A comparative UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based metabolomics approach reveals the metabolite profiling of wolfberry sourced from different geographical origins

Wolfberry, known as Goji berry, is the fruit of Lycium barbarum L. (LB). As a famous functional food and TCM, the cost and efficacy of LB are closely linked to its geographical origin. The present study aimed to establish an effective method for distinguishing LB from different geographical origins. By employing UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS combined with multivariate analysis, the metabolite profiling of LB (199 batches) obtained from Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang, was evaluated. The results demonstrated that the method effectively distinguished LB from the four regions, with a total of 148 different metabolites being detected. Subsequent assessment using heat maps, Venn analysis, receiver operating characteristics curves and dot plots revealed 21 of these metabolites exhibited exceptional sensitivity and specificity, with under-curve values approaching 1, thus indicating their potential as biomarkers for LB. These findings strongly support the suitability of UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based metabolomics as an effective approach to identify the source of LB.

An integrating strategy for systematic profiling of Chinese patent drug's chemicalome and associated metabolome: Huanghou antidiarrhea dropping pills as a case study

Huanghou antidiarrhea dropping pills (HADP) is an efficient Chinese patent drug that is clinically used to treat diarrhea. However, its functional materials remain unclear due to the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, which is a multi-component and multi-target complex system. In this study, we investigated the intrinsic chemical components and combined with in vivo metabolism to reveal the functional material basis of HADP. Spectral behavior (accurate molecular weight and secondary fragmentation) and chromatographic behavior (retention time) were key criterions that throughout the whole research of components identification, prototypes screening, and tissue distribution. Mass defect filter (MDF), characteristic product ion filter (PIF), and neutral loss filter (NLF) were other three criterions for metabolites searching. Consequently, a total of 102 components in HADP, including alkaloids, lignans, lactones, gingerols, and alkaloid complexes were identified or tentatively characterized. About 39 metabolites that related to 37 prototypes were calculated and matched in bio-samples. Among them, 14 prototypes and 18 metabolites were detected distribution in colon, liver, heart, spleen, lung or kidney. This study provides a systematic investigation into the metabolism of HADP and offers effective analytical strategies for the characterization of compounds and metabolites in Chinese patent drugs.

Application of a robust analytical method for quantifying progestins in environmental samples from three Portuguese Estuaries

In the last years, progestins have raised special concerns for their documented negative effects on aquatic species, yet little is known about their environmental levels in surface waters and bioaccumulation in the trophic web. This study aimed to 1) adapt an extraction method for quantifying progestins in freeze-dried matrices, 2) validate the analytical procedure for three matrices: bivalve, polychaete, and crustacean, and 3) characterize levels of the four most prescribed synthetic progestins in key species across three Portuguese estuaries. Through the validated method, progestins were only quantifiable for the crustacean. Values were generally low, peaking with drospirenone values in Ria de Aveiro (1.33 ± 0.26 ng/g ww) and Tagus estuary (1.42 ± 0.55 ng/g ww), while Ria Formosa exhibited the lowest progestin concentrations (< 1 ng/g ww). This study enabled the development of a precise extraction and analytical method for quantifying steroid hormones in three distinct biological matrices.

Determination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in the Indoor Dust Matter of the Sicily (Italy) Area: Analysis and Exposure Evaluations

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in environmental matrices is increasingly being studied due to its environmental persistence, global occurrence, bioaccumulation, and associated human health risks. Some indoor environments can significantly impact the health of occupants due to pollutants in indoor air and household dust. To investigate the potential exposure of individuals to PFOA in specific confined environments, this study reports an analytical method and results concerning the determination of PFOA in household dust, used as a passive sampler. To the best of our knowledge, this paper represents one of the first studies concerning PFOA concentrations in indoor dust collected in the south of Italy, within the European region. A total of twenty-three dust samples were collected from two different areas of Sicily (Palermo and Milena), extracted, and analyzed by an UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS system. Finally, PFOA exposure was estimated using a new index (Indoor PFOA Exposure Index, IPEX) that incorporates the PFOA levels in dust, exposure time, and the correlation between the PFOA in dust and blood. It was then compared across four different exposure groups, revealing that PFOA exposure for people working in chemistry laboratories was evaluated to be ten times higher than the exposure for homemakers.

