Reporter gene assays and their applications to bioassays of natural products

Safety assessment of herbal supplement components targeting hepatotoxicity and CYP3A4 induction in cell-based assay using HepG2 cells

Herbal supplements can cause hepatotoxicity and drug interactions via hepatic cytochrome P-450 (CYP) in some cases. However, there is no simple and stable cell-based assay to conduct a screening for hepatotoxicity and CYP induction. In the present study, we selected 14 components of the herbal supplement based on our previous reports and investigated the safety of the herbal supplement components focusing on toxicity and CYP3A4 induction in a cell-based assay using HepG2. The toxicity of the components was examined by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cell proliferation assays. Then, the CYP3A4 induction of the components were examined by a reporter assay using reporter vectors of CYP3A4. The vector includes the CYP3A4 proximal promoter (CYP3A4PP) and the xenobiotic-responsive enhancer module (XREM) regions. Luteolin (LU) significantly increased LDH activity and decreased cell proliferation activity that suggests LU may cause toxicity in HepG2 cells. Quercetin (QU) increased the transcriptional activity of CYP3A4 (1.5-fold of control) in the reporter assay. However, the induction of QU was slightly in comparison to the validation of the transcriptional activity of CYP3A4 treated with CYP3A4 inducers. The CYP3A4 induction of QU may not involve CYP3A4PP but involves the XREM response. Throughout our results, the method in the present study may be useful for a safety assessment of herbal supplements, primarily focusing on hepatotoxicity and CYP3A4 induction. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Even though there are problems with herbal supplements, studies related to toxicity are not actively carried out. The present methods may apply to the safety assessment for herbal supplements and be useful for the prevention and verification of health hazards caused by herbal supplements (the summary is shown in Figure S2).

Luciferase-free Luciferin Electrochemiluminescence

Luciferin is one of Nature's most widespread luminophores, and enzymes that catalyze luciferin luminescence are the basis of successful commercial "glow" assays for gene expression and metabolic ATP formation. Herein we report an electrochemical method to promote firefly's luciferin luminescence in the absence of its natural biocatalyst-luciferase. We have gained experimental and computational insights on the mechanism of the enzyme-free luciferin electrochemiluminescence, demonstrated its spectral tuning from green to red by means of electrolyte engineering, proven that the colour change does not require, as still debated, a keto/enol isomerization of the light emitter, and gained evidence of the electrostatic-assisted stabilization of the charge-transfer excited state by double layer electric fields. Luciferin's electrochemiluminescence, as well as the in situ generation of fluorescent oxyluciferin, are applied towards an optical measurement of diffusion coefficients.

A genetically encoded BRET-based SARS-CoV-2 Mpro protease activity sensor

The main protease, Mpro, is critical for SARS-CoV-2 replication and an appealing target for designing anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of improved sensors to monitor its activity. Here, we report a pair of genetically encoded, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based sensors for detecting Mpro proteolytic activity in live cells as well as in vitro. The sensors were generated by sandwiching peptides containing the Mpro N-terminal autocleavage sites, either AVLQSGFR (short) or KTSAVLQSGFRKME (long), in between the mNeonGreen and NanoLuc proteins. Co-expression of the sensors with Mpro in live cells resulted in their cleavage while mutation of the critical C145 residue (C145A) in Mpro completely abrogated their cleavage. Additionally, the sensors recapitulated the inhibition of Mpro by the well-characterized pharmacological agent GC376. Further, in vitro assays with the BRET-based Mpro sensors revealed a molecular crowding-mediated increase in the rate of Mpro activity and a decrease in the inhibitory potential of GC376. The sensors developed here will find direct utility in studies related to drug discovery targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and functional genomics application to determine the effect of sequence variation in Mpro.

