Discriminating from species of Curcumae Radix (Yujin) by a UHPLC/Q-TOFMS-based metabolomics approach

An integrated and rapid evaluation of Curcumae Radix from different botanical origins based on chemical components, antiplatelet aggregation effect and Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy

Curcumae Radix (CR) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine with significant pharmaceutical importance, including enhancing blood circulation and addressing blood stasis. This study aims to establish an integrated and rapid quality assessment method for CR from various botanical origins, based on chemical components, antiplatelet aggregation effects, and Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy combined with multivariate algorithms. Firstly, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array (UPLC-PDA) combined with chemometric analyses was used to examine variations in the chemical profiles of CR. Secondly, the activation effect on blood circulation of CR was assessed using an in vitro antiplatelet aggregation assay. The studies revealed significant variations in chemical profiles and antiplatelet aggregation effects among CR samples from different botanical origins, with constituents such as germacrone, β-elemene, bisdemethoxycurcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and curcumin showing a positive correlation with antiplatelet aggregation biopotency. Thirdly, FT-NIR spectroscopy was integrated with various machine learning algorithms, including Artificial Neural Network (ANN), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Subspace K-Nearest Neighbors (Subspace KNN), to classify CR samples from four distinct sources. The result showed that FT-NIR combined with KNN and SVM classification algorithms after SNV and MSC preprocessing successfully distinguished CR samples from four plant sources with an accuracy of 100%. Finally, Quantitative models for active constituents and antiplatelet aggregation bioactivity were developed by optimizing the partial least squares (PLS) model with interval combination optimization (ICO) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) techniques. The CARS-PLS model achieved the best predictive performance across all five components. The coefficient of determination (R2p) and root mean square error (RMSEP) in the independent test sets were 0.9708 and 0.2098, 0.8744 and 0.2065, 0.9511 and 0.0034, 0.9803 and 0.0066, 0.9567 and 0.0172 for germacrone, β-elemene, bisdemethoxycurcumin, demethoxycurcumin and curcumin, respectively. The ICO-PLS model demonstrated superior predictive capabilities for antiplatelet aggregation biotency, achieving an R2p of 0.9010, and an RMSEP of 0.5370. This study provides a valuable reference for the quality evaluation of CR in a more rapid and comprehensive manner.

The Extraction, Determination, and Bioactivity of Curcumenol: A Comprehensive Review

Curcuma wenyujin is a member of the Curcuma zedoaria (zedoary, Zingiberaceae) family, which has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) due to its abundant biologically active constituents. Curcumenol, a component of Curcuma wenyujin, has several biological activities. At present, despite different pharmacological activities being reported, the clinical usage of curcumenol remains under investigation. To further determine the characteristics of curcumenol, the extraction, determination, and bioactivity of the compound are summarized in this review. Existing research has reported that curcumenol exerts different pharmacological effects in regard to a variety of diseases, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bactericidal, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer activity, and also ameliorates osteoporosis. This review of curcumenol provides a theoretical basis for further research and clinical applications.

Effect of pulsed light on curcumin chemical stability and antioxidant capacity

Curcumin is the major bioactive component in turmeric with potent antioxidant activity. Little is known about how pulsed light (PL) technology (an emerging non-thermal food processing technology relying on high intensity short duration flashes of light) can affect the chemical stability and antioxidant capacity of curcumin. This study found that PL treatment of fluence levels from 0 to 12.75 J/cm2 produced a fluence-dependent reduction in curcumin content. These results paralleled the production of a tentative curcumin dimer, identified as a potential photochemical transformation product. PL-treated curcumin at relatively higher fluence levels decreased chemical-based ORAC and ABTS antioxidant capacity, relative to control (P < 0.05). This contrasted the effect observed to increase coincidently both intracellular antioxidant capacity (e.g., DCFH-DA (P < 0.05)) and GSH/GSSG ratio (P < 0.05), respectively, in cultured differentiated Caco-2 cells. In conclusion, the application of PL on curcumin results in photochemical transformation reactions, such as dimerization, which in turn, can enhance biological antioxidant capacity in differentiated Caco-2 cells.

Based on UPLC/MS/MS and Bioinformatics Analysis to Explore the Difference Substances and Mechanism of Curcumae Radix (Curcuma wenyujin) in Dysmenorrhea

BACKGROUND

Curcumae Radix (CW) is traditionally used to treat dysmenorrhea caused by uterine spasm. However, the changes of its composition and anti-uterine spasms during vinegar processing and the mechanism in treating dysmenorrhea are not clear.

