Rapid Characterization of Chemical Components in Edible Mushroom Sparassis crispa by UPLC-Orbitrap MS Analysis and Potential Inhibitory Effects on Allergic Rhinitis

Metabolomic Profiling and In Vivo Antiepileptic Effect of Zygophyllum album Aerial Parts and Roots Crude Extracts against Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Kindling in Mice

The chemical profiles of both Zygophyllum album (Z. album) aerial parts and roots extracts were evaluated with LC-ESI-TOF-MS/MS analysis. Twenty-four compounds were detected. Among them, some are detected in both the aerial parts and the roots extracts, and others were detected in the aerial parts only. The detected compounds were mainly flavonoids, phenolic compounds, triterpenes and other miscellaneous compounds. Such compounds contribute to the diverse pharmacological activities elicited by the Z. album species. This study aimed to elucidate the antiepileptic effect of Z. album aerial parts and roots crude extracts against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced kindling in mice. Male albino mice were divided into four groups, eight animals each. All groups, except the control group, were kindled with PTZ (35 mg/kg i.p.), once every alternate day for a total of 15 injections. One group was left untreated (PTZ group). The remaining two groups were treated prior to PTZ injection with either Z. album aerial parts or roots crude extract (400 mg/kg, orally). Pretreatment with either extract significantly reduced the seizure scores, partially reversed the histological changes in the cerebral cortex and exerted antioxidant/anti-inflammatory efficacy evinced by elevated hippocampal total antioxidant capacity and SOD and catalase activities, parallel to the decrement in MDA content, iNOS activity and the TXNIB/NLRP3 axis with a subsequent decrease in caspase 1 activation and a release of IL-1β and IL-18. Moreover, both Z. album extracts suppressed neuronal apoptosis via upregulating Bcl-2 expression and downregulating that of Bax, indicating their neuroprotective and antiepileptic potential. Importantly, the aerial parts extract elicited much more antiepileptic potential than the roots extract did.

Quality marker prediction in Trillium tschonoskii based on UHPLC-MS chemical characterisation and network pharmacology

INTRODUCTION

As a folk herbal medicine, Trillium tschonoskii has been used for thousands of years. However, due to the complexity of the chemical constituents of this herb, few investigations have acquired a comprehensive understanding of its quality markers.

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to characterise the chemical composition of T. tschonoskii and identify its potential quality markers.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A systematic analytical method based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was used to characterise the constituents of T. tschonoskii. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed to investigate the chemical differences between different tissues, as well as the relationship between chemical compositions and habitats. The potential quality markers were predicted via network pharmacology and molecular docking, then confirmed by cellular assays.

RESULTS

A total of 77 compounds were co-isolated and identified, and among them, 26 were discovered from the genus Trillium for the first time. Ten batches of roots/rhizomes were explicitly clustered into five groups according to the climate types of the habitats, and the clusters of the fruits and roots/rhizomes from the same plants were independent due to the significant difference in chemical composition. Diosgenin had a good docking affinity with the relevant targets within the IL-17 pathway and cytokine pathway and could significantly inhibit TNF-α expression in hypoxic brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to establish the chemical composition profile of T. tschonoskii by UHPLC-MS systematically, and diosgenin was confirmed to be a potential quality marker of T. tschonoskii for the treatment of headaches.

Gamma-ray Irradiation of Rodent Diets Alters the Urinary Metabolome in Rats with Chemically Induced Mammary Cancer