New Insights for Biosensing: Lessons from Microbial Defense Systems

Microorganisms have gained defense systems during the lengthy process of evolution over millions of years. Such defense systems can protect them from being attacked by invading species (e.g., CRISPR-Cas for establishing adaptive immune systems and nanopore-forming toxins as virulence factors) or enable them to adapt to different conditions (e.g., gas vesicles for achieving buoyancy control). These microorganism defense systems (MDS) have inspired the development of biosensors that have received much attention in a wide range of fields including life science research, food safety, and medical diagnosis. This Review comprehensively analyzes biosensing platforms originating from MDS for sensing and imaging biological analytes. We first describe a basic overview of MDS and MDS-inspired biosensing platforms (e.g., CRISPR-Cas systems, nanopore-forming proteins, and gas vesicles), followed by a critical discussion of their functions and properties. We then discuss several transduction mechanisms (optical, acoustic, magnetic, and electrical) involved in MDS-inspired biosensing. We further detail the applications of the MDS-inspired biosensors to detect a variety of analytes (nucleic acids, peptides, proteins, pathogens, cells, small molecules, and metal ions). In the end, we propose the key challenges and future perspectives in seeking new and improved MDS tools that can potentially lead to breakthrough discoveries in developing a new generation of biosensors with a combination of low cost; high sensitivity, accuracy, and precision; and fast detection. Overall, this Review gives a historical review of MDS, elucidates the principles of emulating MDS to develop biosensors, and analyzes the recent advancements, current challenges, and future trends in this field. It provides a unique critical analysis of emulating MDS to develop robust biosensors and discusses the design of such biosensors using elements found in MDS, showing that emulating MDS is a promising approach to conceptually advancing the design of biosensors.

Development of a Fluorescent Assay to Search New Drugs Using Stable tdTomato-Leishmania, and the Selection of Galangin as a Candidate With Anti-Leishmanial Activity

Antimonials continue to be considered the first-line treatment for leishmaniases, but its use entails a wide range of side effects and serious reactions. The search of new drugs requires the development of methods more sensitive and faster than the conventional ones. We developed and validated a fluorescence assay based in the expression of tdTomato protein by Leishmania, and we applied this method to evaluate the activity in vitro of flavonoids and reference drugs. The pIR1SAT/tdTomato was constructed and integrated into the genome of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. Parasites were selected with nourseothricin (NTC). The relation of L. amaz/tc3 fluorescence and the number of parasites was determined; then the growth in vitro and infectivity in BALB/c mice was characterized. To validate the fluorescence assay, the efficacy of miltefosine and meglumine antimoniate was compared with the conventional methods. After that, the method was used to assess in vitro the activity of flavonoids; and the mechanism of action of the most active compound was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy and ELISA. A linear correlation was observed between the emission of fluorescence of L. amaz/tc3 and the number of parasites (r2 = 0.98), and the fluorescence was stable in the absence of NTC. No differences were observed in terms of infectivity between L. amaz/tc3 and wild strain. The efficacy of miltefosine and meglumine antimoniate determined by the fluorescence assay and the microscopic test showed no differences, however, in vivo the fluorescence assay was more sensitive than limiting dilution assay. Screening assay revealed that the flavonoid galangin (GAL) was the most active compound with IC50 values of 53.09 µM and 20.59 µM in promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes, respectively. Furthermore, GAL induced mitochondrial swelling, lipid inclusion bodies and vacuolization in promastigotes; and up-modulated the production of IL-12 p70 in infected macrophages. The fluorescence assay is a useful tool to assess the anti-leishmanial activity of new compounds. However, the assay has some limitations in the macrophage-amastigote model that might be related with an interfere of flavanol aglycones with the fluorescence readout of tdTomato. Finally, GAL is a promising candidate for the development of new treatment against the leishmaniasis.

Reporter gene assays for screening and identification of novel molting hormone- and juvenile hormone-like chemicals

A reporter gene assay (RGA) is used to investigate the activity of synthetic chemicals mimicking the molting hormones (MHs) and juvenile hormones (JHs) of insects, so-called insect growth regulators (IGRs). The MH receptor, a heterodimer of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP), and the JH receptor Methoprene-tolerant (Met) are ligand-dependent transcription factors. Ligand-bound EcR-USP and Met bind to specific cis-acting DNA elements, referred to as the ecdysone-responsive element (EcRE) and the JH-responsive element (JHRE), respectively, in order to transactivate target genes. Insect hormone-induced transactivation systems have been reconstituted by the introduction of reporter genes under the control of EcRE and JHRE, or two-hybrid reporter genes, into insect, mammalian, and yeast cells expressing receptor proteins. RGA is easy to use and convenient for examining the MH- and JH-like activities of synthetic chemicals and is suitable for the high-throughput screening of novel structural classes of chemicals targeting EcR-USP and Met.