Serum and brain metabolomic study reveals the protective effects of Bai-Mi-Decoction on rats with ischemic stroke

Bai-Mi-Decoction (BMD), which is composed of Eugenia caryophyllata, Myristica fragrans, Moschus berezovskii, and Crocus sativu, is a characteristic TCM multi-herb formula for brain disease. However, the mechanism of protective effects of BMD on ischemic stroke (IS) still has not been clarified. Our study is designed to elucidate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of BMD on IS by employing pharmacodynamic and serum and brain metabolomic methods. In this experiment, 90 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group (SHAM, vehicle), middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion injury model group (MCAO/R, vehicle), positive control group (NMDP, 36 mg/kg/day nimodipine), and low (BMDL, 0.805 g/kg/day), moderate (BMDM, 1.61 g/kg/day), and high (BMDH, 3.22 g/kg/day) dosage of BMD prophylactic administration groups. The drugs were dissolved in 0.5% CMC-Na and orally administered to rats with equal volumes (100 g/ml body weight) once a day for 14 consecutive days. Neurological deficit score, cerebral infarct volume, change in body weight, and serum NO, SOD, MDA, GSH, and GSSG levels were determined. Pathological abnormalities using hematoxylin and eosin staining and the expression of VEGF, caspase-3, and NF-κB were analyzed. Furthermore, serum and brain metabolic profiles were explored to reveal the underlying mechanism using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS technology. BMD exhibited significant neuroprotective effects on MCAO/R rats. As compared to the MCAO/R model group, it could reduce the neurological deficit score and cerebral infarct volume, increase body weight, enhance GSH, SOD, and GSSG activities, and decrease NO and MDA contents of MCAO/R rats. Meanwhile, BMD could ameliorate pathological abnormalities of MCAO/R rats through reducing neuronal loss, vacuolated spaces, shrunken neurons, and destructed neuron structure, as well as regulating the expression of VEGF, caspase-3, and NF-κB. UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based serum and brain metabolomics analysis found a total of 53 differential metabolites between MCAO/R and SHAM groups, of which 30 were significantly regulated by BMD intervention, and further metabolic pathway analysis implied that the protective effects were mainly associated with amino acid and glycerophospholipid metabolisms. Our pharmacodynamic and metabolomic results revealed the neuroprotective effects of BMD on MCAO/R rats, and the underlying mechanisms were probably related to amino acid and glycerophospholipid metabolisms.

Tripterygium glycoside tablet attenuates renal function impairment in diabetic nephropathy mice by regulating triglyceride metabolism

Tripterygium glycoside tablet (TGT) has been used clinically to alleviate diabetic nephropathy (DN) for decades. However, the mechanism of its anti-DN has not been fully clarified. The aim of this study was to elucidate molecular mechanism of TGT in repairing renal function injury. The results of biochemical parameters and renal histopathology implied that TGT intervention could attenuate creatinine, albumin excretion rate and histological injury of kidney in DN mouse model. Moreover, UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based untargeted metabolomic analysis indicated that 11 metabolites in kidney of mice with DN were restored after TGT treatment, and the most prominent metabolic alteration was triglyceride (TG) metabolism. Mechanistically, TGT effectively improved the function of impaired kidney by promoting TG catabolism via modulation of adipose triglyceride lipase in DN mice. Our findings identified the link between circulating metabolites and DN, suggesting that it might be a possibility to intervene in DN by targeting metabolism.

Metabolomics analyses of traditional Chinese medicine formula Shuang Huang Lian by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS

Background

Shuang Huang Lian (SHL) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula made from Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, Forsythiae Fructus, and Scutellariae Radix. Despite the widespread use of SHL in clinical practice for treating upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), the complete component fingerprint and the pharmacologically active components in the SHL formula remain unclear. The objective of this study was to develop an untargeted metabolomics method for component identification, quantitation, pattern recognition, and cross-comparison of various SHL preparation forms (i.e., granule, oral liquid, and tablet).

Methods

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) together with bioinformatics were used for chemical profiling, identification, and quantitation of SHL. Multivariate data analyses such as principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were performed to assess the correlations among the three SHL preparation forms and the reproducibility of the technical and biological replicates.

Results

A UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based untargeted metabolomics method was developed and applied to analyze three SHL preparation forms, consisting of 178 to 216 molecular features. Among the 95 common molecular features from the three SHL preparation forms, quantitative analysis was performed using a single exogenous reference internal standard. Forty-seven of the 95 common molecular features have been identified using various databases. Among the 47 common components, there were 17 flavonoids, 7 oligopeptides, 5 terpenoids, 2 glycosides, 2 cyclohexanecarboxylic acids, 2 spiro compounds, 2 lipids, 2 glycosylglycerol derivatives, and 8 various compounds such as alkyl caffeate ester, aromatic ketone, benzaldehyde, benzodioxole, benzofuran, chalcone, hydroxycoumarin, and purine nucleoside. Five of the 47 common components were designated by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as the quality markers of medicinal plants of SHL, and 15 were previously reported to have pharmacological activities. Distinct patterns of the three SHL preparation forms were observed in the PCA and PLS-DA plots.