In this study, a comparative, untargeted metabolomics approach was applied to compare urinary metabolite profiles of rats fed irradiated and non-irradiated diets. γ-Irradiated and non-irradiated NIH 7001 diet was given orally to animals beginning 5 days after exposure to the carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and continued for 120 days. There was a 36% reduction in mammary tumor incidence in rats consuming the γ-irradiated diet, compared to rats receiving the non-irradiated form of the same diet. Urine samples from rats fed with γ-irradiated and non-irradiated diets were analyzed using nanoLC-MS/MS on a Q-TOF mass spectrometer, collecting positive and negative ion data. Data processing involved feature detection and alignment with MS-DIAL, normalization, mean-centering and Pareto scaling, and univariate and multivariate statistical analysis using MetaboAnalyst, and pathway analysis with Mummichog. Unsupervised Principal Component Analysis and supervised Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis of both negative and positive ions revealed separation of the two groups. The top 25 metabolites from variable importance in projection scores >1 showed their contributions in discriminating urines the γ-irradiated diet fed group from non-irradiated control diet group. Consumption of the γ-irradiated diet led to alteration of several gut microbial metabolites such as phenylacetylglycine, indoxyl sulfate, kynurenic acid, hippurate and betaine in the urine. This study provides insights into metabolic changes in rat urine in response to a γ-irradiated diet which may be associated with mammary cancer prevention.

Tetrabutylammonium bromide-based hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent for the extraction and separation of dihydromyricetin from vine tea and its inhibitory efficiency against xanthine oxidase

In this study, deep eutectic solvent oscillation-assisted extraction (DES-OS) combined with macroporous resin adsorption and desorption technology was used to achieve the rapid green extraction and separation of the characteristic component dihydromyricetin (DMY) from vine tea. Multivariate data analysis showed that the DES system composed of tetrabutylammonium bromide (N₄₄₄Br) and pyruvic acid (molar ratio 1 : 2) had good extraction performance for DMY. The influence parameters of DES-OS were studied, and optimized by the single-factor test and response surface methodology (RSM) with Box–Behnken design (BBD). The extraction model of DMY was established and verified. The results showed that the extraction yield of DMY could reach 40.1 mg g⁻¹ under the optimal conditions (DES water contents of 71.18%, extraction time of 2.80 h, extraction temperature of 46.40 °C), which is in good agreement with the predicted value. In addition, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to characterize the solvent before and after extraction. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results further confirmed that tetrabutylammonium bromide:pyruvate enhanced the destruction of the cell wall structure, resulting in the release of more DMY. Furthermore, different macroporous resins were selected for the separation of DMY for the DES-OS extract, and it was found that the DM301 resin had the ideal recovery performance under optimized dynamic condition. Finally, the product was found to have an inhibitory effect against xanthine oxidase (XO) as a mixed-type competitive inhibitor with IC50 values of (5.79 ± 0.22) × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹. The inhibitory mechanisms of DMY on XO were explored by enzyme kinetics, spectroscopy, molecular docking and molecular dynamics analysis approaches, which provided a theoretical basis for the above inhibition assays.

In this study, deep eutectic solvent oscillation-assisted extraction (DES-OS) combined with macroporous resin adsorption and desorption technology was used to achieve the rapid green extraction and separation of dihydromyricetin (DMY) from vine tea.

Medicinal, nutritional, and nutraceutical potential of Sparassis crispa s. lat.: a review

Sparassis crispa is an edible mushroom exhibiting a wide range of medicinal properties. It is recognized for therapeutic value because of the high β-glucan content in the basidiomes. The broad range of its reported curative effects include anti-tumour, anti-cancer, immune-enhancing, hematopoietic, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, wound-healing, antioxidant, anti-coagulant, and anti-hypertensive properties. However, most of the studies are conducted on immunomodulatory and anticancer activities. Besides this, it also exhibits anti-microbial properties due to the presence of sparassol. Technology is now available for the cultivation of S. crispa on coniferous sawdust. This review is an attempt to focus on its distribution, taxonomy, chemical composition, medicinal properties, potential applications, and artificial cultivation.

Rapid Identification of 3,6'-Disinapoyl Sucrose Metabolites in Alzheimer's Disease Model Mice Using UHPLC-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by the progressive impairment of neural activity. Studies have shown that 3,6'-disinapoyl sucrose (DISS) can alleviate the pathological symptoms of AD through the activation of the cAMP/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway. However, the exact biochemical mechanisms of action of DISS are not clear. This study explores metabolism of DISS in an AD mouse model, induced by the microinjection of a lentiviral expression plasmid of the APPswe695 gene into CA1 of the hippocampus. After gavage administration of DISS (200 mg/kg), the kidneys, livers, brains, plasma, urine, and feces were collected for UHPLC-Orbitrap mass spectrometry analysis. Twenty metabolites, including the prototype drug of DISS, were positively or tentatively identified based on accurate mass measurements, characteristic fragmentation behaviors, and retention times. Thus, the metabolic pathways of DISS in AD mice were preliminarily elucidated through the identification of metabolites, such as ester bond cleavage, demethoxylation, demethylation, and sinapic acid-related products. Furthermore, differences in the in vivo distribution of several metabolites were observed between the model and sham control groups. These findings can provide a valuable reference for the pharmacological mechanisms and biosafety of DISS.

