Analysis of the fatty acid from Bupleurum Chinense DC in China by GC-MS and GC-FID

Comprehensive comparison on the anti-inflammation and GC-MS-based metabolomics discrimination between Bupleuri chinense DC. and B. scorzonerifolium Willd

Bupleuri Radix (BR) is a traditional Chinese medicine and widely used for cold and fever, influenza, inflammation, hepatitis and menstrual diseases. Two authentic medicinal plants of Bupleuri chinense DC. (Beichaihu, BCH) and B. scorzonerifolium Willd. (Nanchiahu, NCH) are recommended by the current Chinese Pharmacopoeia for BR. In the present study, the comparative investigations on the anti-inflammatory effects and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolomics for the species discrimination of BCH and NCH were conducted and reported. The in vitro evaluations indicated that the supercritical fluid extracts (SFEs) (IC₅₀ of 6.39 ± 0.52 and 1.32 ± 0.05 mg (herb)/mL for BCH and NCH) were determined to be more potent than those of the hydro-distillation extracts (HDEs) (IC₅₀ of 203.90 ± 8.08 and 32.32 ± 2.27 mg (herb)/mL for BCH and NCH) against LPS-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages. The higher anti-inflammatory effects of NCH were associated to its different chemical compositions to the BCH as characterized by the GC-MS analysis. Furthermore, based on the metabolomics and deep chemometric approaches, a minimum combination containing 15 chemical markers was optimized from the identified components and successfully applied for the species discrimination of BCH and NCH. This study not only helps to comparative understand BCH and NCH both in phytochemistry and pharmacology, but also provides the potential chemical markers for improvement of methods for the quality control of BCH and NCH.

The Structural Characteristics of an Acidic Water-Soluble Polysaccharide from Bupleurum chinense DC and Its In Vivo Anti-Tumor Activity on H22 Tumor-Bearing Mice

This study explored the preliminary structural characteristics and in vivo anti-tumor activity of an acidic water-soluble polysaccharide (BCP) separated purified from Bupleurum chinense DC root. The preliminary structural characterization of BCP was established using UV, HPGPC, FT-IR, IC, NMR, SEM, and Congo red. The results showed BCP as an acidic polysaccharide with an average molecular weight of 2.01 × 10³ kDa. Furthermore, we showed that BCP consists of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, and galacturonic acid (with a molar ratio of 0.063:0.788:0.841:1:0.196) in both α- and β-type configurations. Using the H22 tumor-bearing mouse model, we assessed the anti-tumor activity of BCP in vivo. The results revealed the inhibitory effects of BCP on H22 tumor growth and the protective actions against tissue damage of thymus and spleen in mice. In addition, the JC-1 FITC-AnnexinV/PI staining and cell cycle analysis have collectively shown that BCP is sufficient to induce apoptosis and of H22 hepatocarcinoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect of BCP on tumor growth was likely attributable to the S phase arrest. Overall, our study presented significant anti-liver cancer profiles of BCP and its promising therapeutic potential as a safe and effective anti-tumor natural agent.

Do Compositions of Lipid Fraction Correspond to Species Differentiation in Bupleurum L. (Apiaceae)?

Bupleurum L. has been widely used in various medical systems as an agent with a wide range of activities. The qualitative composition and content of lipid fraction components of the aerial parts of B. longifolium and B. chinense were elucidated in this work. The available data on the fatty acids (FAs) in Bupleurum plants were compiled and compared with species differentiation in the genus. As a result, the content of FAs in the studied Bupleurum plant species only partially corresponded to the species differentiation and, in some cases, contradicted it. The prognostic value of Bupleurum's species differentiation for the identification of the potential composition of FAs was insignificant, and it was limited only by particular groups of species. This suggests that a complete phytochemical study of Bupleurum species needs to be conducted to determine the composition of FAs and to identify which species have a similar composition.

Comparing the simultaneous determination of cis- and trans-palmitoleic acid in fish oil using HPLC and GC

Background

Cis- and trans-palmitoleic acids (Cis-POA and trans-POA) are isomers of palmitoleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid which affects glucose and lipid metabolism, and reduces insulin resistance. Trans-POA is used as a biomarker for indicating the risk of type II diabetes and coronary heart disease, but no methods of analysis or distinguishing between cis-POA and trans-POA have yet been reported.

Method

An accurate and precise HPLC method was developed to determine cis- and trans-POA simultaneously, and compared with results from a GC method. Cis- and trans-POA were analyzed by HPLC on a reverse-phase BDS-C18 column, equilibrated and eluted with acetonitrile (A) and water (B). In the established and validated GC method used for comparison, potassium hydroxide ester exchange was chosen to derivatize the cis- and trans-POA, before being determined.

