Identification and determination of chemical constituents from Yinchen Qingjin granules by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry

Anti-Culex pipiens activity of different pomegranate cultivars and determination of their bioactive compounds using LC-MS profiling

INTRODUCTION

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peels are rich in various bioactive compounds. Characterization of these compounds is crucial for the utilization of peel waste in industrial processing.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed (1) to establish and compare the metabolic profiles of the peel of seven pomegranate cultivars and (2) to identify bioactive compounds contributing to the larvicidal activity against the third instar larvae of Culex pipiens.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

UPLC-ESI-MS/MS was utilized to analyze peel methanol extracts of different pomegranate cultivars. The larvicidal activity was determined by calculating the larval mortality among the third instar larvae of C. pipiens. Multivariate data analysis was conducted to identify the metabolites that exhibited a larvicidal effect.

RESULTS

A total of 24 metabolites, including hydrolyzable tannins, flavonoids, and alkaloids, were tentatively identified in both negative and positive ionization modes. The extract of cultivar 'Black' exhibited the most potent larvicidal effect with LC50 values of 185.15, 156.84, and 138.12 ppm/mL after 24, 48, and 72 h of treatment, respectively. By applying chemometric techniques, the larvicidal activity could be directly correlated to the bioactive compounds punicalagin, quercetin-O-rhamnoside, quercetin-O-pentoside, and galloyl-HHDP-glucose.

CONCLUSION

The present study implemented UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and chemometric techniques as potential tools for metabolomics analysis and differentiation between peels of different pomegranate cultivars. In addition, cultivar 'Black' extract could be a promising natural insecticide against mosquitoes since it is rich in bioactive compounds with larvicidal activity.

Characterization and quantification of chemical constituents in Fuzhuan brick tea using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Fuzhuan brick tea, a distinctive dark tea fermented by microorganisms, is a traditional beverage in China throughout history. Recently, it has attracted considerable attention owing to its unique quality characteristics and potential health benefits. The aim of this study was to establish a method for the quality control of Fuzhuan brick tea for stable production. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify Fuzhuan brick tea, and the major components were chosen for further quantitative analysis. Subsequently, a quantification method was developed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry, and its reliability was verified through methodological validation. Finally, a total of 30 compounds were identified, including catechins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and fatty acids. The established method was reliable for methodological validation and was applied to the quantitative analysis of Fuzhuan brick tea. This study provides a fundamental basis for the quality control and further studies on the component analysis of Fuzhuan brick tea.

Mechanism and Active Components of Qingre Lidan Tablets Alleviate Intrahepatic Cholestasis by Activating the Farnesoid X Receptor

Background

Qingre Lidan tablets (QLTs) are a compound preparation of Chinese medicine that have long been used clinically to treat poor bile circulation caused by the inflammation and obstruction of the gallbladder and bile duct and to relieve jaundice and other symptoms. However, its material basis and mechanism are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism and active components of QLTs for treating intrahepatic cholestasis (IHC) in rat models.

Methods

In vivo experiments verified the effect of QLTs on alpha-naphthyl isothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced IHC models in rats. The mRNA and protein expression levels of farnesoid X receptor (FXR), bile salt export pump (BSEP), and multidrug-associated protein 2 (MRP2) in the rat liver were detected. UPLC/Q-TOF-MS was used to separate and identify the monomers in QLTs, and a dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to select effective the monomers that stimulate FXR. Among the selected monomers, baicalein was used as a representative to verify the effect on rat IHC models.

Results

QLTs and baicalein significantly reduced the serum biochemical indicators reflecting the changes in liver function among IHC rats and remitted the ANIT-induced liver histopathological changes. The expression levels of FXR, BSEP, and MRP2 in the liver were significantly increased after QLT treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, six types of active components that activate FXR were selected in QLTs, namely baicalein, wogonin, baicalein II, emodin, dibutyl phthalate, and diisooctyl phthalate.

Conclusions

QLTs and the active component, baicalein, can alleviate IHC in model rats.

Chemical profiling of composite prescription caraway and quantification of three pairs isomeric components in caraway administered rat plasma by tandem mass spectrometry

Caraway, a well-known traditional Uyghur medicine, has been used to treat vitiligo for centuries. Its biological effects on melanin synthesis of caraway have been investigated. However, beyond psoralen and isopsoralen alone, no further chemical component of caraway has been revealed. In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry was employed to comprehensively characterize the chemical components present in caraway. Based on accurate mass measurements, key fragmental ions and comparison with reference standards, 75 chemical components were identified in caraway. Moreover, a tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for quantitative analysis of three pairs isomeric components, namely psoralen/isopsoralen, bavachin/isobavachalcone and bavachromene/isobavachromene in rat plasma. Psoralen, isopsoralen, bavachin and isobavachalcone showed linearity with concentration ranging of 1.0-500.0 ng/mL. The linear ranges for bavachromene and isobavachromene were 0.2-500.0 ng/mL. The accuracies were in ranges of 85-115% with coefficient of variation errors of less than 15%. Furtherly, the method was applied to quantify the three pairs isomeric components in rats after oral administration of caraway. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Chemical profiling of Qingfei Paidu Decoction by triplex off-line two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Qingfei Paidu Decoction is a Chinese medicine formula which has been proved effective in the treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019. However, the comprehensive separation and characterization of Qingfei Paidu Decoction is of great challenge due to the diversity of chemical components in a wide range of polarity. In this study, a triplex off-line two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) is developed for the analysis of Qingfei Paidu Decoction. One reversed phase LC×hydrophilic interaction LC system and two reversed phase LC×reversed phase LC systems were constructed to separate polar components and weak-polar components in Qingfei Paidu Decoction, respectively. Benefiting from the good orthogonality of two-dimensional LC and high sensitivity of quadrupole time-of-flight MS, chemical components with different polarities and content were discovered. A total of 749 peaks were detected in positive and negative ionization mode, and presented as a four-dimensional data plot. Meanwhile, 498 compounds belonging to 14 categories were tentatively identified. These results provide good supplementary to elucidate the material basis of Qingfei Paidu Decoction. The triplex off-line two-dimensional LC-quadrupole time-of-flight MS strategy can be a powerful and efficient tool for the separation and characterization of chemical substances in traditional Chinese medicine formulas. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.