Comprehensive analysis of chemical constituents in Xingxiong injection by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Phytochemical Compounds, Antioxidant, and Digestive Enzymes Inhibitory Activities of Different Fractions from Ginkgo biloba L. Nut Shells

This study was designed to investigate the phytochemical compounds, antioxidant, and digestive enzymes inhibitory activities of the free (F), esterified (E), and insoluble-bound (IB) fractions from Ginkgo biloba L. nut shells. Results showed that a total of twelve compounds were detected in G. biloba nut shells by using UHPLC-ESI-HRMS/MS, including two kinds of organic acids, three kinds of phenolic acids, three kinds of flavonoids, and four kinds of terpene lactones. The F fraction contained all identified compounds and had the highest contents of the total phenolics and total flavonoids. All of the three different fractions exhibited good DPPH radical and ABTS radical cation scavenging activities and strong inhibitory effects on the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, these three fractions also had good inhibitory effects towards α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. Among the three fractions, the F fraction possessed the strongest bioactivities. The findings obtained in the current study may provide some insights and bases for the further investigation and application of G. biloba nut shells in clinical medicine or the nutraceutical industry.

Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Ilex Leaves Water Extracts

Plants from the Ilex genus are known for properties such as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity, can act as antiobesity agents and thus can be helpful in medicine. Some holly species, such as Ilex paraguariensis (widely known in the form of popular beverage: yerba mate), have been investigated, while others have been partially researched or remain unknown. Therefore, we performed qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses and screened antimicrobial properties of lesser-studied species (I. aquifolium L., I. aquifolium ‘Argentea Marginata’ and I. × meserveae ‘Blue Angel’). I. paraguariensis was used as a standard species for comparison purposes. Investigations were performed on water extracts due to their expected activity and composition. Antimicrobial research included evaluating minimal inhibitory, bactericidal (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) and fungicidal concentration (Candida albicans, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum, and Aspergillus niger) of extracts. The influence of the extracts on the production, eradication, and viability of bacterial biofilms was also analysed. It was established that Ilex paraguariensis possesses the richest profile of hydroxycinnamic acids derivatives in terms of component concentration and diversity. Ilex spp., especially I. × meserveae, contain a slightly higher amount of flavonoids and more different flavonoid derivatives than I. paraguariensis. However, the strongest antibacterial activity was shown by I. aquifolium L. and its cultivar ‘Argentea Marginata’ in terms of minimal inhibitory, bactericidal and fungicidal concentration, and biofilm assays. Extracts from both species significantly reduced the biofilm viability of S. aureus as well, which may be of use in the production of multicomponent lavaseptics, antiseptics, diuretics (supporting urinary tract infection therapy) and, due to their action on fungi, additives to growth media for specific fungi. The significant content of saponins enables Ilex extracts to be used as natural emulsifiers, for example, in cosmetics. Moreover, relatively high chlorogenic acid and rutin content may suggest use of Ilex spp. to treat obesity, digestive problems, in chemoprevention, and as preservatives in the food industry.

Analysis of chemical constituents and six compounds in Qu-feng-sheng-shi Granules via HPLC-ESI-Q/TOF-MSn and HPLC-UV technique

Qu-feng-sheng-shi Granules (QFSSG), a common prescription for the treatment of chronic inflammation and allergic rhinitis, is widely used in the clinic as a traditional Chinese medicine. Chemical analysis and quality control studies of this formulation are relatively limited compared with pharmacological studies. In this study, a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q/TOF-MSⁿ ) was used to identify the components in this prescription. Next, to quantify six major compounds, an HPLC-UV method was developed and validated. The results showed that 53 compounds were identified based on the MSⁿ data, retention time and previous reports, including 17 coumarins, 14 lignans, 10 chromones, nine phenylethanoid glycosides and three other compounds, were identified or tentatively assigned. Contents of six major bioactive compounds (4'-O-β-glucopyranosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol, Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, forsythin, magnolin, imperatorin, isoimperatorin) could be determined by HPLC simultaneously. In addition, the potential anti-inflammatory activity of six major compounds was determined too, and we found that four compounds (4'-O-β-glucopyranosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol, Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, forsythin, imperatorin) have a potent nitric oxide inhibitory effect. In conclusion, this work provided comprehensive information on the quality control of QFSSG and evaluated the potential biological activity of the main components in QFSSG, which can contribute to understanding and using it more scientifically.