Validation of a cell-based colorimetric reporter gene assay for the evaluation of Type I Interferons

The biotherapeutic type I interferons (IFN-I) are indicated to treat several diseases. These products are regulated to guarantee safety and efficacy through critical quality attributes. For this purpose, the development of robust assays is required, followed by its validation to demonstrate their suitability for its intended purpose. Despite there are some commercial kits to evaluate IFN-I signaling, these are focused on measuring in vitro biological response instead of their validation, which is a pharmaceutical industry requirement. The aim of this work was to validate the HEK-Blue IFN-α/β system evaluating the biological activity of IFN-α/β under good laboratory practices, according to international standards. Our results demonstrated that HEK-Blue IFN-α/β system comply with accuracy (r²>0.95) precision (CV < 20%) and specificity for both IFN-α/β; confirming that this assay is robust for this biotherapeutics' evaluation. Thereby, this bioassay could be implemented as a complementary method to the classical anti-proliferative and anti-viral assays under quality control environments.

A Cell-Based Strategy for Bioactivity Determination of Long-Acting Fc-Fusion Recombinant Human Growth Hormone

The long-acting growth hormone (LAGH) is a promising alternative biopharmaceutical to treat growth hormone (GH) deficiency in children, and it was developed using a variety of technologies by several pharmaceutical companies. Most LAGH preparations, such as Fc fusion protein, are currently undergoing preclinical study and clinical trials. Accurate determination of bioactivity is critical for the efficacy of quality control systems of LAGH. The current in vivo rat weight gain assays used to determine the bioactivity of recombinant human GH (rhGH) in pharmacopoeias are time-consuming, expensive, and imprecise, and there are no recommended bioassays for LAGH bioactivity in pharmacopoeias. Therefore, we developed a cell-based bioassay for bioactivity determination of therapeutic long-acting Fc-fusion recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH-Fc) based on the luciferase reporter gene system, which is involved in the full-length human GH receptor (hGHR) and the SG (SIE and GAS) response element. The established bioassay was comprehensively validated according to the International Council for Harmonization (ICH) Q2 (R1) guidelines and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and is highly precise, time-saving, simple, and robust. The validated bioassay could be qualified for bioactivity determination during the research, development, and manufacture of rhGH-Fc, and other LAGH formulations.

On-chip enzymatic assay for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Herein, we report a chloramphenicol (CAP) acetyltransferase (CAT) activity assay based on self-assembled monolayers on gold as an alternative to conventional CAT reporter gene assay systems, which sometimes require toxic materials and complicated steps that limit their use. A CAP derivative presented on a monolayer was converted to the acetylated CAP by CAT in the presence of acetyl-CoA. The conversion was directly monitored by observing the molecular weight changes in CAP using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. CAT activity was determined under various reaction conditions by changing reaction times, CAT and acetyl-CoA concentrations. As a practical application, we identified gene expression in bacteria that were transformed with pCAT plasmid DNA. Our strategy can provide a simple and rapid assay that eliminates some commonly used but potentially detrimental steps in enzymatic assays, such as radioactive labeling and complicated separation and purification of analytes prior to detection.

A lacZ Reporter-Based Strategy for Rapid Expression Analysis and Target Validation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Latent Infection Genes

We report a novel lacZ fusion vector and demonstrate its utility for expression analysis of genes associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis latent infection. The vector contains E. coli (oriE) and mycobacterial (oriM) origins of replication, a kanamycin resistance gene (Km(r)) as selection marker, and a lacZ reporter gene in fusion with MCS for cloning of upstream regulatory sequence of the desired genes. β-galactosidase activity of the vector was standardized for expression analysis under latent mycobacterial conditions using Phsp60, a constitutive mycobacterial promoter, utilizing Mycobacterium smegmatis as model organism. Validation of the vector was done by cloning and expression analysis of PhspX (alpha crystalline) and Picl (isocitrate lyase), promoters from two of the genes shown to be involved in M. tuberculosis persistence. Both genes showed appreciable levels of β-galactosidase expression under hypoxia-induced persistent conditions in comparison to their actively replicating state. Expression analysis of a set of hypothetical genes was also done, of which Rv0628c showed increased expression under persistent conditions. The reported fusion vector and the strategy can be effectively used for short listing and validation of drug targets deduced from various non-conclusive approaches such as bioinformatics and microarray analysis against latent/persistent form of mycobacterial infection.

