Profiling and identification of chlorogenic acid metabolites in rats by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometer

Combined immunochemotherapy achieving targeted co-delivery of chlorogenic acid and doxorubicin by sialic acid-modified liposomes enhances anti-cancer efficacy

Malignant melanoma is a high-grade aggressive skin tumor with an increasing incidence and mortality rates worldwide. Chemotherapeutic drugs such as doxorubicin have limited efficacy against melanoma due to their poor sensitivity, severe side effects, and drug resistance. Recent studies have shown that combinations of immunotherapy and chemotherapy have a synergistic effect in enhancing the anti-tumor effect. Here, we have developed liposomes co-loaded with chlorogenic acid (CA) and doxorubicin (DOX), modified with sialic acid-octadecylamine conjugate (SA-ODA), designated CA-DOX-SAL, that facilitate drug delivery by recognizing Siglec-1 receptor on TAMs. The physicochemical studies revealed the particle size and zeta potential of CA-DOX-SAL as 128.3 ± 0.8 nm and - 4.33 ± 0.50 mV, respectively. In vitro, CA-DOX-SAL demonstrated robust cellular uptake through SA receptor-mediated tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) targeting and exerted greater cytotoxicity on tumor cells. In vivo, targeted liposomes were found to accumulate in the tumor area, leading to an improvement in anti-tumor efficacy. In addition, CA-DOX-SAL effectively inhibited B16F10 melanoma tumor growth by stimulating the transition from tumor-promoting M2-type to anti-tumor M1-type and directly killing tumor cells. Overall, the co-delivery of immunomodulatory CA and chemotherapeutic DOX presents a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance clinical outcomes in the treatment of melanoma.

Characterization of chemical ingredients and in rats metabolic profiling of Lingyang Qingfei pills via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with Quadrupole-Exactive Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry

Lingyang Qingfei pills (LQP), the renowned traditional Chinese medicine recipe, have been extensively utilized for the therapy of xerostomia, sore throat, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia in clinics. However, its phytochemicals remain equivocal, which severely limits the development of quality control and activity mechanisms. In the current research, a trusted method founded on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with Quadrupole-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry technique was proposed for the comprehensive screening of in vitro and in vivo chemical compositions of LQP. As a consequence, 239 constituents were preliminarily characterized, 37 of which were accurately confirmed by reference standards. In addition, a total of 208 xenobiotics, containing 71 absorbed prototypes and 137 metabolites, were revealed in rat plasma, bile, urine, and feces, respectively. The metabolic reaction of hydrolysis, hydroxylation, methylation, glycosylation, sulfation, and mixed-mode was detected in the biotransformations of flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, anthraquinones, organic acids, phenylpropanoids, and so forth. And 12 of the metabolites were new compounds. This experiment acted as the first reference for chemical substances and metabolites of LQP, which could provide valuable chemical information for further clarifying pharmacodynamic substances and pharmacokinetic studies.

Comprehensive Metabolite Identification of Genipin in Rats Using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Genipin, an aglycone of geniposide, is a rich iridoid component in the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis and has numerous biological activities. However, its metabolic profiles in vivo and vitro remain unclear. In this study, an effective analytical strategy based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) in positive and negative ion modes was developed to analyze and identify genipin metabolites in rat urine, blood, feces, and fecal fermentation in combination with many methods including post-collection data mining methods, high-resolution extracted ion chromatography (HREIC), and multiple mass defect filtering (MMDF). Simultaneously, the metabolites of genipin in vivo were verified by fecal fermentation of SD rats at different times. Finally, based on information such as reference substances, chromatographic retention behavior, and accurate mass determination, a total of 50 metabolites (including prototypes) were identified in vivo. Among them, 7, 31 and 28 metabolites in vivo were identified in blood, urine, and feces, respectively. Our results showed that genipin could generate different metabolites that underwent multiple metabolic reactions in vivo including methylation, hydroxylation, dehydroxylation, hydrogenation, sulfonation, glucuronidation, demethylation, and their superimposed reactions. Forty-six metabolites were verified in vitro. Meanwhile, 2 and 19 metabolites identified in blood and urine were also verified in fecal fermentation at different times. These results demonstrated that metabolites were produced in feces and reabsorbed into the body. In conclusion, the newly discovered metabolites of genipin can provide a new perspective for understanding its pharmacological effects and build the foundation for thee toxicity and safety evaluations of genipin.