Conclusions

The developed method is reliable and reproducible, which is useful for the profiling, component identification, quantitation, quality assessment of various SHL preparation forms and may apply to the analysis of other TCM formulas.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13020-022-00610-x.

Rapid identification of chemical constituents in Yinqiao Powder using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry with data filtering strategy

Yinqiao Powder is a classic and effective prescription for the treatment of many kinds of pneumonia in China. To date, the chemical constituents had not been uncovered. Comprehensive identification of chemical constituents provided a structure basis to discover the potential anti-pneumonia ingredients in Yinqiao Powder. In this paper, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) analysis with diagnostic product ions and neutral loss filtering strategy were established and applied for the comprehensive chemical profiling of Yinqiao Powder, which simplified structure elucidation of chemical constituents in Yinqiao Powder. A total of 124 compounds, including 8 C6-C2 glucoside conjugates, 28 iridoid glycosides, 14 lignans, 21 phenylethanol glycosides, 20 triterpenoid saponins, 9 chlorogenic acids and 24 flavonoids were rapidly identified in Yinqiao Powder, and 32 of them were characterized by comparing their MS/MS data and retention time with reference standards. The results indicated that UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method coupled with data filtering strategy was feasible and rational to identify the complex chemical constituents of Yinqiao Powder, which would be conducive to discover the active ingredients of Yinqiao Powder for the treatment of pneumonia and establish its quality standard.

Trapping Methylglyoxal by Taxifolin and Its Metabolites in Mice

Trapping of methylglyoxal (MGO), an important precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), is considered an effective therapy for alleviating AGE-induced chronic metabolic diseases. In this paper, taxifolin (Tax) was first found to effectively trap MGO by forming mono- and di-MGO adducts under in vitro conditions. In addition, the mechanism of trapping MGO by Tax was also studied in vivo. Tax was demonstrated to efficiently trap endogenous MGO via formation of mono-MGO adducts in urine and fecal samples of C57BL/6J mice after oral administration of Tax and MGO. Mono-MGO adducts of Tax metabolites, including methylated Tax, aromadendrin, quercetin, and isorhamnetin, were identified in C57BL/6J mice urine and fecal samples by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). One mono-MGO-Tax was purified from the in vitro reaction mixture, and its structure was elucidated as 6-MGO-Tax based on the analysis of UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and detailed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. Quantification studies demonstrated that Tax and its metabolites trapped MGO in a dose-dependent manner in C57BL/6J mice urine and fecal samples. Furthermore, we also detected mono-MGO adducts of Tax and methylated Tax in urine and fecal samples of diabetic db/db mice after oral administration of Tax. Taken together, our results demonstrated that dietary Tax has the potential to detoxify MGO and treat AGE-associated chronic diseases.

and identification of EGFR-TK inhibitors by virtual screening

The constituents of Ceratocarpus arenarius L., as a traditional anticancer medicine of Kazakh, were firstly profiled with UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. The potential compounds against EGFR-TK were virtually screened. As a result, forty-four compounds were analyzed, including 18 flavonoids, 8 steroids, 4 phenolic acids, 9 fatty acids, 1 coumarin and 4 other compounds. Among them, 9 flavonoids, N-trans-Feruloyltyramine (5), stigmasterol (11) and carthamone (38) were recognized as potential key anti-tumor constituents of C. arenarius through docking to active site of EGFR-TK. It indicated that the compounds formed moderate to strong interactions with EGFR-TK contributing to the antitumor activity through a synergetic actions. Besides, the anticancer effects of C. arenarius was verified with in-vitro anti-tumor activity investigation against A549. Our results firstly reveals the active constituents basis of C. arenarius against cancer and provides novel insights into the further application of effective constituents and mechanism of C. arenarius.

