The Use of Mass Spectrometric Techniques to Differentiate Isobaric and Isomeric Flavonoid Conjugates from Axyris amaranthoides

Phytochemical Investigation of Polyphenols from the Aerial Parts of Tanacetum balsamita Used in Transylvanian Ethnobotany and Parallel Artificial Membrane Permeability Assay

In this study, based on ethnobotanical data recorded in Transylvania, the polyphenolic compounds and the permeability of the aerial part's extract of Tanacetum balsamita were investigated. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was applied for the analysis of the extracts. Parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA) for the gastrointestinal tract and the blood-brain barrier was conducted. In the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the species traditionally used for wound, furuncle, and liver disorders, 92 polyphenols were characterized (e.g., flavonoid, hydroxycinnamic acid, catechin, dihydroxybenzoyl, lignan derivatives, and a monoterpene) including 54 compounds identified for the first time in the plant. In the PAMPA tests, eight components were shown to be capable of passive diffusion across the studied membranes. These include apigenin and seven methoxylated flavonoid derivatives. Based on these results, methoxylated flavonoids might promote the pharmacological potential of T. balsamita to be applied in the enhancement of novel remedies.

Comprehensive Chemical Profiling and Mechanistic Insight into Anticancer Activity of Annona muricata Leaves Extract

The aqueous extract of Annona muricata L. leaves was thoroughly analyzed using the UPLC-MS/MS, in addition to a new approach of examination of the extract's impact on cancer of EAC(Ehrlich ascites carcinoma) in albino male mice. The aim was to investigate the diversity of the phytochemical constituents of the aqueous leaf capsule extract and their impacts on EAC as anticancer agents. The UPLC-ESI-MS/MS screening resulted in 410 tentatively identified metabolites. Among them, 384 compounds were tentatively identified in a previous study, besides a number of 26 compounds belonging to acetogenins, phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, and other miscellaneous compounds, which were exclusively identified in the aqueous extract of the leaf capsule. Interestingly, a new compound was tentatively characterized as galloyl-quinic acid-rutinoside. This study also demonstrated that treating EAC mice with an extract from A. muricata leaves significantly improved the abnormalities in the expression of pro-apoptotic (Bax and caspase-3) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) genes. Furthermore, the extract showed good protection against induced Ehrlich hepatocarcinoma, according to the microscopical, histological, and immune-histochemical analyses of the liver tissues and tumor mass.

Antibacterial Activity and Anxiolytic Effect in Adult Zebrafish of Genus Lippia L. Species

Species belonging to the genus Lippia are used worldwide as foods, beverages, and seasonings. Studies have demonstrated that these species have antioxidant, sedative, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic activities. This work aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity and anxiolytic effect by different pathways of essential oils and ethanolic extracts of three species of Lippia (Lippia alba, Lippia sidoides, and Lippia gracilis). The ethanolic extracts were characterized by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSⁿ and their phenolics were quantified. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration and modulation of antibiotic activity, and toxic and anxiolytic effects were evaluated in the zebrafish model. The extracts showed compositions with a low ratio and shared compounds. L. alba and L. gracilis showed higher amounts of phenols and flavonoids, respectively. All extracts and essential oils presented antibacterial activity, especially those obtained from L. sidoides. On the other hand, L. alba extract presented the most significant antibiotic-enhancing effect. The samples were not toxic after 96 h of exposure, but showed an anxiolytic effect through modulation of the GABA_A receptor, while L. alba extract acted via modulation of the 5-HT receptor. This new pharmacological evidence opens horizons for therapeutic approaches targeting anxiolytic and antibacterial therapies and food conservation using these species and their constituents.