Simultaneous determination of multiple components in rat plasma by UHPLC-sMRM for pharmacokinetic studies after oral administration of Qingjin Yiqi Granules

As a Traditional Chinese Medicine prescription, Qingjin Yiqi Granules (QJYQ) provides an effective treatment for patients recovering from COVID-19. However, the pharmacokinetics characteristics of the main components of QJYQ in vivo are still unknown. An efficacious ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 33 components in rat plasma after oral administration of QJYQ. The plasma samples were precipitated with 400 µL methanol/acetonitrile (1/1, v/v) and analyzed in scheduled multiple reaction monitoring mode. The linear relationship of the 33 components was good (r > 0.9928). The lower limit of quantification for 33 components ranged from 0.4-60.5 ng/mL. The average recoveries and matrix effects of the analytes ranged from 72.9% to 115.0% with RSD of 1.4%-15.0%. All inter-day and intra-day RSDs were within 15.0%. After oral administration (3.15 g/kg), the validated approach was effectively applied to the pharmacokinetics of main components of QJYQ. Finally, fifteen main constituents of QJYQ with large plasma exposure were obtained, including baicalin, wogonoside, wogonin, apigenin-7-O-glucuronide, verbenalin, isoferulic acid, hesperidin, liquiritin, harpagide, protocatechuic acid, p-Coumaric acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, liquiritin apioside and glycyrrhizic acid. The present research lays a foundation for clarifying the therapeutic material basis of QJYQ and provides a reference for further scientific research and clinical application of QJYQ.

Characterization of chemical constituents and metabolites in rat plasma after oral administration of San Miao Wan by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry

San Miao Wan (SMW), composed of Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex, Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma and Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix, is widely used for the treatment of gout, hyperuricemia and other diseases. In the present study, an overall identification strategy based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS) method was established to characterize the multiple chemical constituents of SMW and its metabolites in rat plasma after oral administration of SMW. A total of 76 constituents including alkaloids, organic acids, lactones, terpenes, saponins, sterones and others types of components were identified in the extract of SMW. After the oral administration of SMW, 47 prototype constituents and 66 metabolites were identified in rat plasma samples. The related metabolic pathways mainly involved reduction, demethylation, hydroxylation, methylation and glucuronide conjunction. The proposed method could be a useful approach to identify the chemical constituents of SMW and its metabolic components. Our study provide a universal strategy for the analysis of the components and metabolites of the traditional Chinese medicine prescription (TCP) extracts and plasma after administration using UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS method. It will assist with clarifying the substance basis of effective components in SMW. It also provides a rapid method for overall analysis of chemical constituents and metabolites of SMW.

Dissection of the potential anti-influenza materials and mechanism of Lonicerae japonicae flos based on in vivo substances profiling and network pharmacology

Lonicerae japonicae flos.(LJF) was widely used as a drug to treat upper respiratory tract infection or a tea to clear heat in Asian countries for thousands of years. Despite of its curative effects confirmed by modern pharmacological methods, its functional materials and mechanism against influenza were still unclear and needed further investigation. In this study, an integrated strategy based on in vivo substances profiling and network pharmacology was proposed and applied to screen out the potential anti-influenza substances and mechanism of LJF. An UHPLC/Q-TOF MS method was utilized to profile the chemical components in LJF and their metabolites in rats. The targets of absorbed prototypes were predicted by Swiss Target Prediction, and they were further analyzed by String and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). As a result, a total of 126 chemical components mainly featuring three chemical structure types were characterized, including 70 iridoid glycosides, 17 caffeoylquinic acids, 24 flavonoids, and 15 other types compounds. Among them, ten N-contained iridoid glycosides were characterized as potential novel compounds. Moreover, 141 xenobiotics (74 prototypes and 67 metabolites) were clearly screened out in rat plasma and urine after ingestion of LJF. Phase II reactions (sulfation, glucuronidation, methylation) and phase I reactions (dehydroxylation, hydrogenation, hydrolysis, N-heterocyclization) were the main metabolic reactions of LJF in rats. Further, a total of 338 targets were predicted and TNF, PTGS2 and EGFR were the three main targets involved in the pathology of influenza. In addition to normal NF-κB pathway, T cell signal pathway and mTOR signal pathway were the other patterns for LJF to achieve its anti-flu effects. Our work provided the meaningful data for further pharmacological validation of LJF against influenza, and a new strategy was also proposed for minimizing the process to reveal the mechanism and functional basis of TCMs.