Beneficial effects of mijianchangpu decoction on ischemic stroke through components accessing to the brain based on network pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

To explore the effective components, potential targets and neuroprotective related mechanisms of Mijianchangpu decoction (MJCPD), a well-known TCM used by the Chinese Hui minorities to treat stroke, on the prevention and treatment of ischemic stroke (IS) by using experimental models combined with network pharmacology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The neuroprotective efficacy of MJCPD was estimated by applying the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) induced cerebral ischemia rats, and the neurological deficits score, TTC and HE staining as well as behavioral evaluation tests were employed to evaluate the beneficial effects. Meanwhile, the bioactive components of MJCPD responsible for the neuroprotective effects were identified by detecting the constituents in the brain of the MCAO rats with UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS techniques, and these compounds were then underwent for network pharmacology analysis. Firstly, the targets of the bioactive compounds of MJCPD were predicted using Pharmmapper database, and simultaneously, the targets of IS disease were obtained from disease databases including DisGenet, OMIM, and GeneCards. Secondly, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network between the targets and diseases were established to give the possible therapeutic targets for IS. Thirdly, the go function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were carried out and the compound-target-pathway network was constructed by Cytoscape software. Finally, the effective compounds, core targets and possible pathways were obtained by analyzing the connectivity of the network. More importantly, the core targets were verified by western blot experiments to validate the reliability of this study.

RESULTS

MJCPD exhibited significant neuroprotective effect on IS, and 16 bioactive components of MJCPD were identified in the brain of the MCAO rats. 59 and 1982 targets related with IS disease were explored from Pharmapper and disease databases, respectively, and 32 intersecting targets were obtained as hypothetical therapeutic targets. Based on the results of the compound-target-pathway and PPI network with the degree was greater than the median, 8 effective compounds (suberic acid, epishyobunone, crocetin monomethyl ester, sfaranal, (Z)-6-octadccenoic acid, nerolidol and gurjunene) and 5 hub targets (SRC, MAPK8, MAPK14, EGFR and MAPK1) as well as 12 pathways were predicted. Western blot results showed that EGFR, p38, ERK and SRC proteins were expressed significantly different after MJCPD treatment as compared with the model group.

CONCLUSION

The present study employed network pharmacology, pharmacodynamics and molecular biology techniques to predict and validate the core potential targets and signaling pathways as well as the bioactive components of MJCPD responsible for the treatment of IS. All of which are very helpful to clarify the neuroprotective mechanism of MJCPD, and obviously, the active compounds and targets in this study can also provide clues for the treatment of IS.

Qualitative and quantitative determination of steroidal saponins in Trillium govanianum by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and UHPLC-ELSD

INTRODUCTION

Trillium govanianum (Nag Chhatri and Teen Patra) is traditionally used for curing joint pains, wounds, and sexual disorders. Steroidal saponins are the main active components of this species. However, only a small amount of information is available about steroidal saponins of this plant.

OBJECTIVE

To develop an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detector (UHPLC-ELSD) methods for the qualitative and quantitative determination of steroidal saponins in T. govanianum.

METHOD

The dried rhizomes of T. govanianum (100 mg) were extracted with ethanol-water (80:20, 10 mL) by ultrasonic treatment for 30 min at 40°C. The prepared sample was analysed by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and UHPLC-ELSD for the qualitative and quantitative determination of steroidal saponins.

RESULT

A total of 24 saponins were identified using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS; seven of them were characterised by comparing with standards. Furthermore, five saponins [govanoside B (2), protodioscin (6), pennogenin tetraglycosides (11), borassoside E (21) and borassoside D (24)] were quantified using UHPLC-ELSD method in different extracts and fractions of T. govanianum. The method showed good linearity (R² ≥ 0.993), limit of detection (0.92-4.09 μg/mL), limit of quantification (3.1-13.5 μg/mL), precision [intra-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) < 4.3% and inter-day RSDs < 5.5%], and accuracy (84.0-110.3%). This is the first report on the quantification of 2, 6, 11, 21 and 24 in T. govanianum.

CONCLUSION

The present study provides an efficient analytical method for the identification and quantification of steroidal saponins and will be helpful for the quality evaluation of T. govanianum.

Chemotaxonomic studies of 12 Dioscorea species from China by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis

INTRODUCTION

Dioscorea species, which contain abundant steroidal saponins, have been used as folk medicines or raw materials to synthesise steroid drugs.

OBJECTIVE

To establish a rapid chemotaxonomic method that will comprehensively resolve confusions about genetic relationships of genus Dioscorea.