Antiviral Activity of Vitis vinifera Leaf Extract against SARS-CoV-2 and HSV-1

Vitis vinifera represents an important and renowned source of compounds with significant biological activity. Wines and winery bioproducts, such as grape pomace, skins, and seeds, are rich in bioactive compounds against a wide range of human pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. However, little is known about the biological properties of vine leaves. The aim of this study was the evaluation of phenolic composition and antiviral activity of Vitis vinifera leaf extract against two human viruses: the Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and the pandemic and currently widespread severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). About 40 phenolic compounds were identified in the extract by HPLC-MS/MS analysis: most of them were quercetin derivatives, others included derivatives of luteolin, kaempferol, apigenin, isorhamnetin, myricetin, chrysoeriol, biochanin, isookanin, and scutellarein. Leaf extract was able to inhibit both HSV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 replication in the early stages of infection by directly blocking the proteins enriched on the viral surface, at a very low concentration of 10 μg/mL. These results are very promising and highlight how natural extracts could be used in the design of antiviral drugs and the development of future vaccines.

Advanced Analytical Approaches for the Analysis of Polyphenols in Plants Matrices—A Review

Phenolic compounds are plants’ bioactive metabolites that have been studied for their ability to confer extensive benefits to human health. As currently there is an increased interest in natural compounds identification and characterization, new analytical methods based on advanced technologies have been developed. This paper summarizes current advances in the state of the art for polyphenols identification and quantification. Analytical techniques ranging from high-pressure liquid chromatography to hyphenated spectrometric methods are discussed. The topic of high-resolution mass spectrometry, from targeted quantification to untargeted comprehensive chemical profiling, is particularly addressed. Structure elucidation is one of the important steps for natural products research. Mass spectral data handling approaches, including acquisition mode selection, accurate mass measurements, elemental composition, mass spectral library search algorithms and structure confirmation through mass fragmentation pathways, are discussed.

Bullet points to evaluate the performance of the middle-down proteomics workflow for histone modification analysis

Middle-down proteomics has emerged as the method of choice to study combinatorial histone post translational modifications (PTMs). In the common bottom-up workflow, histones are digested into relatively short peptides (4-20 aa), separated using reversed-phase chromatography and analyzed using typical proteomics methods in mass spectrometry. In middle-down, histones are cleaved into longer polypeptides (50-60 aa) mostly corresponding to their N-terminal tails, resolved using weak cation exchange-hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (WCX-HILIC) and analyzed with less conventional mass spectrometry, i.e. using Electron Transfer Dissociation (ETD) for analyte fragmentation. Middle-down is not nearly as utilized as bottom-up for PTM analysis, partially due to its limited reproducibility and robustness. This has also limited the establishment of rigorous benchmarks to discriminate good vs poor quality experiments. Here, we describe critical aspects of the middle-down workflow to assist the user in evaluating the presence of biased and misleading results. Specifically, we tested the use of porous graphitic carbon (PGC) during the desalting step, demonstrating that desalting using only C18 material leads to sample loss. We also tested different salts in the WCX-HILIC buffers for their effect on retention, selectivity, and reproducibility of analysis of variants of histone tail fragments, in particular replacing ammonium ion with ethylenediammonium ion in buffer A. These substitutions had marked effects on selectivity and retention. Our results provide a streamlined way to evaluate middle-down performance to identify and quantify combinatorial histone PTMs.

A Novel Biochemical Study of Anti-Ageing Potential of Eucalyptus Camaldulensis Bark Waste Standardized Extract and Silver Nanoparticles

Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh belongs to family Myrtaceae. They are massive in Egypt. Although reputed for high phenolic content, barks are considered waste. Ageing is a natural phenomenon caused by apoptosis and senescence resulting in wrinkles. The phytochemical analysis of the 70% ethanolic Eucalyptus camaldulensis bark extract (EBE) and evaluation of its anti-ageing potential and as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were conducted in this study. Ultra performance liquid chromatography / electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of EBE fingerprint revealed twenty compounds, where Rutin was major. EBE was standardized to contain 1.26 % Rutin. AgNPs synthesized by green synthesis, were characterized by transmission electron microscope and zeta potential measurement. Both EBE and AgNPs were subjected to MTT assay in HFB4 cells and cell cycle arrest. Flow cytometry was used to assess apoptosis and p16 ^INK4a. Genetic expression of p53 and p21 and telomerase level were determined. Anti-wrinkle enzyme assays were done. AgNps were spherical, 468.7 nm in size and with Poly dispersity index of 0.817 ± 0.129. EBE and AgNPs with IC₅₀ 0.156 mg/mL ± 0.05 and 2.315 ± 0.07 μg/mL expressed significant difference in % of cells (DNA content) at G2/M, apoptotic cells numbers, p53 and p21expression and p16^INK4a vs aged cells (P < 0.0001). Both expressed significant increase in telomerase (P < 0.0001). They exhibited elastase, collagenase and tyrosinase inhibition (75 ± 4.3 and 75.9 ± 6.8 % at 300 μg/mL, 58 ± 4.8 and 63 ± 2.3, at 500 μg/mL, 51 ± 4.8 and 65 ± 5.87, at 500 μg/mL, respectively. Although it is considered waste, EBE and Ag NPs are anti-ageing candidates as they inhibit apoptosis, senescence and prevent wrinkles formation.

Preliminary Study to Develop an Alternative Method for the Non-targeted Determination of Xenobiotics in Food by Means of Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled to High Resolution and Accuracy Mass Spectrometry

This preliminary study describes the use of high resolution and accuracy mass spectrometry techniques combined with new generation chemical software products for detecting and identifying contaminants in food commodities. As a first step, the extracts of routine target analysis samples (obtained in our official laboratory responsible for food residues control) were acquired and processed with this method in order to search unknown and non-targeted contaminants in food. In order to verify the feasibility of the presented method, the research has been firstly addressed to untargeted pesticides and their metabolites in stone fruits commodities and tomatoes. The differential analysis carried with Compound Discoverer 2.0 between the investigated unknown sample and the blank matrix sample allowed to remove all the matrix molecular components; Aggregated Computational Toxicology Resource (ACToR) helped to understand and predict chemical interpretation of substances. The acquisition in FullScan-AIF and FullScan-ddMS2 allowed the clear detection and identification of isobaric compounds such as quinalphos and phoxim. In order to verify that the proposed method is suitable to the scope of application, the main points of SANTE/11813/2017 Document have been followed. The results demonstrate that no false positives and no false negatives have been detected from the analysis of samples spiked with 55 pesticides at 0.010 and 0.10 mg kg−1. This preliminary study has been also tested with a Proficiency Test (EUPT-FV-SM08) and, according to EUPT-FV-SM08 Final Report, our laboratory has been included in the 67% (56) that clearly detected over 70% pesticides. Finally, this method has been extended to other matrices and contaminants.

Determination of the metabolic profile of Solidago canadensis using UFLC-PDA-ESI-TOF

Abstract Species in the Solidago genus are used worldwide due to the therapeutic activities of their flavonoids and terpenoids. Its anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, analgesic, diuretic, aquaretic, wound-healing properties as well as its ability to relieve burn and insect bites allow use in a variety of situations. This study was carried out to determine the metabolic profile of Solidago canadensis inflorescences (SCAI) to identify the species commercialized in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, and evaluate the medicinal potential compared to S. chilensis and SCAI, which is used in North America and Europe. The UFLC-PDA-ESI-TOF revealed the metabolic profile of SCAI, finding the pseudo-molecular ions and characteristic fragments, mainly flavonols (10) such as quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, and its glycosides, as well as chlorogenic acid (CA). Eleven substances were identified, confirming the compatibility of the metabolic profile presented in varieties canadensis and scabra of european S. canadensis. The both contain the same flavonoid aglycones, and their glycosides are important chemical and biological markers for extracts and products based on species of the genus Solidago. UFLC-PDA-ESI-TOF characterized the extracts, which can help with quality control of raw plant materials and commercialized phytotherapeutics as well as for development of new products and phytomedicines.