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the changes of anti-uterine spasm and its substance basis, and the mechanism of treating dysmenorrhea before and after vinegar processing.

METHODS

The uterine spasm contraction model was established, and the uterine activity and its inhibition rate were calculated to evaluate the differences. The main chemical constituents of CW were quickly analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technology, and the differences between them were explored by multivariate statistical analysis. Then, the regulatory network of "active ingredients-core targets-signal pathways" related to dysmenorrhea was constructed by using network pharmacology, and the combination between differential active components and targets was verified by molecular docking.

RESULTS

CW extract relaxed the isolated uterine by reducing the contractile tension, amplitude, and frequency. Compared with CW, the inhibitory effect of vinegar products was stronger, and the inhibition rate was 70.08 %. 39 compounds were identified from CW and 13 differential components were screened out (p<0.05). Network pharmacology screened 11 active components and 32 potential targets, involving 10 key pathways related to dysmenorrhea. The results of molecular docking showed that these differentially active components had good binding activity to target.

CONCLUSION

It was preliminarily revealed that CW could treat dysmenorrhea mainly through the regulation of inflammatory reaction, relaxing smooth muscle and endocrine by curcumenone, 13-hydroxygermacrone, (+)-cuparene, caryophyllene oxide, zederone, and isocurcumenol.

Comparative Metabolomics Analysis of Stigmas and Petals in Chinese Saffron (Crocus sativus) by Widely Targeted Metabolomics

The dried stigmas of Crocus sativus, commonly known as saffron, are consumed largely worldwide because it is highly valuable in foods and has biological activities beneficial for health. Saffron has important economic and medicinal value, and thus, its planting area and global production are increasing. Petals, which are a by-product of the stigmas, have not been fully utilized at present. We compared the metabolites between the stigmas and petals of C. sativus using a non-targeted metabolomics method. In total, over 800 metabolites were detected and categorized into 35 classes, including alkaloids, flavonoids, amino acids and derivatives, phenols and phenol esters, phenylpropanoids, fatty acyls, steroids and steroid derivatives, vitamins, and other metabolites. The metabolite composition in the petals and stigmas was basically similar. The results of the study showed that the petals contained flavonoids, alkaloids, coumarins, and other medicinal components, as well as amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutritional components. A principal components analysis (PCA) and an orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were performed to screen the different metabolic components. A total of 339 differential metabolites were identified, with 55 metabolites up-regulated and 284 down-regulated. The up-regulated metabolites, including rutin, delphinidin-3-O-glucoside, isoquercitrin, syringaresinol-di-O-glucoside, dihydrorobinetin, quercetin, and gallocatechin, were detected in the petals. The down-regulated metabolites were mainly glucofrangulin B, acetovanillone, daidzein, guaiazulene, hypaphorine, indolin-2-one, and pseudouridine. KEGG annotation and enrichment analyses of the differential metabolites revealed that flavonoid biosynthesis, amino acids biosynthesis, and arginine and proline metabolism were the main differentially regulated pathways. In conclusion, the petals of C. sativus are valuable for medicine and foods and have potential utility in multiple areas such as the natural spice, cosmetic, health drink, and natural health product industries.

Lvsiyujins A–G, new sesquiterpenoids, from Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton root tuber and their preliminary pharmacological property assessment based on ADME evaluation, molecular docking and in vitro experiments

Seven new sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the root tuber of C. phaeocaulis. A combination of calculations and experiments was used in structural analysis and biological activity exploration.

Effect of extrusion and turmeric addition on phenolic compounds and kafirin properties in tannin and tannin-free sorghum

Sorghum is a potential substitute for corn/wheat in cereal-based extruded products. Despite agronomic advantages and its rich diversity of phenolic compounds, sorghum kafirins group together and form complex with tannins, leading to a low digestibility. Phenolic content/profile by UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS^E and kafirins polymerization by SE-HPLC were evaluated in wholemeal sorghum extrudates; tannin-rich (#SC319) and tannin-free (#BRS330) genotypes with/without turmeric powder. Total phenolic, proantocyanidin and flavonoid contents were strongly correlated with antioxidant capacity (r > 0.9, p < 0.05). Extrusion increased free (+60%) and decreased bound phenolics (-40%) in #SC319, but reduced both (-40%; -90%, respectively) in #BRS330, which presented lower abundance after extrusion. Turmeric addition did not significantly impact antioxidant activity, phenolic content and profile and kafirins profile. Tannins presence/absence impacted phenolic profiles and polymerization of kafirins which appears related to the thermoplastic process. The extrusion improved proteins solubility and can positively enhance their digestibility (phenolic compounds-proteins interactions), making more accessible to proteolysis in sorghum extrudates.