METHODS

A comprehensive strategy using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) was firstly proposed to evaluate the chemotaxonomy of 12 species (27 taxa) from China by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) based on the variations of the identified metabolites.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight secondary metabolites (mainly steroidal saponins) were identified. The MSⁿ fragmentation patterns of DA (a new acetylated steroidal saponin at C-7 position) were firstly reported. Moreover, eight major steroidal saponins were further quantified simultaneously by UPLC-QTOF-MS method. According to HCA results, D. bulbifera L. was distinguished with species of sect. Stenophora Uline for pennogenin-type steroidal saponins. Dioscorea zingiberensis exhibited far distance from other members of sect. Stenophora Uline for two unique saponins. Dioscorea banzhuana may be reclassified into sect. Stenophora. Dioscorea nipponica subsp. rosthornii and D. collettii var. hypoglauca might be separated from their original subspecies/varieties as new species, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The chemotaxonomic method was successfully applied in the study of genetic relationships of Dioscorea species. This study not only enhanced the understanding of chemical constituents, but also laid basic theoretical foundations for the rational utilisation and chemotaxonomy of genus Dioscorea.

Anticomplement and antitussive activities of major compound extracted from Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. leaf

Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. leaf (CNOL), as a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used for the treatment of influenza and colds over a long history. However, the mechanism of colds related to the effects of CNOL have been little studied. In this study, the anticomplement and antitussive activities of different polarity extracts of CNOL were evaluated. Ethyl acetate extract (EAE) among different extracts not only significantly decreased cough times by 21-58% (P < 0.01), but also had anticomplement effects demonstrated by the CH₅₀ values of 0.100 mg/ml. A total of 28 constituents (10 coumarins, 13 flavonoids and five phenolics) were identified in EAE based on the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry technique. Eight compounds in EAE were evaluated by an ammonia-induced cough model to reveal the antitussive mechanisms and classical anticomplement pathway. The results indicated that the antitussive effects of scopoletin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol may depend on central mechanisms and that flavonoids such as compounds of kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol have better anticomplementary activity than coumarins like compounds of scopolin, scopoletin and isofraxidin. Taken together, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol could be important chemical markers in the present study that might be used to evaluate the quality and biological activity of CNOL.

Identification of Chemical Markers for the Discrimination of Radix Angelica sinensis Grown in Geoherb and Non-Geoherb Regions Using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS Based Metabolomics

This research aimed to discover chemical markers for discriminating radix Angelica sinensis (RAS) from different regions and to explore the differences of RAS in the content of four active compounds and anti-inflammatory activities on lipopolysacchride (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells and calcium antagonists on the HEK 293T cells of RAS. Nine compounds were selected as characteristic chemical markers by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS), based on metabolomics, in order to rapidly discriminate RAS from geoherb and non-geoherb regions. The contents of senkyunolide I and butylidenephthalide in geoherb samples were higher than those in non-geoherb samples, but the contents of ferulic acid and levistolide A were lower in the geoherb samples. Furthermore, the geoherbs showed better nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory and calcium antagonistic activities than the non-geoherbs. These results demonstrate the diversity in quality of RAS between geoherbs and non-geoherbs.

Metabolic profile of rosmarinic acid from Java tea (Orthosiphon stamineus) by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry with a three-step data mining strategy

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a caffeic acid derivative and one of the most abundant and bioactive constituents in Java tea (Orthosiphon stamineus), which has significant biological activities. However, relatively few studies have been conducted to describe this compound's metabolites in vivo. Therefore, an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) analysis with a three-step data mining strategy was established for the metabolic profile of RA. Firstly, the exogenously sourced ions were filtered out by the MarkerView software and incorporated with Microsoft Office Excel software. Secondly, a novel modified mass detects filter strategy based on the predicted metabolites was developed for screening the target ions with narrow, well-defined mass detection ranges. Thirdly, the diagnostic product ions and neutral loss filtering strategy were applied for the rapid identification of the metabolites. Finally, a total of 16 metabolites were reasonably identified in urine, bile and feces, while metabolites were barely found in plasma. The metabolites of RA could also be distributed rapidly in liver and kidney. Glucuronidation, methylation and sulfation were the primary metabolic pathways of RA. The present findings might provide the theoretical basis for evaluating the biological activities of RA and its future application.

