Content Determination and Release Characteristics of Six Components in the Different Phases of "Glycyrrhizaglabra-Nux vomica" Decoction by UPLC-MS/MS

Qualitative analysis of licorice and strychnine decoction before and after combination using UPLC-QE-Orbitrap-MS

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (GG) and Strychnos nux-vomica L. (NV) are traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Changes in the chemical composition may occur before and after the GG-NV compatibility. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography Q-exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-QE-Orbitrap-MS) was applied here to study the difference in the components of the GG and NV decoctions before and after they were combined. The changes in the chemical composition of GG and NV before and after the combination were determined.

METHODS

The precise molecular weight, retention time, and fragment ion peak of the different components of the decoctions before and after compatibility were obtained through UPLC-QE-Orbitrap-MS. Differential analysis methods, such as principal component analysis, were used for comparison.

RESULTS

In the positive ion mode, 200 new components were added, whereas six components were lost. In the negative ion mode, 144 new compounds were identified, whereas three components were missing.

CONCLUSIONS

The compatibility difference between GG and NV was studied through UPLC-QE-Orbitrap-MS. The chemical composition of GG and NV changed before and after compatibility, and a class of compounds different from GG and NV was identified in the co-decoction. This study provides an experimental basis for subsequent research into detoxification mechanisms of the GG-NV combination and offers a new analytical method for investigating the compatibility of various other TCM pairs.

Brucine Sulfate, a Novel Bacteriostatic Agent in 3D Printed Bone Scaffold Systems

Bacterial infection is a common complication in bone defect surgery, in which infection by clinically resistant bacteria has been a challenge for the medical community. Given this emerging problem, the discovery of novel natural-type inhibitors of drug-resistant bacteria has become imperative. Brucine, present in the traditional Chinese herb Strychnine semen, is reported to exert analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Brucine's clinical application was limited because of its water solubility. We extracted high-purity BS by employing reflux extraction and crystallization, greatly improved its solubility, and evaluated its antimicrobial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Importantly, we found that BS inhibited the drug-resistant strains significantly better than standard strains and achieved sterilization by disrupting the bacterial cell wall. Considering the safety concerns associated with the narrow therapeutic window of BS, a 3D BS-PLLA/PGA bone scaffold system was constructed with SLS technology and tested for its performance, bacteriostatic behaviors, and biocompatibility. The results have shown that the drug-loaded bone scaffolds had not only long-term, slow-controlled release with good cytocompatibility but also demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity in antimicrobial testing. The above results indicated that BS may be a potential drug candidate for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and that scaffolds with enhanced antibacterial activity and mechanical properties may have potential applications in bone tissue engineering.

Fabrication of a bio-based polymer adsorbent and its application for extraction and determination of glycosides from Huangqi Liuyi decoction

Huangqi Liuyi Decoction, a famous classical Chinese prescription, shows significant curative effect on diabetes and its complications, in which calycosin-7-glucoside, liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid are the main components that playing these mentioned pharmacological activity, under the synergistic action of various other ingredients in the decoction. However, there are significant differences in the content of active compounds in Chinese medicinal materials, which mainly due to origin, picking seasons, and processing methods. Hence, the accurate content of the glycosides is the prerequisite for ensuring the pharmacological efficacy. Aiming at establishing an efficient extraction and determination method for accurate quantitative analysis of calycosin-7-glucoside, liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid in Huangqi Liuyi Decoction, an on line solid-phase extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed, using a homemade bio-based monolithic adsorbent. The bio-based adsorbent was prepared in a stainless steel tube, using bio-monomers of methyleugenol and S-allyl-L-cysteine, which effectively reduced the dependence of the polymer field on non-renewable fossil resources and reduced carbon emissions. Furthermore, the prepared adsorbent owned abundant chemical groups, which can produce interactions of hydrogen bond, dipole-dipole, π-π and hydrophobic force with the target glycosides, thus improving the specific recognition ability of the adsorbent. The experiments were carried out on an LC-3000 HPLC instrument with a six-way valve. Methodology validation indicates that the recovery is in the range of 97.0%-103.4% with the RSD in the range of 1.6%-4.0%, due to the specific selectivity of the bio-based monolithic adsorbent for these three glycosides, and good matrix-removal ability for Huangqi Liuyi decoction. The limit of detection is 0.17, 0.50 and 0.33 μg/mL for calycosin-7-glucoside, liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid, respectively, and the limit of quantitation is 0.50, 1.50 and 1.00 μg/mL, respectively, with the linear range of 2-200 μg/mL for calycosin-7-glucoside, and 5-500 μg/mL for liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid. The present work provided a simple and efficient method for the extraction and determination of glycosides in complex medicinal plants.