Results

The calibration curves for cis- and trans-POA were linear over the range 0.05 to 500 μg/mL. The HPLC method exhibited good sensitivity, precision and accuracy. The limits of detection (LOD) for cis- and trans-POA were 0.2 and 0.05 μg/mL, respectively. The method successfully determined cis- and trans-POA in fish oil. For the GC method, the contents of cis-POA quantified were similar to those from the HPLC method, but the contents of trans-POA revealed significant variation between the two methods.

Conclusions

After a comprehensive consideration of the characteristics of the saponification and methyl esterification methods which have been tested and verified, the HPLC method was found to be suitable for determining cis- and trans-POA contents in fish oil. It was also suggested that in natural fish oil, cis-POA may be in the glyceride state, and trans-POA almost completely in the free acid form. In comparison with the GC method, the HPLC method provided a simpler process and faster analyses for identifying and determining cis- and trans-POA. The study has also provided technical support for studying the pharmacological differences and relationship between structure and activity of cis- and trans-POA. This could help physicians to analyze patients’ samples more quickly in 10 min and therefore provide a more rapid diagnosis of problems relating to the risk of type II diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Fatty Acid Profile of Roots and Aerial Parts of Ruscus hyrcanus Woronow

Background: Ruscus specie are used as traditional medicine, food, and foliage. The aim of this work is the determination of fatty acid composition of Ruscus hyrcanus as a native medicinal plant of Iran for the first time together with comparison of different esterification methods. Methods: Two different esterification methods were used for preparation of esterified fatty acids from different extracts of underground and aerial parts of the herb. GC/MS analysis were used for identification and quantification of fatty acids. Finally, the results were compared. Results: Findings showed that R. hyrcanus is rich in essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid (13-25%) and linolenic acid (23-44%). Also, oil samples contain remarkable amount of palmitic acid (19-57%). Conclusion: The results showed that R. hyrcanus could be considered as a source of essential fatty acids. Also, it could be concluded that a simple esterification method with methanolic KOH and 2 min vortex is suitable for fatty acid analysis of Ruscus species.

Constituents of Essential Oil and Lipid Fraction from the Aerial Part of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd. (Apiaceae) from Different Habitats

The essential oils and lipid fraction extracted from the aerial parts of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium were determined by a GC-MS method. In total, up to 67 components were identified. cis-β-Ocimene, trans-β-ocimene, limonene, α-pinene, α-copaene, β-elemene, and caryophyllene oxide were recognized as consistent components of the essential oil extracted from the aerial parts of B. scorzonerifolium, regardless of the habitat. The content of these components varied from traces to a significant amount. The volume of the lipid fraction varied from 2.73 to 9.38%. In total, 23 components were identified, including 20 fatty acids, two sterols, and one ketone. The major fatty acid components identified were 16:0, 18:2n9, and 18:1n9. The total content of these fatty acids reached up to 76.19%. The lipid fraction of the aerial parts of B. scorzonerifolium predominantly contained MUFA and PUFA, which confirmed the pharmacological value of the species. The main factors affecting the composition of essential oils and lipid fractions of B. scorzonerifolium are environmental ones that determine the moisture supply to the plants in semiarid and arid areas.

Radix Bupleuri: A Review of Traditional Uses, Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology

Radix Bupleuri (Chaihu) has been used as a traditional medicine for more than 2000 years in China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries. Phytochemical studies demonstrated that this plant contains essential oils, triterpenoid saponins, polyacetylenes, flavonoids, lignans, fatty acids, and sterols. Crude extracts and pure compounds isolated from Radix Bupleuri exhibited various biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antipyretic, antimicrobial, antiviral, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory effects. However, Radix Bupleuri could also lead to hepatotoxicity, particularly in high doses and with long-term use. Pharmacokinetic studies have demonstrated that the major bioactive compounds (saikosaponins a, b₂, c, and d) were absorbed rapidly in rats after oral administration of the extract of Radix Bupleuri. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics of Radix Bupleuri reported to date with an emphasis on its biological properties and mechanisms of action.

Neuroprotective oleanane triterpenes from the roots of Bupleurum chinense

The discovery of new natural compounds with pharmacological properties is an increasingly important field, and a continuous phytochemical investigation of the roots of Bupleurum chinense D.C. has led to the isolation of 17 triterpenoids, including three new oleanane triterpenes (1-3) together with 14 known ones. Their structures were determined on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra as well as HR-ESI-MS data. The cytotoxicities of all compounds against five selected human cancer cell lines were assayed. Only compounds 9 and 14 exhibited moderate activities. Recently, a number of investigations have focused on the neuroprotective properties of triterpenoids in B. chinense. In order to expand our knowledge about this herb, the neuroprotective effects of compounds 1-17 against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced neuronal cell damage in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were evaluated. Compounds 1-3, 6-7 showed significant neuroprotective effects against H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cell death. Preliminary structure-activity relationships (SARs) between neuroprotective effects and the isolates were also discussed.