Rapid Screening of Forskolin-Type Diterpenoids of Blumea aromatica DC Using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Based on the Mass Defect Filtering Approach

The discovery of new active compounds of natural products tends to be increasingly more challenging due to chemical complexity and unpredictable matrices. Forskolin is an active natural labdane-type diterpenoid ingredient widely used worldwide for the treatment of glaucoma, heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, and is expected to be a promising anticancer, anti-inflammation, and anti-HIV agent. In recent years, demand for forskolin in the medicine market has increased dramatically. However, natural forskolin originates exclusively from traditional Indian herb medicine Coleus forskohlii (Willd.) Briq. In a previous study, we isolated a series of diterpenoids including an 8,13-epoxy-14ene labdane carbon skeleton from Blumea aromatica DC. In order to identify alternative plant resources, a novel and effective strategy was proposed for the screening of potential forskolin-type diterpenoids (FSKD) compounds obtained from B. aromatica, using the mass defect filtering (MDF) strategy via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF/MS) approach. Within a narrow, well-defined mass defect range, the strategy developed could significantly improve the detection efficiency of selected FSKD compounds by filtering out certain major or moderate interference compounds. Additionally, the MS/MS cleavage behavior and the characteristic diagnostic ions of the FSKD compounds were proposed to be used in aiding structural identification of the filtration compounds. As a result, a total of 38 FSKD of B. aromatica were filtered out and tentatively identified. To the best of our knowledge, it was the first time that these forskolin-type diterpenoids were identified in B. aromatica, which significantly expands our understanding of the chemical constituents of Blumea species, and allows B. aromatica to be used as a potential alternative plant resource that contains these forskolin-type active compounds. The strategy proposed was proven efficient and reliable for the discovery of novel compounds of herbal extracts.

Discovery and characterisation of lycorine-type alkaloids in Lycoris spp. (Amaryllidaceae) using UHPLC-QTOF-MS

INTRODUCTION

Lycorine, one of the most common alkaloids in Lycoris spp., is believed to possess pharmacological activity.

OBJECTIVE

To discover and identify lycorine-type alkaloids in the crude extracts of bulbs from six Lycoris spp. by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) detection.

METHODOLOGY

A qualitative analytical method with a data mining strategy was utilised. Based on the fragmentation patterns of standards investigated in positive tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) mode, the fragmentation rules of lycorine-type alkaloids were summarised. These types of alkaloids were additionally classified as different subtypes based on structural features and MS/MS fragmentation patterns, and the diagnostic ions for characterisation of different subtypes of alkaloids were designated.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven lycorine type alkaloids, including 16 previously undescribed compounds, were efficiently screened out and tentatively identified from the crude extracts of six Lycoris spp. Lycoris sprengri may be a preferable species for studying or extracting lycorine-type alkaloids because of elevated relative concentrations and highest diversity of alkaloids.

CONCLUSION

The UHPLC-QTOF-MS and MS/MS data-mining strategy proved useful for the detection and tentative identification of lycorine-type alkaloids in bulbs of Lycoris spp. and could be extended to other Amaryllidaceae genera. The consequent profiling of the lycorine-type alkaloids will be useful in the quality control of raw materials of Lycoris species and the exploration of superior species.

Use of UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS with combination of in silico approach for distributions and metabolites profile of flavonoids after oral administration of Niuhuang Shangqing tablets in rats

Niuhuang Shangqing tablet (NHSQT), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine preparation, has been used as an over- the- counter drug for the treatment of headache, dizziness in China. The flavonoids are the main active components in NHSQT, however, there have no reports about their distribution and metabolic fate in vivo after oral administration of NHSQTs so far. An novel UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method combined with in silico approach was applied to identify the flavonoids and metabolites profiling in biological samples following oral administration NHSQTs for the first time. As a result, 127 compounds including 34 original compounds of flavonoids and 93 metabolites were identified. There were 20 flavones, 9 flavonols, 4 flavanones and 1 flavan-3, 4-diol found in biological samples. Rutin, wogonoside, apigenin, baicalein, wogonin, oroxylin A, quercetin and acacetin were considered as the potential flavonoids in NHSQT against brain diseases. The docking-based metabolism models were established and applied to propose the sites of hydroxylation of flavonoids, which indicated baicalin was engaged in dihydroxylation at C2', C3', tilianin was engaged in hydroxylation at C3, wogonin and wogonside were engaged in dihydroxylation at C3', C4'. Some novel metabolic pathways were discovered for oroxylin A, acacetin, diosmetin, tilianin. The metabolic spots and pathways of flavonoids vary as much between flavones, flavonols and flavanones. The results presented here would be helpful for the further study of pharmacokinetics and quality control of NHSQT.