Structure-Based Reactivity Profiles of Reactive Metabolites with Glutathione

Therapeutic agents can be transformed into reactive metabolites under the action of various metabolic enzymes in vivo and then covalently combine with biological macromolecules (such as protein or DNA), resulting in increasing toxicity. The screening of reactive metabolites in drug discovery and development stages and monitoring of biotransformation in post-market drugs has become an important research field. Generally, reactive metabolites are electrophilic and can be captured by small nucleophiles. Glutathione (GSH) is a small peptide composed of three amino acids (i.e., glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine). It has a thiol group which can react with electrophilic groups of reactive metabolic intermediates (such as benzoquinone, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine, and Michael acceptor) to form a stable binding conjugate. This paper aims to provide a review on structure-based reactivity profiles of reactive metabolites with GSH. Furthermore, this review also reveals the relationship between drugs' molecular structures and reactive metabolic toxicity from the perspective of metabolism, giving a reference for drug design and development.

Metabolite Profiling of Naringin in Rat Urine and Feces Using Stable Isotope-Labeling-Based Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Naringin has been documented to possess various bioactivities. Due to thorny endogenous interferences, the metabolism pathways of naringin and exact amounts of derived phenolic catabolites have not been definitely assigned. In this work, stable isotope-labeling-based liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods were developed to eliminate the endogenous interferences. [2',3',5',6'-D₄]-naringin was orally administrated to rats. Urine and feces samples were collected and then analyzed with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). A total of 21 flavonoid metabolites and 11 phenolic catabolites were screened. The metabolism and catabolism pathways were proposed. Furthermore, deuterated naringin and its main metabolites were determined with rapid resolution liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (RRLC-QqQ-MS/MS). The overall recovery of ingested deuterated naringin was calculated as 56.9% without endogenous interferences. The obtained results provide essential information for further pharmacological studies of naringin.

Exploration of the hepatoprotective chemical base of an orally administered herbal formulation (YCHT) in normal and CCl4-intoxicated liver injury rats. Part 1: Metabolic profiles from the liver-centric perspective

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Yin-Chen-Hao Tang (YCHT), derived from "Treatise on Febrile Diseases" in ancient China, has been a very popular hepatoprotective three-herb formula in China and Japan, although its chemical base remains unclear.

AIM OF THIS STUDY

As the first step in revealing the hepatoprotective chemical base of YCHT, we aimed to clarify the absorbed ingredients and associated metabolic pathways for orally dosed YCHT in both normal and liver injury rats from a liver-centric perspective.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

With the aid of 10 reference compounds, the absorbed ingredients and generated metabolites were systematically characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF) in the portal vein plasma (the plasma before hepatic disposition) - liver - systemic plasma (the plasma after hepatic disposition), following oral administration of YCHT in normal and CCl₄-induced liver injury rats.

RESULTS

A total of 38 compounds with six chemical structures, consisting of 10 prototypes and 28 metabolites generated through 9 biotransformations, were absolutely or tentatively identified, and 25 compounds were first reported on YCHT treatments. Among them, 8 compounds were absolutely confirmed by comparing with standard substances, and some had published hepatoprotective activities. Compared with the 35, 15, and 29 compounds identified in the portal vein plasma, liver, and systemic plasma of normal rats, respectively, the corresponding numbers of characterized compounds were 37, 13 and 29 in the liver injury rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Sulfation and glucuronidation were the predominant biotransformations, and intestinal metabolism, prior to hepatic metabolism, occurred for most compounds. CCl₄-induced liver injury caused only slight changes in the metabolic profiles of rats orally administered YCHT. These results provided the precondition for further quantitative analysis and pharmacodynamic screening of compounds in YCHT.