Simultaneous determination of 19 fatty acids in Antrodia camphorata by derivatized GC-MS and evaluation of antioxidant activity of Antrodia camphorata crude oil

To analyze the components of the fatty oil extracted from Antrodia camphorata fungus powder and to evaluate the antioxidant activity of A. camphorata crude oil. A derivatized gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for the quantification of 19 fatty acids in extracts of A. camphorata obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2). Good separation was obtained under the optimized chromatographic conditions and 19 target compounds after methyl-esterification were identified by GC-MS on a HP-VOC capillary column (60 m × 320 μm × 1.8 μm) with an initial temperature set at 80 °C. The validity of the established method was examined experimentally with good linearity, intra-assay precisions, repeatability, stability and recovery. The antioxidant activity of A. camphorata crude oil was evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay. Nineteen fatty acids showed good linearity over the tested ranges (r > 0.9956) and the recovery ranged from 93.47 to 104.89 %. The crude oil extracted from A. camphorata fungus powder also revealed its antioxidant activity. It was the report about simultaneous determination of 19 fatty acids in A. camphorata and antioxidant activity of its crude oil for the first time. The established method might also be utilized for the investigation of edible plant materials and agricultural products containing fatty acids.

Herbal Medicine for Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia

The prevalence and comorbidity of psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and insomnia are very common. These well-known forms of psychiatric disorders have been affecting many people from all around the world. Herb alone, as well as herbal formula, is commonly prescribed for the therapies of mental illnesses. Since various adverse events of western medication exist, the number of people who use herbs to benefit their health is increasing. Over the past decades, the exploration in the area of herbal psychopharmacology has received much attention. Literatures showed a variety of herbal mechanisms of action used for the therapy of depression, anxiety and insomnia, involving reuptake of monoamines, affecting neuroreceptor binding and channel transporter activity, modulating neuronal communication or hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) etc. Nonetheless, a systematic review on herbal pharmacology in depression, anxiety and insomnia is still lacking. This review has been performed to further identify modes of action of different herbal medicine, and thus provides useful information for the application of herbal medicine.

Analysis of fatty acids and phytosterols in ethanol extracts of Nelumbo nucifera seeds and rhizomes by GC-MS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the fatty acid and phytosterol contents in ethanol extracts of lotus seeds and rhizomes. These ethanol extracts were extracted with hexane. The hexane extracts were hydrolyzed in a microwave reactor, and total fatty acids and phytosterols were analyzed. The hexane extracts were also subjected to silica gel column chromatography. Nonpolar components (triglycerides and steryl-fatty acid esters) were hydrolyzed, and then the contents were analyzed. Polar components (diglycerides, monoglycerides, fatty acids, and phytosterols) were analyzed directly. Seeds contained higher concentrations of fatty acids and phytosterols compared to rhizomes. Linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid were the main fatty acid components in seeds and rhizomes, and most of them in seeds were in the ester form. In seeds, phytosterols existed mainly in the free form rather than in steryl-fatty acid ester form. β-Sitosterol was the most abundant phytosterol in seeds and rhizomes.

Identification and quantification of the major volatile constituents in antidepressant active fraction of xiaoyaosan by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Xiaoyaosan (XYS), a well-known formula for relieving depression, was originated from the book of "Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang" in Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD), composed of Radix Bupleuri, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Poria, Herba Menthae, Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens and Radix Glycyrrhizae with dose proportion of 6:6:6:6:6:3:2:2. It is commonly used for the treatment of depression-related syndromes in China. In the formula, Radix Bupleuri usually serves as the principal drug, Radix Angelicae Sinensis and Radix Paeoniae Alba serve as the ministerial drugs, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Poria, Herba Menthae and Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens serve as adjunctive drugs, Radix Glycyrrhizae serves as messenger drug, they coordinate with each other and enhance the effect of the formula. In our previous experiments, the antidepressant effect of XYS was revealed. However, the antidepressant part (or component) of this prescription was still obscure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An experimental despair animal model: the mice tail suspension test (TST) was used to evaluate the antidepressant activity of XYS and its fractions. GC-MS method was developed to identify the volatile components and determine 4 major volatile components in active fraction.