Current perspectives in drug discovery against tuberculosis from natural products

Currently, one third of the world's population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), while 8.9-9.9 million new and relapse cases of tuberculosis (TB) are reported yearly. The renewed research interests in natural products in the hope of discovering new and novel antitubercular leads have been driven partly by the increased incidence of multidrug-resistant strains of MTB and the adverse effects associated with the first- and second-line antitubercular drugs. Natural products have been, and will continue to be a rich source of new drugs against many diseases. The depth and breadth of therapeutic agents that have their origins in the secondary metabolites produced by living organisms cannot be compared with any other source of therapeutic agents. Discovery of new chemical molecules against active and latent TB from natural products requires an interdisciplinary approach, which is a major challenge facing scientists in this field. In order to overcome this challenge, cutting edge techniques in mycobacteriology and innovative natural product chemistry tools need to be developed and used in tandem. The present review provides a cross-linkage to the most recent literature in both fields and their potential to impact the early phase of drug discovery against TB if seamlessly combined.

Bioluminescent whole-cell reporter gene assays as screening tools in the identification of antimicrobial natural product extracts

We describe novel tools, bioluminescent whole-cell reporter gene assays, for facilitating the use of natural products in antimicrobial drug discovery. As proof-of-concept, a plant extract library was screened and follow-up experiments were carried out. Primary results can be obtained in 2-4h with high sensitivity, leading to significant improvements of the process.

Methods used in preclinical assessment of anti-Buruli ulcer agents: A global perspective

Buruli ulcer (BU) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is the third most common chronic mycobacterial infection in humans. Approximately 5000 cases are reported annually from at least 33 countries around the globe, especially in rural African communities. Even though anti-mycobacterial therapy is often effective for early nodular or ulcerative lesions, surgery is sometimes employed for aiding wound healing and correction of deformities. The usefulness of the antibiotherapy nonetheless is challenged by huge restrictive factors such as high cost, surgical scars and loss of income due to loss of man-hours, and in some instances employment. For these reasons, more effective and safer drugs are urgently needed, and research programs into alternative therapeutics including investigation of natural products should be encouraged. There is the need for appropriate susceptibility testing methods for the evaluation of potency. A number of biological assay methodologies are in current use, ranging from the classical agar and broth dilution assay formats, to radiorespirometric, dye-based, and fluorescent/luminescence reporter assays. Mice, rats, armadillo, guinea pigs, monkeys, grass cutters and lizards have been suggested as animal models for Buruli ulcer. This review presents an overview of in vitro and in vivo susceptibility testing methods developed so far for the determination of anti-Buruli ulcer activity of natural products and derivatives.

The chloramphenicol acetyltransferase vector as a tool for stable tagging of Neospora caninum

Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular Apicomplexa, a phylum where one of the current methods for functional studies relies on molecular genetic tools. For Toxoplasma gondii, the first method described, in 1993, was based on resistance against chloramphenicol. As in T. gondii, we developed a vector constituted of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (CAT) flanked by the N. caninum dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) 5' coding sequence flanking region. Five weeks after transfection and under the selection of chloramphenicol the expression of CAT increased compared to the wild type and the resistance was retained for more than one year. Between the stop codon of CAT and the 3' UTR of DHFR, a Lac-Z gene controlled by the N. caninum tubulin 5' coding sequence flanking region was ligated, resulting in a vector with a reporter gene (Ncdhfr-CAT/NcTub-tetO/Lac-Z). The stability was maintained through an episomal pattern for 14 months when the tachyzoites succumbed, which was an unexpected phenomenon compared to T. gondii. Stable parasites expressing the Lac-Z gene allowed the detection of tachyzoites after invasion by enzymatic reaction (CPRG) and were visualised macro- and microscopically by X-Gal precipitation and fluorescence. This work developed the first vector for stable expression of proteins based on chloramphenicol resistance and controlled exclusively by N. caninum promoters.