Mining plant metabolomes: Methods, applications, and perspectives

Plants produce a variety of metabolites that are essential for plant growth and human health. To fully understand the diversity of metabolites in certain plants, lots of methods have been developed for metabolites detection and data processing. In the data-processing procedure, how to effectively reduce false-positive peaks, analyze large-scale metabolic data, and annotate plant metabolites remains challenging. In this review, we introduce and discuss some prominent methods that could be exploited to solve these problems, including a five-step filtering method for reducing false-positive signals in LC-MS analysis, QPMASS for analyzing ultra-large GC-MS data, and MetDNA for annotating metabolites. The main applications of plant metabolomics in species discrimination, metabolic pathway dissection, population genetic studies, and some other aspects are also highlighted. To further promote the development of plant metabolomics, more effective and integrated methods/platforms for metabolite detection and comprehensive databases for metabolite identification are highly needed. With the improvement of these technologies and the development of genomics and transcriptomics, plant metabolomics will be widely used in many fields.

A Comprehensive Mini-Review of Curcumae Radix: Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology

Curcumae Radix is an efficacious ingredient with various medicinal properties empirically used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula for the treatment of cancer, depression, chest pain, dysmenorrhea, epilepsy, and jaundice. However, either phytochemical or pharmacological information of Curcumae Radix underlying its traditionally medicinal uses is rarely summarized and systematically analyzed. To provide evidence for clinical trials, a comprehensive literature review has been prepared of the phytochemicals, and ethnopharmacological and pharmacological mechanisms of this herb. The review approach consisted of searching several web-based scientific databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Elsevier. The keywords included “Curcumae Radix,” “ Curcuma wenyujin,” “ Curcuma longa,” “ Curcuma kwangsiensis,” and “ Curcuma phaeocaulis.” Based on the proposed criteria, 57 articles were evaluated in detail. The accumulated data indicate that Curcumae Radix contains a number of bioactive phytochemicals, mainly sesquiterpenes, diarylheptanoids, and diarylpentanoids, which account for a variety of medicinal values, such as anticancer, anti-inflammation, anti-hepatic fibrosis, and antioxidant. A wide range of apoptotic proteins, cell adhesion molecules, inflammatory cytokines, and enzymic and nonenzymic antioxidants could be modulated by either Curcumae Radix or its bioactive compounds, thus underpinning a fundamental understanding for the pharmacological effects of this herb. This review highlights the therapeutic potential of Curcumae Radix to progress the development of versatile adjuvants or therapeutic agents in the future.

Core prescription pattern of Chinese herbal medicine for depressive disorders in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study

Background

Depressive disorders (DD) affect not only mood and behavior but also various physical functions. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been shown to have some benefits in treating DD. However, one formula or one single herb might be not show high efficacy when used to treat depression. Thus, this study aimed to examine the core prescription pattern of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) among patients with DD in Taiwan as a reference for related research and clinical applications.

Methods

All patients, who had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder or minor depression or dysthymia without any other baseline diseases and had at least one CHM outpatient clinical visit from 2002 to 2011, were extracted from three randomly sampled cohorts, namely the 2000, 2005 and 2010 cohorts of the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. The collected data was analyzed to explore the patterns of herbal products.

Results

There were 197,146 patients with a diagnosis of DD and of these 1806 subjects had only a diagnosis of DD and utilized CHM. The most common formula was Gan-Mai-Da-Zao-Tang (12.19%), while Suan-Zao-Ren (3.99%) was the most commonly prescribed single herb. The core pattern of prescriptions consisted of a combination of Gan-Mai-Da-Zao-Tang, Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, Chai-Hu-Jia-Long-Gu-Mu-Li-Tang, He-Huan-Pi, Yuan-Zhi and Shi-Chang-Pu.

Conclusions

This study describes the CHM core prescription pattern used to treat patients in Taiwan with DD and it is a potential candidate for study in future pharmacological or clinical trials targeting DD.