Nutritional value, protein and peptide composition of edible cricket powders

There are various indicators, including FAO and EU sources, that edible insects could become one of the solutions to the problem of global food supply. This report was aimed at improving the knowledge on powdered crickets (Acheta domesticus). The analyses of the basic nutritional composition revealed that cricket powders were rich in protein (42.0-45.8% of dry matter) and fat (23.6-29.1% of dry matter). In terms of mineral content, CPs were rich in Ca, Mg and Fe. Most of all, the levels of Cu, Mn and Zn were especially high (2.33-4.51, 4.1-12.5, 12.8-21.8 mg/100 g of dry matter, respectively). Furthermore, the analyses into the proteins indicated that the cricket powders were treated with high temperatures and allowed the determination of four cricket-specific peptides that showed sufficient thermostability to serve as markers for authentication.

A UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of eight triterpene compounds from Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf extract in rat plasma: Application to a comparative pharmacokinetic study

Poria cum Radix Pini (PRP), White Poria (WP), Rubra Poria (RP), and Poriae Cutis (PC), different parts of the dried sclerotium of Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (PCW), have possessed various pharmacological effects and clinical application. In the present study, a novel ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of eight triterpene compounds in rat plasma and then was applied in the comparison of pharmacokinetic characteristics of PRP, WP, RP, and PC extracts. Chromatographic separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC® BEH C₁₈ (2.1 × 100 mm, 5 μm) with a mobile phase composed of aqueous solution (containing 0.5‰ formic acid and 0.5 mmol/L ammonium acetate) and acetonitrile in gradient elution. Mass spectrometric of the analytes and internal standard (IS) were conducted in negative electrospray ionization with high-resolution multiple reaction monitoring (MRM^HR) mode. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for the eight analytes were in the range of 2.00-20.16 ng/mL. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r > 0.993). The inter- and intra-batch precision and accuracy for the eight triterpene compounds were acceptable. The results indicated that the eight triterpene compounds displayed different pharmacokinetic characteristics in PRP, WP, RP, and PC, and that poricoic acid B, poricoic acid A, pachymic acid, dehydrotrametenolic acid, dehydrotumulosic acid, polyporenic acid C and dehydropachymic acid may be the major bioactive compounds of PCW contributing to the diuretic effect.

Correlation between Quality and Geographical Origins of Poria cocos Revealed by Qualitative Fingerprint Profiling and Quantitative Determination of Triterpenoid Acids

Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (PC) is a well-known saprophytic fungus, and its sclerotium without the epidermis (PCS) is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a functional food in many countries. PCS is normally collected from multiple geographical regions, but whether and how the quality of PCS correlates with where it grows have not been determined. This correlation could be significant both for quality control and optimum utilization of PCS as a natural resource. In this study, a qualitative fingerprint profiling method performed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with diode array detection (DAD) combining quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS/MS) and a quantitative UHPLC coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (QqQ-MS/MS) approach were established to investigate whether and how the quality of PCS correlates with its collection location. A standard fingerprint of PCS was generated by median simulation of 25 tested samples collected from four main producing areas of China, and similarity analysis was applied to evaluate the similarities between the fingerprints of samples and the standard fingerprint. Twenty three common peaks occurring in the fingerprint were unequivocally or tentatively identified by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Meanwhile, principal component analysis (PCA), supervised orthogonal partial least squares-discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were employed to classify 25 batches of PCS samples into four groups, which were highly consistent with the four geographical regions. Ten compounds were screened out as potential markers to distinguish the quality of PCS. Nine triterpene acids, including five compounds that played important roles in the clusters between different samples collected from the four collection locations, were simultaneously quantified by using the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode of UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS. The current strategy not only clearly expounded the correlation between quality and geographical origins of PCS, but also provided a fast, accurate and comprehensive qualitative and quantitative method for assessing the quality of PCS.

Rapid Evaluation of Chemical Consistency of Artificially Induced and Natural Resina Draconis Using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry-Based Chemical Profiling

Resina Draconis is a highly valued traditional medicine widely used in Arabia since ancient times, and it has been commonly used as an antidiarrheic, antimicrobial, antiulcer, blood circulation promoter as well as an anti-inflammatory agent. The tree source from which this medicine orignates grows extremely slowly, producing a very low yield of Resina Draconis. To meet the increasing market demand, artificial methods for stimulating Resina Draconis formation have been developed and applied. However, the chemical differences between artificially induced Resina Draconis (AIRD) and natural Resina Draconis (NRD) have been rarely studied. The aim of this research was to explore and identify the chemical constituents of AIRD and NRD using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) based chemical profiling. A total of 56 chromatographic peaks were detected in AIRD, of these, 44 peaks have had their structures tentatively characterized based on high-resolution mass spectra (HRMS) data, fragmentation ions information, reference standards data and literature review. In total, 40 peaks were found both in AIRD and NRD. The potential chemical transformation mechanisms active in Resina Draconis during formation were explored. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of the chemical profiles of both AIRD and NRD. Furthermore, these findings are expected to provide a rational basis for the quality assessment of AIRD and the use of AIRD as a substitute for NRD.