Chromosome-scale assembly of the Sparassis latifolia genome obtained using long-read and Hi-C sequencing

Sparassis latifolia is a valuable edible mushroom cultivated in China. In 2018, our research group reported an incomplete and low-quality genome of S. latifolia obtained by Illumina HiSeq 2500 sequencing. These limitations in the available genome have constrained genetic and genomic studies in this mushroom resource. Herein, an updated draft genome sequence of S. latifolia was generated by Oxford Nanopore sequencing and the high-through chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) technique. A total of 8.24 Gb of Oxford Nanopore long reads representing ∼198.08X coverage of the S. latifolia genome were generated. Subsequently, a high-quality genome of 41.41 Mb, with scaffold and contig N50 sizes of 3.31 and 1.51 Mb, respectively, was assembled. Hi-C scaffolding of the genome resulted in 12 pseudochromosomes containing 93.56% of the bases in the assembled genome. Genome annotation further revealed that 17.47% of the genome was composed of repetitive sequences. In addition, 13,103 protein-coding genes were predicted, among which 98.72% were functionally annotated. BUSCO assay results further revealed that there were 92.07% complete BUSCOs. The improved chromosome-scale assembly and genome features described here will aid further molecular elucidation of various traits, breeding of S. latifolia, and evolutionary studies with related taxa.

Rapid Structure-Based Annotation and Profiling of Dihydrochalcones in Star Fruit (Averrhoa carambola) Using UHPLC/Q-Orbitrap-MS and Molecular Networking

Dihydrochalcones are a subclass of flavonoids. There has been growing interest in dihydrochalcones for their health benefits and potential to modulate flavor, but their comprehensive profile in diverse plant species is lacking. Star fruit is a tropical fruit rich in dihydrochalcones. In this study, a systematic annotation using UHPLC/Q-Orbitrap-MS and molecular networking was established to rapidly identify dihydrochalcones in 12 star fruit cultivars. A total of 53 dihydrochalcones were characterized within a short retention time including one novel compound (phloretin-3'-C-(2-O-trans-p-coumaroyl)-β-d-fucopyranoside) and 23 compounds identified from the Averrhoa genus for the first time. 3-Hydroxyphloretin was the most abundant dihydrochalcone in star fruit. All the identified dihydrochalcones had a higher abundance in leaves compared to fruits. This is the first report that systematically investigates dihydrochalcones in star fruit of multiple cultivars, and the results could provide a useful reference for the future development and utilization of plant genetic resources.

Identification of lipophilic components in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium cultivars by supercritical CO2 fluid extraction with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry

To systematically identify the lipophilic constituents of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium from different cultivars, supercritical CO₂ fluid extraction and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry were integrated for the component analysis of 18 batches of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium from 12 cultivars for the first time. A total of 57 components from the supercritical CO₂ fluid extracts were demonstrably or tentatively identified by the obtained parent peaks, fragment peaks, and retention times. In total, two flavonoids, six organic acids, nine coumarins, three aldehydes, seven esters, three terpenes, one limonoid, and five other compounds were detected for the first time; notably, coumarin components have not yet been reported in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium. Furthermore, the extract constituents differed between cultivars. In particular, organic acids were more abundant in Citrus reticulata "Chachi" than in other cultivars, and pterostilbene was exclusively found in Citrus reticulata "Yichangju". The results showed that a greater variety of compounds in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium could be extracted by supercritical CO₂ fluid extraction and detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry. This study provides a more scientific basis for further analysis of the pharmacological activity and quality of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium components from different cultivars.

UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS Analysis for Identification of Lipophilic Components in Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus from Different Origins in China Using Supercritical CO2 Fluid Extraction Method

To thoroughly evaluate the quality of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus (CSF) and acquire knowledge of the lipophilic components of CSF from different origins, a simple and efficient approach based on supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) combined with ultraperformance liquid chromatography plus Q-Exactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS) detection for the discrimination of components from CSF was set up for the first time in this work. Eight batches of CSF samples from five main producing areas were extracted by SFE under optimized conditions, and then SFE extracts were dissected via UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS. The results indicated that 39 lipophilic compounds were successfully separated and unambiguously or tentatively identified, where 4 coumarins, 6 polymethoxyflavones, 3 phthalides, 6 terpenes, and 4 phenolics were not reported formerly. It was illustrated that CSF may be abundant in polymethoxyflavones, as in coumarins. Moreover, there were significant differences in the components of CSF from different origins. Especially, coumarin, dehydrocostus lactone, atractylenolide II, and atractylenolide I were exclusively found in CSF from the Guangdong province; isopsoralen was almost exclusively found in CSF from the Guangxi province; and ferulic acid was exclusively found in CSF from the Zhejiang province. These observations indicated that SFE joint with UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS owing to the potential of characterizing the lipophilic components could be used to promote quality assessment and chemotaxonomic investigation in phytology sciences of CSF.

Rapid Characterizaiton of Chemical Constituents of the Tubers of Gymnadenia conopsea by UPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS Analysis

Gymnadenia conopsea R. Br. is a traditional Tibetan medicinal plant that grows at altitudes above 3000 m, which is used to treat neurasthenia, asthma, coughs, and chronic hepatitis. However, a comprehensive configuration of the chemical profile of this plant has not been reported because of the complexity of its chemical constituents. In this study, a rapid and precise method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with an Orbitrap mass spectrometer (UPLC–Orbitrap–MS/MS) was established in both positive- and negative-ion modes to rapidly identify various chemical components in the tubers of G. conopsea for the first time. Finally, a total of 91 compounds, including 17 succinic acid ester glycosides, 9 stilbenes, 6 phenanthrenes, 19 alkaloids, 11 terpenoids and steroids, 20 phenolic acid derivatives, and 9 others, were identified in the tubers of G. conopsea based on the accurate mass within 3 ppm error. Furthermore, many alkaloids, phenolic acid derivates, and terpenes were reported from G. conopsea for the first time. This rapid method provides an important scientific basis for further study on the cultivation, clinical application, and functional food of G. conopsea.

Integration of ATAC-Seq and RNA-Seq Identifies Key Genes in Light-Induced Primordia Formation of Sparassis latifolia

Light is an essential environmental factor for Sparassis latifolia primordia formation, but the molecular mechanism is still unclear. In this study, differential expression profiling of light-induced primordia formation (LIPF) was established by integrating the assay for transposase accessible chromatin by sequencing (ATAC-seq) and RNA-seq technology. The integrated results from the ATAC-seq and RNA-seq showed 13 down-regulated genes and 17 up-regulated genes in both the L vs. D and P vs. D groups, for both methods. According to the gene ontology (GO) annotation of these differentially expressed genes (DEGs), the top three biological process categories were cysteine biosynthetic process via cystathionine, vitamin B6 catabolic, and glycine metabolic; the top three molecular function categories were 5-methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate-homocysteine S-methyltransferase activity, glycine binding, and pyridoxal phosphate binding; cellular component categories were significantly enriched in the glycine cleavage complex. The KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were associated with vitamin B6 metabolism; selenocompound metabolism; cysteine and methionine metabolism; glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism pathways. The expression of most of the DEGs was validated by qRT-PCR. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first integrative analysis of ATAC-seq and RNA-seq for macro-fungi. These results provided a new perspective on the understanding of key pathways and hub genes in LIPF in S. latifolia. It will be helpful in understanding the primary environmental response, and provides new information to the existing models of primordia formation in edible and medicinal fungi.