An update on the strategies in multicomponent activity monitoring within the phytopharmaceutical field

Background

To-date modern drug research has focused on the discovery and synthesis of single active substances. However, multicomponent preparations are gaining increasing importance in the phytopharmaceutical field by demonstrating beneficial properties with respect to efficacy and toxicity.

Discussion

In contrast to single drug combinations, a botanical multicomponent therapeutic possesses a complex repertoire of chemicals that belong to a variety of substance classes. This may explain the frequently observed pleiotropic bioactivity spectra of these compounds, which may also suggest that they possess novel therapeutic opportunities. Interestingly, considerable bioactivity properties are exhibited not only by remedies that contain high doses of phytochemicals with prominent pharmaceutical efficacy, but also preparations that lack a sole active principle component. Despite that each individual substance within these multicomponents has a low molar fraction, the therapeutic activity of these substances is established via a potentialization of their effects through combined and simultaneous attacks on multiple molecular targets. Although beneficial properties may emerge from such a broad range of perturbations on cellular machinery, validation and/or prediction of their activity profiles is accompanied with a variety of difficulties in generic risk-benefit assessments. Thus, it is recommended that a comprehensive strategy is implemented to cover the entirety of multicomponent-multitarget effects, so as to address the limitations of conventional approaches.

Summary

An integration of standard toxicological methods with selected pathway-focused bioassays and unbiased data acquisition strategies (such as gene expression analysis) would be advantageous in building an interaction network model to consider all of the effects, whether they were intended or adverse reactions.

Protein reporter bioassay systems for the phenotypic screening of candidate drugs: a mouse platform for anti-aging drug screening

Recent drug discovery efforts have utilized high throughput screening (HTS) of large chemical libraries to identify compounds that modify the activity of discrete molecular targets. The molecular target approach to drug screening is widely used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, because of the amount of knowledge now available regarding protein structure that has been obtained by computer simulation. The molecular target approach requires that the structure of target molecules, and an understanding of their physiological functions, is known. This approach to drug discovery may, however, limit the identification of novel drugs. As an alternative, the phenotypic- or pathway-screening approach to drug discovery is gaining popularity, particularly in the academic sector. This approach not only provides the opportunity to identify promising drug candidates, but also enables novel information regarding biological pathways to be unveiled. Reporter assays are a powerful tool for the phenotypic screening of compound libraries. Of the various reporter genes that can be used in such assays, those encoding secreted proteins enable the screening of hit molecules in both living cells and animals. Cell- and animal-based screens enable simultaneous evaluation of drug metabolism or toxicity with biological activity. Therefore, drug candidates identified in these screens may have increased biological efficacy and a lower risk of side effects in humans. In this article, we review the reporter bioassay systems available for phenotypic drug discovery.

Recent developments of biological reporter technology for detecting gene expression

Reporter gene assay is an invaluable tool for both biomedical and pharmaceutical researches to monitor cellular events associated with gene expression, regulation and signal transduction. On the basis of the alternations in reporter gene activities mediated by attaching response elements to these reporter genes, one sensitive, reliable and convenient assay can be provided to efficiently report the activation of particular messenger cascades and their effects on gene expression and regulations inside cells or living subjects. In this review, we introduce the current status of several commonly used reporter genes such as chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), alkaline phosphatase (AP), β-galactosidase (β-gal), luciferases, green fluorescent protein (GFP), and β-lactamase. Their applications in monitoring gene expression and regulations in vitro and in vivo will be summarized. With the development of advanced technology in gene expression and optical imaging modalities, reporter genes will become increasingly important in real-time detection of the gene expression at the single-cell level. This synergy will make it possible to understand the molecular basis of diseases, track the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, monitor the response to therapies and evaluate the development process of new drugs.

Reporter genes facilitating discovery of drugs targeting protozoan parasites

Transfection of protozoan parasites, such as Plasmodium, Leishmania, Trypanosoma and Toxoplasma, with various reporter gene constructs, has revolutionized studies to understand the biology of the host-parasite interactions at the cellular level. It has provided impetus to the development of rapid and reliable drug screens both for established drugs and for new molecules against different parasites and other pathogens. Furthermore, reporter genes have proved to be an excellent and promising tool for studying disease progression. Here, we review the recent advances made by using reporter genes for in vitro and in vivo drug screening, high-throughput screening, whole-animal non-invasive imaging for parasites and for the study of several aspects of host-parasite interactions.

