheral blood routine, organ index, and ATPase activities were tested. Moreover, the main effective components in these samples were also analyzed by UHPLC-TQ-MS/MS. Clear separation between the control and model groups from score plot of principal component analysis (PCA) was easily seen, indicating that HAA model was successfully conducted. Afterwards, relative distance calculation method between dose groups and control group from PCA score plot was adopted to evaluate the integrated effects of hematinic function of different samples. And the orders of hematinic effects were as follows: XHSG > DJ > DT > DZ > DH > DC > DY. Further analysis of these samples by UHPLC-TQ-MS/MS revealed that XSHG underwent complicated changes when herb pairs containing Danggui were excluded from XSHG, respectively. Compared with XSHG, the vast majority of active compounds in sample DY (formula minus herb pair Danggui-Yimucao) decreased significantly, which could partly explain why herb pair Danggui-Yimucao made great contribution to XSHG. These findings showed that withdrawal analysis method is a valuable tool to analyze the impacts of herb pairs containing Danggui on XSHG, which could lay foundation to reveal the compatibility rules of this formula.

The Guanidine Pseudoalkaloids 10-Methoxy-Leonurine and Leonurine Act as Competitive Inhibitors of Tyrosinase

Tyrosinase plays a key role in the production of melanin. A variety of industrial fields have shown interest in the development of tyrosinase inhibitors from plants. In this study, compounds 1–5 derived from Leonurus japonicas were evaluated to determine their ability to inhibit tyrosinase. Of these, 10-methoxy-leonurine (1) and leonurine (2) exhibited IC₅₀ values of 7.4 ± 0.4 and 12.4 ± 0.8 μM, respectively, and acted as competitive inhibitors of tyrosinase, with Ki values in the micromolar range. In silico modeling revealed a guanidine group located in the inner cavity and a benzene ring docked within the active site of these compounds. These guanidine pseudoalkaloids show potential not only as tyrosinase inhibitors but also as lead compounds in new scaffolds for the development of novel inhibitors.