Identification of Auxin Metabolites in Brassicaceae by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Auxins are signaling molecules involved in multiple stages of plant growth and development. The levels of the most important auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), are regulated by the formation of amide and ester conjugates with amino acids and sugars. In this work, IAA and IAA amide conjugates with amino acids bearing a free carboxylic group or a methyl ester group, along with some selected IAA metabolites, were studied in positive and negative electrospray ionization (ESI) modes, utilizing high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) as a tool for their structural analysis. HRMS/MS spectra revealed the fragmentation patterns that enable us to identify IAA metabolites in plant extracts from eight vegetables of the Brassicaceae family using a fast and reliable ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QToF-MS) method. The accurate m/z (mass to charge) ratio and abundance of the molecular and fragment ions of the studied compounds in plant extracts matched those obtained from commercially available or synthesized compounds and confirmed the presence of IAA metabolites.

Dittrichia viscosa L. Ethanolic Extract Based Ointment with Antiradical, Antioxidant, and Healing Wound Activities

Dittrichia viscosa which belongs to the Asteraceae family is frequently used to treat hematomas and skin disorders in Mediterranean herbal medicine. This study aims to validate its antioxidant effects and its potential on healing wounds. The ethanolic extract of D. viscosa leaves was formulated as 2.5% and 5% (w/w) in ointment bases on the beeswax and sesame oil. During this study, the ethanolic D. viscosa extract, ointments containing 2.5% and 5% of D. viscosa extract, and the vehiculum were assessed for their total phenol content (TPC), caffeoylquinic acid content (CQC), and antioxidant activities using complementary methods (TAC, the DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and the BCB). The effects on wound healing of obtained ointments were evaluated by excision of the wound in a mice model for 12 days. Subsequently, the excised wound areas were measured at the 3^rd, 9^th, and 12^th days. The skin tissues were isolated for histological studies. The ointments containing D. viscosa extract (2.5%, 5%) possessed a considerable TPC, CQC, radical scavenging potential, and antioxidant activities compared to the vehiculum. Treated animals with ointments containing D. viscosa extract at 2.5% and 5% showed almost and totally healed wounds compared to the vehiculum and control groups, evidenced by good skin regeneration and reepithelialization. The present work showed the role of D. viscosa antioxidants exerted by its polyphenolic compounds, in particular, caffeoylquinic acids, in enhancing wound healing.

Chemical characterization and acaricidal activity of Drimia maritima (L) bulbs and Dittrichia viscosa leaves against Dermanyssus gallinae

The emergence of resistance to chemical acaricides in Dermanyssus gallinae, together with their toxicity and high costs, has prompted investigations into the use of plant extracts as alternatives to chemical acaricidal treatments. Drimia maritima bulbs and Dittrichia viscosa (D. viscosa) leaf extracts were here characterized by HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS, and their toxicity against D. gallinae was evaluated using contact methods. Twenty-nine compounds were identified in D. maritima extracts, with glucoscilliphaeoside derivatives (i.e., quercetin, kaempferol and bufadienolides) as the major components. Twenty-four phenolic compounds, mainly caffeic acid derivatives, were detected in D. viscosa extracts. D. maritima extracts displayed a significantly higher (p < 0.05) acaricidal activity than D. viscosa extracts, with 100% of D. gallinae mortality at a concentration of 100 mg/mL following 24 h exposure. The mortality rate of D. gallinae induced by D. viscosa extracts ranged from 25 to 45% following 48 h exposure at a concentration of 200 mg/mL. The acetonic extract of D. viscosa and D. maritima displayed the highest efficacy against D. gallinae. This study provides evidence of the diversity of bioactive compounds present in D. maritima bulbs and D. viscosa leaf extracts, which are both efficacious against D. gallinae. The higher efficacy of D. maritima bulb extracts might be linked to the presence of bufadienolides in its extracts.