Metabolomic Profile and Cytotoxic Activity of Cissus incisa Leaves Extracts

Metabolites Profile of Extracts and Fractions of Erythroxylum mexicanum Kunth by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and its Antibacterial, Cytotoxic and Nitric Oxide Inhibitory Activities

The present study shows the untargeted metabolite profiling and in vitro antibacterial, cytotoxic, and nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activities of the methanolic leaves extract (MLE) and methanolic stem extract (MSE) of Erythroxylum mexicanum, as well as the fractions from MSE. Using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS), a total of 70 metabolites were identified; mainly alkaloids in the MLE, while the MSE showed a high abundance of diterpenoids. The MSE fractions exhibited differential activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Notably, the hexane fraction (HSF) against Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 19615 (MIC=62.5 μg/mL) exhibited a bactericidal effect. The MSE fractions exhibited cytotoxicity against all cancer cell lines tested, with selectivity towards them compared to a noncancerous cell line. Particularly, the HSF and chloroform fraction (CSF) showed the highest cytotoxicity against prostate cancer (PC-3) cells, with IC50 values of 19.9 and 18.1 μg/mL and selectivity indexes of 3.8 and 4.2, respectively. Both the HSF and ethyl acetate (EASF) fractions of the MSE inhibited NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, with NO production percentages of 50.0 % and 51.7 %, respectively, at a concentration of 30 μg/mL. These results indicated that E. mexicanum can be a source of antibacterial, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory metabolites.

Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis Revealed the Major Metabolites in the Seeds of four Polygonatum Species

Most Polygonatum species are widely used in China as a source of medicine and food. In this study, a UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS system was used to conduct an untargeted metabolomics analysis and compare the classes and relative contents of metabolites in the seeds of four Polygonatum species: P. sibiricum (Ps), P. cyrtonema (Pc), P. kingianum (Pk), and P. macropodium (Pm). The objectives of this study were to clarify the metabolic profiles of these seeds and to verify their medicinal and nutritional value via comparative analyses. A total of 873 metabolites were identified, including 185 flavonoids, 127 lipids, 105 phenolic acids, and 36 steroids. The comparative analysis of metabolites among Polygonatum seed samples indicated that flavonoids, steroids, and terpenoids were the main differentially abundant compounds. The results of principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering were consistent indicating that the metabolites in Ps and Pm are similar, but differ greatly from Pc and Pk. The data generated in this study provide additional evidence of the utility of Polygonatum seeds for producing food and medicine.