Validation of Chromatographic Methods of Analysis: Application for Drugs That Derived From Herbs

It is well known that the quality control (QC) of drugs derived from herbs (DDHs) has two main problems: first, DDHs are chemically complex mixtures, and second, the chemical contents of raw plant materials are affected by the site of cultivation, age of plants, methods of harvesting, and processing. QC is used by manufacturers to ensure the consistency, safety, and efficacy of the DDHs. QC of DDHs can be performed by two approaches, namely, marker-oriented and chemical pattern-oriented (metabolite profiling) using chromatographic methods. For having reliable results of any chemical analysis that will be performed in the QC laboratory, the method of analysis must be validated first before it can be routinely applied. Parameters of the validation method that should be evaluated for marker-oriented approach are stability, selectivity, linearity, trueness, precision, and robustness/ruggedness, while for metabolite profiling approach stability, intra- and interday precisions should be determined. Determination of instrumental and sample detection limit (DL), quantification limit (QL), and cutoff value is described in this review. Some relatively new validation methods that could correlate trueness and precision will be also discussed. The importance and application of metabolite profiling for a QC laboratory at pharmaceutical industry are discussed.

Paper-based chemical reaction arrays as an effective tool for geographical indication of turmerics

Geographical indications have gained increasing importance as a powerful marketing tool for highly valuable products especially foods. In this study, a unique and synergistic combination of chemical reaction arrays on paper and chemometric analysis was used to uncover geographical indication of turmerics, an important food ingredient in several cultures. The key to effective differentiation was based on the subtle differences in the compositions of compounds found in each sample, mainly curcumin and derivatives. When these compounds reacted with various reagents in the form of paper arrays, different optical and fluorescence profiles were generated, which can then be exploited by chemometrics. As a result, our strategy could provide up to 94% prediction accuracy without the need for any sophisticated instruments.

Paper-based chemical arrays and chemometrics uncovered clear geographical indications of turmeric samples from various origins.

Cytotoxic Dibohemamines D-F from a Streptomyces Species

Three dimeric analogues of bohemamines, dibohemamines D-F (1-3), together with dibohemamine A (4), were isolated from Streptomyces sp. CPCC 200497. Their structures were solved using a combination of mass spectrometry, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, and CD. Dibohemamines D and E were new dimeric analogues of bohemamines, and dibohemamine F was a known compound obtained previously by semisynthesis. Dibohemamine F displayed potent cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines A549 and HepG2 with IC₅₀ values of 1.1 and 0.3 μM, respectively. Dibohemamines D and E showed moderate cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines A549 and HepG2.

Metabolomics approach reveals annual metabolic variation in roots of Cyathula officinalis Kuan based on gas chromatography-mass spectrum

BACKGROUND

Herbal quality is strongly influenced by harvest time. It is therefore one of crucial factors that should be well respected by herbal producers when optimizing cultivation techniques, so that to obtain herbal products of high quality. In this work, we paid attention on one of common used Chinese herbals, Cyathula officinalis Kuan. According to previous studies, its quality may be related with growth years because of the variation of several main bioactive components in different growth years. However, information about the whole chemical composition is still scarce, which may jointly determine the herbal quality.

METHODS

Cyathula officinalis samples were collected in 1-4 growth years after sowing. To obtain a global insight on chemical profile of herbs, we applied a metabolomics approach based on gas chromatography-mass spectrum. Analysis of variance, principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were combined to explore the significant difference in different growth years.

RESULTS

166 metabolites were identified by using gas chromatography-mass spectrum method. 63 metabolites showed significant change in different growth years in terms of analysis of variance. Those metabolites then were grouped into 4 classes by hierarchical cluster analysis, characterizing the samples of different growth ages. Samples harvested in the earliest years (1-2) were obviously differ with the latest years (3-4) as reported by principal component analysis. Further, partial least squares discriminant analysis revealed the detail difference in each growth year. Gluconic acid, xylitol, glutaric acid, pipecolinic acid, ribonic acid, mannose, oxalic acid, digalacturonic acid, lactic acid, 2-deoxyerythritol, acetol, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, citramalic acid, N-carbamylglutamate, and cellobiose are the main 15 discrimination metabolites between different growth years.

CONCLUSION

Harvest time should be well considered when producing C. officinalis. In order to boost the consistency of herbal quality, C. officinalis is recommended to harvest in 4th growth year. The method of GC-MS combined with multivariate analysis was a powerful tool to evaluate the herbal quality.