RESULTS

In the TST test, the effect of a low polar fraction (XY-EA) was superior to other fractions of XYS. 13 volatile compounds in the XY-EA were identified on the basis of standards, isolation and structural determination in our laboratory, NIST 05 database and literature data. The content of 4 major volatile compounds in XY-EA which is 6.703%.

CONCLUSIONS

The petroleum ether fraction (XY-EA) appears to be the active fraction of XYS. 4 major components Z-ligustilide, palmitic acid, atractylenolide I, and atractylenolide II may be the antidepressant active compounds.

Antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective effect of a polysaccharide from Bei Chaihu (Bupleurum chinense DC)

Chinese medicine plays a pivotal role in hepatoprotective treatment. In the present study, a water-soluble polysaccharide fraction (WBCP) was fractioned from the roots of Bupleurum chinense and purified by DEAE-cellulose and Surperdex 200 HR chromatography. The physicochemical properties, antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities of WBCP were evaluated in a rat model of hepatic injury caused by d-galactosamine (GalN). Hepatoprotective effect was evaluated by measuring aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in the plasma of mice. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring biochemical parameters in the mouse liver homogenate, such as glutathione reductase (GR), γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, as well as glutathione (GSH) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels. The results showed the oral administration of WBCP could significantly reduce the activity of AST, ALT, ALP and LDH, indicating that WBCP possesses hepatoprotective activity. Furthermore, there was general a statistically significant increase in the activities of GSH, GR, GCS, GST and SOD, and a loss in TBARS in the liver of WBCP-treated group compared with the control group. In addition, the elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the serum of the experimental animals was significantly returned by WBCP treatment at the dose of 400 mg/kg. These results clearly demonstrated that WBCP possess promising hepatoprotective effects against GalN-induced liver damage, which may be mediated through augmentation of antioxidant defenses.

Antidepressant-like effects of the fractions of Xiaoyaosan on rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Xiaoyaosan (XYS), composed of Radix Bupleuri, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Poria, Herba Menthae, Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens and Radix Glycyrrhizae, is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) which is used for the treatment of depression in China. In the formula, Radix Bupleuri usually serves as the principal drug, Radix Angelicae Sinensis and Radix Paeoniae Alba serve as the ministerial drugs, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Poria, Herba Menthae and Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens serve as adjunctive drugs, Radix Glycyrrhizae serves as messenger drug, they coordinate with each other and enhance the effect of the formula. In our previous experiments, the antidepressant effect of XYS was revealed. However, the antidepressant part (or component) of this prescription was still obscure. We divided the XYS into five different polar fractions, and explored the antidepressant activity of five different polar fractions to identify the active fraction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Behavior research and metabonomics method based on (1)H NMR were used for efficacy study of different fractions in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model of depression. Rats were divided into 8 groups and drugs were administered during the 21 days model building period. The urine samples of rats were collected overnight (12h) on 21 day and the metabolic profiling of the urine was measured using NMR. Multivariate analysis was also utilized to evaluate the active fraction of XYS.

RESULTS

In the behavior research, there were significant difference between the lipophilic fraction group (XY-A) and the model group. In addition, with pattern recognition analysis of urinary metabolites, the results showed a clear separation of the model group and control group, while XY-A group was much closer to the control group in the OSC-PLS score plot. Seven endogenous metabolites contributing to the separation of the model group and control group were detected, while XY-A group regulated the 5 perturbed metabolites showing a tendency of recovering to control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The present work suggested that petroleum ether fraction was the most effective fraction, implying that lipophilic components contribute to the antidepressant effect of XYS.

Evaluation of oil content and fatty acid composition of five endemic Bupleurum species growing in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey

The fatty acid composition of five endemic Bupleurum (Apiaceae) species was analysed by GC technique for their nutritional value. The amount of oil content of the species varied from 3.77% to 7.03%. Twenty-one fatty acids were identified in the oils. The fatty acid composition of the studied species contained oleic, palmitic and linoleic acids as the major components. Oleic acid ranged from 8.81% to 68.30%, while the levels of palmitic acid were found to be between 12.47% and 47.85%. Bupleurum lycaonicum, Bupleurum sulphureum and Bupleurum heldreichii are very good sources of oleic acid. The remaining species were characterised as containing the highest level of palmitic acid. In this study, the total saturated fatty acids ranged between 15.02 and 65.20%, while total monounsaturated fatty acids were between 18.10 and 70.65%. The total polyunsaturated fatty acid accounted for 13.47-35.20% of the studied fatty acids. Therefore, we can conclude that Bupleurum oils have a significant nutritional value.