Chemical constituents, pharmacological action, antitumor application, and toxicity of Strychnine Semen from Strychnons pierriana A.W.Hill.: A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The dried and mature seeds of Strychnons pierriana A.W.Hill. have been called Strychnine Semen(S. Semen). It have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for nearly 400 years. In recent decades, scholars at home and abroad have widely used S. Semen in the treatment of tumor diseases, showing good anti-tumor effects. In this paper, the modern research achievements of S. Semen are reviewed, including traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In recent years, the research on S. Semen has increased gradually, especially the research on its anti-tumor. This paper not only reviewed the traditional uses, chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of S. Semen, but also comprehensively listed the mechanisms of Strychnos in the treatment of different tumors, providing a review for further research and development of Strychnos resources.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review of the literature on Fuzi was performed using several resources, namely classic books on Chinese herbal medicine and various scientific databases, such as PubMed, the Web of Science, and the China Knowledge Resource Integrated databases.

RESULTS

The main constituents of S. Semen include alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, and their glycosides. Modern studies have proved that S. Semen has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory and analgesic, anti-thrombotic, myocardial cell protection, immune regulation, nerve excitation, and anti-tumor effects. Among them, the anti-tumor effect has been the focus of research in recent years. S. Semen have a certain therapeutic effect on many kinds of tumors, such as liver cancer, colon cancer, and stomach cancer in the digestive system, breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer in the reproductive system, myeloma and leukemia in the blood system, and those in the nervous system and the immune system.

CONCLUSION

Strychnine has an inhibitory effect on a variety of tumors. However, modern studies of strychnine are incomplete, and more in-depth studies are needed on its stronger bioactive constituents and potential pharmacological effects. The antitumor effect of Strychnine is worth further exploration.

Antioxidant effects of phenolic compounds in through the distillation of Lonicera japonica & Chenpi extract and anti-inflammation on skin keratinocyte

The phenolic compounds in Lonicera japonica & Chenpi distillation extract (LCDE) were thoroughly examined for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Phenolic compounds in LCDE were analyzed for five peaks using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) and determined. Five phenolic compounds were identified from the samples and MS data. Ultrafiltration with LC analysis was used to investigate the ability of bioactive compounds to target DPPH. As a result, it was confirmed that the major compounds exhibited a high binding affinity to DPPH and could be regarded as antioxidant-active compounds. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect of LCDE was confirmed in vitro, and signal inhibition of anti-inflammation cytokines, MAPK and NF-kB pathways was confirmed. Finally, Molecular docking analysis supplements the anti-inflammatory effect through the binding affinity of selected compounds and inflammatory factors. In conclusion, the phenolic compounds of the LCDE were identified and potential active compounds for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were identified. Additionally, this study will be utilized to provide basic information for the application of LCDE in the pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical cosmetics industries along with information on efficient screening techniques for other medicinal plants.

Potential Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Lonicera japonica and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Polyphenolic Extract (LCPE)

Dermatitis is an inflammatory condition of the outer layer of the skin that causes itching, blisters, redness, swelling, and often exudation, scabs, and peeling. Among them, purulent inflammation is a symptom that often occurs on the skin and appears in the form of boils and acne. Various studies are being conducted to treat these inflammatory diseases. Accordingly, Lonicera japonica and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Polyphenolic Extract (LCPE), which uses herbal preparations such as Lonicera japonica, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis, has been used to suppress inflammation since ancient times, and its anti-inflammatory effect can be observed in skin keratinocytes after inducing inflammation. In this study, the major polyphenolic compounds in LCPE were quantitatively determined by analyzing the data through peak values using high-performance chromatography (HPLC-MS/MS) coupled with mass spectrometry. Additionally, bioactive compounds targeting 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were analyzed by ultrafiltration integrated with LC. Several compounds with the most significant effects were selected (chlorogenic acid, narirutin, and isorhamnetin). Skin keratinocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were treated with LCPE to show its anti-inflammatory effects. After LCPE treatment, inflammation-mediating cytokines such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were decreased. In addition, nuclear factor kappa (NF-кB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were inhibited in important pathways related to inflammation. Lastly, molecular modeling was performed to determine binding scores with inflammation-related proteins using molecular docking for the selected compounds. According to these results, LCPE is effective in treating keratinocytes induced by LPS and reducing inflammation and has potential antioxidant effects, and the polyphenol components have been identified.