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Wu J, Deng S, Yu X, Wu Y, Hua X, Zhang Z, Huang Y. Identify production area, growth mode, species, and grade of Astragali Radix using metabolomics "big data" and machine learning. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 123:155201. [PMID: 37976693 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Astragali Radix (AR) is a widely used herbal medicine. The quality of AR is influenced by several key factors, including the production area, growth mode, species, and grade. However, the markers currently used to distinguish these factors primarily focus on secondary metabolites, and their validation on large-scale samples is lacking. PURPOSE This study aims to discover reliable markers and develop classification models for identifying the production area, growth mode, species, and grade of AR. METHODS A total of 366 batches of AR crude slices were collected from six provinces in China and divided into learning (n = 191) and validation (n = 175) sets. Three ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) methods were developed and validated for determining 22 primary and 10 secondary metabolites in AR methanol extract. Based on the quantification data, seven machine learning algorithms, such as Nearest Neighbors and Gradient Boosted Trees, were applied to screen the potential markers and build the classification models for identifying the four factors associated with AR quality. RESULTS Our analysis revealed that secondary metabolites (e.g., astragaloside IV, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, and ononin) played a crucial role in evaluating AR quality, particularly in identifying the production area and species. Additionally, fatty acids (e.g., behenic acid and lignoceric acid) were vital in determining the growth mode of AR, while amino acids (e.g., alanine and phenylalanine) were helpful in distinguishing different grades. With both primary and secondary metabolites, the Nearest Neighbors algorithm-based model was constructed for identifying each factor of AR, achieving good classification accuracy (>70%) on the validation set. Furthermore, a panel of four metabolites including ononin, astragaloside II, pentadecanoic acid, and alanine, allowed for simultaneous identification of all four factors of AR, offering an accuracy of 86.9%. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the potential of integrating large-scale targeted metabolomics and machine learning approaches to accurately identify the quality-associated factors of AR. This study opens up possibilities for enhancing the evaluation of other herbal medicines through similar methodologies, and further exploration in this area is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, China Pharmaceutical University, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210009, China; Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Shaoqian Deng
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, China Pharmaceutical University, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xinyue Yu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, China Pharmaceutical University, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yanlin Wu
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Xiaoyi Hua
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Testing, Wuxi Center for Drug Safety Control, Wuxi, 214028, China
| | - Zunjian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, China Pharmaceutical University, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Yin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, China Pharmaceutical University, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210009, China; Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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Cai WL, Fang C, Liu LF, Sun FY, Xin GZ, Zheng JY. Pseudotargeted metabolomics-based random forest model for tracking plant species from herbal products. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 118:154927. [PMID: 37331178 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The "one-to-multiple" phenomenon is prevalent in medicinal herbs. Accurate species identification is critical to ensure the safety and efficacy of herbal products but is extremely challenging due to their complex matrices and diverse compositions. PURPOSE This study aimed to identify the determinable chemicalome of herbs and develop a reasonable strategy to track their relevant species from herbal products. METHODS Take Astragali Radix-the typical "one to multiple" herb, as a case. An in-house database-driven identification of the potentially bioactive chemicalome (saponins and flavonoids) in AR was performed. Furthermore, a pseudotargeted metabolomics method was first developed and validated to obtain high-quality semi-quantitative data. Then based on the data matrix, the random forest algorithm was trained to predict Astragali Radix species from commercial products. RESULTS The pseudotargeted metabolomics method was first developed and validated to obtain high-quality semi-quantitative data (including 56 saponins and 49 flavonoids) from 26 batches of AR. Then the random forest algorithm was well-trained by importing the valid data matrix and showed high performance in predicting Astragalus species from ten commercial products. CONCLUSION This strategy could learn species-special combination features for accurate herbal species tracing and could be expected to promote the traceability of herbal materials in herbal products, contributing to manufacturing standardization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Lu Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicines Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing, China
| | - Can Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicines Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing, China
| | - Li-Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicines Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing, China
| | - Fang-Yuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicines Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing, China
| | - Gui-Zhong Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicines Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing, China.
| | - Jia-Yi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicines Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing, China.