Flavonoids, centaurein and centaureidin, from Bidens pilosa, stimulate IFN-gamma expression

Bidens pilosa is used as an ethnical medicine for bacterial infection or immune modulation in Asia, America and Africa. Here, we employed an IFN-gamma promoter-driven luciferase reporter construct and T cells to characterize immunomodulatory compounds from this plant based on a bioactivity-guided isolation principle. We found that PHA, a positive control, caused a six-fold increase in IFN-gamma promoter activity. In contrast, hot water crude extracts from Bidens pilosa and its butanol subfraction increased IFN-gamma promoter activity to two- and six-fold, respectively. Finally, centaurein (EC(50)=75 microg/ml) and its aglycone, centaureidin (EC(50)=0.9 microg/ml), isolated from this butanol subfraction, augmented IFN-gamma promoter activity by approximately four-fold. Consistent with the role of centaurein or its aglycone in IFN-gamma regulation, we showed that centaurein induced the activity of NFAT and NFkappaB enhancers, located within the IFN-gamma promoter, in Jurkat cells. Overall, our results showed that centaurein regulated IFN-gamma transcription, probably via NFAT and NFkappaB in T cells.

An aqueous extract of the popular Chinese nutraceutical Kwei Ling Ko (Tortoise shell-Rhizome jelly) activates the PPARgamma pathway and down-regulates the NFkappaB activity

It is generally believed that the popular nutraceutical 'Kwei Ling Ko' (KLK; Tortoise shell-Rhizome jelly) has antiinflammatory effects, but the mechanism by which its effects are manifested remains unknown. Peroxisome proliferation-activated receptors (PPARs) are members of the nuclear hormone receptor/transcription factor superfamily with multiple roles in adipocyte differentiation, glucose homeostasis, immunomodulation and antiinflammatory regulation. As PPAR is required for adipocyte induction, we used adipogenesis as a possible screen for the activation of the PPAR pathway. Interestingly, an aqueous extract of KLK (sKLK) was able to induce the adipocyte differentiation of fibroblast cell lines. Adipogenesis was confirmed by flow cytometric analysis using a fluorescent lipid stain. Up-regulation of PPARgamma transcripts during adipogenesis was also demonstrated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The sKLK-induced adipogenesis was similar to that elicited by insulin. The activity of nuclear factor-kappaB (NFkappaB), a transcription factor responsible for the regulation of proinflammatory genes, was also down-regulated in response to sKLK. Luciferase reporter gene assays further demonstrated that sKLK inhibited both basal and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-stimulated NFkappaB activation. The activities reported in this study support an immunomodulatory effect for sKLK. As activation of PPAR pathway has a dual role in adipogenesis and anti-inflammation, our observations are consistent with the notion that KLK possesses antiinflammatory properties.

Phytochemical Analysis of Anti-atherogenic Constituents of Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang Using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS

Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula for treating cardiovascular disease and related ailments in China for centuries. To profile the phytochemical constituents of the formula, an HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS analytical method has been developed to separate and determinate the medium- or non-polar fraction of the decoction, which has been demonstrated potency to lower the serum total triglyceride concentration, strongly decrease the TXA(2)/PGI(2) ratio and attenuate production of proinflammatory cytokines in high cholesterol-fed rats. By comparing their retention time, UV and MS data with those obtained from the authentic compounds, ferulic acid (1), naringin (2), neohesperindin (3), naringenin (8), marmin (13), senkyunolide A (14), dehydrosafynol (16), safynol (17) and Z-ligustlide (18) are unequivocally determined. Moreover, additional thirteen compounds are tentatively identified as senkyunolide I (4), senkyunolide H (5), poncirin (7), benzoylpaeoniflorin (10), (Z)-6,7-epoxyligustilide (11), senkyunolide G (12), 2-methoxy-safynol (15), cnidilide (19), tangeritin (20), saikosaponin b(2) (21), 29-O-acetylsaikosaponin b(2) (22), saikosaponin b(1) (23) and auraptene (24), according to the comparison of their UV and MS data with the published data. The present study provides an approach to rapidly characterize bioactive constituents in TCM formulae.