Rapid discrimination of raw and sulfur-fumigated Smilax glabra based on chemical profiles by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS coupled with multivariate statistical analysis

Smilax glabra (SG) is commonly used as a traditional edible herb in eastern Asia. Recently, sulfur-fumigation has been frequently used in order to obtain better color and a longer storage lifetime. However, the chemical alterations caused by this process remain unknown. The aim of this research was to explore potential chemical differences between non-fumigated and sulfur-fumigated SG samples. A novel approach was developed by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) with principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial squared discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Fifty-eight compounds were unambiguously characterized or tentatively identified in the chemical profiles for the first time. Six newly generated sulfur-containing compounds, namely glucosyringic acid sulfate, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfite, 3-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfite, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfate, 3-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfate and astilbin sulfate, were screened out to be the most characteristic markers for distinguishing non-fumigated and sulfur-fumigated SG. This newly proposed approach can not only be applied for exploring chemical markers but can also be used to investigate the chemical transformation mechanism associated with sulfur for other edible herbs.

Impact of sulphur fumigation on the chemistry of ginger

Ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma), a commonly-consumed food supplement, is often sulphur-fumigated during post-harvest handling, but it remains unknown if sulphur fumigation induces chemical transformations in ginger. In this study, the effects of sulphur fumigation on ginger chemicals were investigated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)-based metabolomics. The results showed that sulphur fumigation significantly altered the holistic chemical profile of ginger by triggering chemical transformations of certain original components. 6-Gingesulphonic acid, previously reported as a naturally-occurring component in ginger, was revealed to be a sulphur fumigation-induced artificial derivative, which was deduced to be generated by electrophilic addition of 6-shogaol to sulphurous acid. Using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS extracting ion analysis with 6-gingesulphonic acid as a characteristic chemical marker, all the commercial ginger samples inspected were determined to be sulphur-fumigated. The research outcomes provide a chemical basis for further comprehensive safety and efficacy evaluations of sulphur-fumigated ginger.

Identification and characterization of curcuminoids in turmeric using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry

A three-step strategy was developed for systematic characterization of curcuminoids in turmeric. Based on UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis, 89 curcuminoids including 16 novel ones were identified in the turmeric samples using this approach. During the identification process, false positive results were excluded by combining the positive and negative ESI-MS/MS analyses. Moreover, the characterization of the keto and enol forms of type A, B and C curcuminoids was first discussed and they were clearly distinguished using negative ESI-MS/MS method with UV spectra analyses. The structures of detected curcuminoids were identified and rationalized in both ion modes. Additionally, the fragmentation behaviors of the 15 types of curcuminoids were clearly illustrated in this work, which will be helpful for detection and identification of corresponding trace curcuminoids in complex turmeric samples using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS methods.

Cell-based assays in combination with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry for screening bioactive capilliposide C metabolites generated by rat intestinal microflora

Many plant-derived glycosides are used as medications. It is common that these glycosides show poor intestinal absorption but their metabolites generated by intestinal microflora demonstrate strong bioactivity. Hence, it is crucial to develop a method for the identification and characterization of the metabolites, and consequently reveal the pathway in which the glycosides are processed in gut. In this study, cell-based assays in combination with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) were developed for rapid discovery and evaluation of the metabolites of a glycoside compound, capilliposide C (LC-C). 92.7% of LC-C was biotransformed by rat intestinal microflora after 36-h incubation at 37°C. Human cancer cell lines HepG2, PC-3 and A549 was treated with metabolites pool, respectively, which was followed by cell viability assays and characterization of metabolites using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. As a result, significant cytotoxicity was observed for the metabolites pool, from which six metabolites were identified. Based on the metabolites identified, deglycosylation and esterolysis were proposed as the major metabolic pathways of LC-C in rat intestinal microflora. In addition, M4, an esterolysis product of LC-C, was obtained and evaluated for its bioactivity in vitro. As a result, M4 exhibited a reduction in cell viability in HepG2 with an IC50 value of 17.46±1.55μg/mL.