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Tran MN, Kim S, Nguyen QHN, Lee S. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Qi-Invigorating Effects in Traditional Medicine: Network Pharmacology-Based Study on the Unique Functions of Qi-Invigorating Herb Group. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11192470. [PMID: 36235337 PMCID: PMC9573487 DOI: 10.3390/plants11192470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Qi-invigorating herbs (QIHs) are a group of herbs that invigorate Qi, the most vital force for maintaining the physiological functions of the human body in traditional medicine. However, the mechanism underlying the Qi-invigorating effects remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the unique mechanisms of QIHs based on unique compounds, using a network pharmacology approach. QIHs and their compounds were identified using existing literature and the TCMSP database, respectively. Subsequently, a method was proposed to screen for unique compounds that are common in QIHs but rare in other traditional herbs. Unique compounds’ targets were predicted using the TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM, and SwissTargetPrediction databases. Finally, enriched GO and KEGG pathways were obtained using DAVID to uncover the biomolecular functions and mechanisms. Thirteen unique compounds, mainly including amino acids and vitamins that participate in energy metabolism and improve Qi deficiency syndrome, were identified among the eight QIHs. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that these compounds commonly participate in neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction and the metabolism of amino acids, and are related to the components of mitochondria and neuronal cells. Our results appropriately reflect the characteristics of traditional Qi-invigorating effects; therefore, this study facilitates the scientific interpretation of Qi functions and provides evidence regarding the treatment effectiveness of QIHs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh Nhat Tran
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea
- Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
- Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue 49120, Vietnam
| | - Soyoung Kim
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea
- Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Quynh Hoang Ngan Nguyen
- Center for Artificial Intelligence, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea
- AI Robotics, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Sanghun Lee
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea
- Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-42-868-9461
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Identification of characteristic markers for monofloral honey of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus Hsiao: A combined untargeted and targeted MS-based study. Food Chem 2022; 404:134312. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Sun H, Zuo X, Zhang Q, Gao J, Kai G. Elicitation of ( E)-2-Hexenal and 2,3-Butanediol on the Bioactive Compounds in Adventitious Roots of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:470-479. [PMID: 34985895 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c05813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the elicitation of volatile organic compounds (E)-2-hexenal and 2,3-butanediol on bioactive metabolites in Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus adventitious root cultures by adding them into the medium. The experiment was performed for 72 h and the roots were dynamically sampled for quantification of representative astragaloside IV, calycosin-7-O-β-d-glucoside (CG), ononin, and the gene expression. Compared with the controls, the combination of 2,3-butanediol and (E)-2-hexenal advanced the peak accumulation of astragaloside IV and was the most effective, but their individual application delayed it. Meanwhile, 2,3-butanediol and (E)-2-hexenal had no obviously promoting effect on the production of CG and ononin but chronologically changed their accumulation patterns. The underlying mechanism was uncovered by the correlation analysis between the metabolites and the gene expression, as did the identification of the target genes. Collectively, 2,3-butanediol and (E)-2-hexenal were important cues shaping the production of bioactive products in the herbal plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Sun
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Xinyu Zuo
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Qingqing Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Jianping Gao
- College of Pharmacy, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong, Shanxi 030060, China
| | - Guoyin Kai
- College of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
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Chien MY, Yang CM, Chen CH. Effects of Physical Properties and Processing Methods on Astragaloside IV and Flavonoids Content in Astragali radix. Molecules 2022; 27:575. [PMID: 35056893 PMCID: PMC8778167 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27020575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the physical properties (diameter size, powder particle size, composition of bark- and wood-tissue, and turnover rate) and processing methods on the content of active ingredients in Astragali radix (AR), a popular Chinese herbal medicine. The astragaloside IV and flavonoid contents increased with decreasing diameter size. Bark-tissue had significantly higher astragaloside IV and formononetin content than that in the wood-tissue. As a higher proportion of bark-tissue is associated with decreasing diameter, a strong correlation was also shown between bark- to wood-tissue ratio and active ingredients' content. Furthermore, an increase in astragaloside IV content was observed in thin powder as compared to coarse powder ground from the whole root. However, this association between active ingredients' content and powder particle size was abolished when isolating bark- and wood-tissue individually. Moreover, AR stir-frying with refined honey, a typical processing method of AR, increased formononetin content. The turnover rate of active constituents upon decoction ranged from 61.9-81.4%. Assessing the active constituent contents using its physical properties and processing methods allows for a more comprehensive understanding of optimizing and strengthening the therapeutic potentials of AR used in food and herbal supplements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Yin Chien
- Ko Da Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taoyuan 324, Taiwan; (M.-Y.C.); (C.-M.Y.)
| | - Chih-Min Yang
- Ko Da Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taoyuan 324, Taiwan; (M.-Y.C.); (C.-M.Y.)
| | - Chao-Hsiang Chen
- Ko Da Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taoyuan 324, Taiwan; (M.-Y.C.); (C.-M.Y.)
- Graduate Institute of Pharmacognosy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
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Xu HX, Lin ZX. Overview of Research Trends in Precious Chinese Medicines. CHINESE MEDICINE AND CULTURE 2021. [DOI: 10.4103/cmac.cmac_45_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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