A rapid method for the simultaneous determination of 11 saponins in Panax notoginseng using ultra performance liquid chromatography

Engineering of triterpene metabolism and overexpression of the lignin biosynthesis gene PAL promotes ginsenoside Rg3 accumulation in ginseng plant chassis

The ginsenoside Rg₃ found in Panax species has extensive pharmacological properties, in particular anti-cancer effects. However, its natural yield in Panax plants is limited. Here, we report a multi-modular strategy to improve yields of Rg₃ in a Panax ginseng chassis, combining engineering of triterpene metabolism and overexpression of a lignin biosynthesis gene, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL). We first performed semi-rational design and site mutagenesis to improve the enzymatic efficiency of Pq3-O-UGT2, a glycosyltransferase that directly catalyzes the biosynthesis of Rg₃ from Rh₂ . Next, we used clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene editing to knock down the branch pathway of protopanaxatriol-type ginsenoside biosynthesis to enhance the metabolic flux of the protopanaxadiol-type ginsenoside Rg₃ . Overexpression of PAL accelerated the formation of the xylem structure, significantly improving ginsenoside Rg₃ accumulation (to 6.19-fold higher than in the control). We combined overexpression of the ginsenoside aglycon synthetic genes squalene epoxidase, Pq3-O-UGT2, and PAL with CRISPR/Cas9-based knockdown of CYP716A53v2 to improve ginsenoside Rg₃ accumulation. Finally, we produced ginsenoside Rg₃ at a yield of 83.6 mg/L in a shake flask (7.0 mg/g dry weight, 21.12-fold higher than with wild-type cultures). The high-production system established in this study could be a potential platform to produce the ginsenoside Rg₃ commercially for pharmaceutical use.

Ginsenoside Rd: A promising natural neuroprotective agent

BACKGROUND

Neurological diseases seriously affect human health, which are arousing wider attention, and it is a great challenge to discover neuroprotective drugs with minimal side-effects and better efficacies. Natural agents derived from herbs or plants have become unparalleled resources for the discovery of novel drug candidates. Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, a well-known herbal medicine in China, occupies a very important position in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) with a long history of clinical application. Ginsenoside Rd is the active compound in P. ginseng known to have broad-spectrum pharmacological effects to reduce neurological damage that can lead to neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, depression, cognitive impairment, and cerebral ischemia.

PURPOSE

To review and discuss the effects and mechanisms of ginsenoside Rd in the treatment of neurological diseases.

STUDY DESIGN & METHODS

The related information was compiled by the major scientific databases, such as Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Elsevier, ScienceDirect, PubMed, SpringerLink, Web of Science, and GeenMedical. Using 'Ginsenoside Rd', 'Ginsenosides', 'Anti-inflammation', 'Antioxidant', 'Apoptosis' and 'Neuroprotection' as keywords, the correlated literature was extracted and conducted from the databases mentioned above.

RESULTS

Through summarizing the existing research progress, we found that the general effects of ginsenoside Rd are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptosis, inhibition of Ca²⁺ influx and protection of mitochondria, and through these pathways, the compound can inhibit excitatory toxicity, regulate nerve growth factor, and promote nerve regeneration.

CONCLUSION

Ginsenoside Rd is a promising natural neuroprotective agent. This review would contribute to the future development of ginsenoside Rd as a novel clinical candidate drug for treating neurological diseases.

Pharmacoinformatics and UPLC-QTOF/ESI-MS-Based Phytochemical Screening of Combretum indicum against Oxidative Stress and Alloxan-Induced Diabetes in Long-Evans Rats

This research investigated a UPLC-QTOF/ESI-MS-based phytochemical profiling of Combretum indicum leaf extract (CILEx), and explored its in vitro antioxidant and in vivo antidiabetic effects in a Long-Evans rat model. After a one-week intervention, the animals' blood glucose, lipid profile, and pancreatic architectures were evaluated. UPLC-QTOF/ESI-MS fragmentation of CILEx and its eight docking-guided compounds were further dissected to evaluate their roles using bioinformatics-based network pharmacological tools. Results showed a very promising antioxidative effect of CILEx. Both doses of CILEx were found to significantly (p < 0.05) reduce blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and total cholesterol (TC), and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Pancreatic tissue architectures were much improved compared to the diabetic control group. A computational approach revealed that schizonepetoside E, melianol, leucodelphinidin, and arbutin were highly suitable for further therapeutic assessment. Arbutin, in a Gene Ontology and PPI network study, evolved as the most prospective constituent for 203 target proteins of 48 KEGG pathways regulating immune modulation and insulin secretion to control diabetes. The fragmentation mechanisms of the compounds are consistent with the obtained effects for CILEx. Results show that the natural compounds from CILEx could exert potential antidiabetic effects through in vivo and computational study.

Phytochemical analysis of Panax species: a review

Panax species have gained numerous attentions because of their various biological effects on cardiovascular, kidney, reproductive diseases known for a long time. Recently, advanced analytical methods including thin layer chromatography, high-performance thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem ultraviolet, diode array detector, evaporative light scattering detector, and mass detector, two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography, high speed counter-current chromatography, high speed centrifugal partition chromatography, micellar electrokinetic chromatography, high-performance anion-exchange chromatography, ambient ionization mass spectrometry, molecularly imprinted polymer, enzyme immunoassay, ¹H-NMR, and infrared spectroscopy have been used to identify and evaluate chemical constituents in Panax species. Moreover, Soxhlet extraction, heat reflux extraction, ultrasonic extraction, solid phase extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, enzyme-assisted extraction, acceleration solvent extraction, matrix solid phase dispersion extraction, and pulsed electric field are discussed. In this review, a total of 219 articles published from 1980 to 2018 are investigated. Panax species including P. notoginseng, P. quinquefolius, sand P. ginseng in the raw and processed forms from different parts, geographical origins, and growing times are studied. Furthermore, the potential biomarkers are screened through the previous articles. It is expected that the review can provide a fundamental for further studies.

Retention behavior of ginsenosides in a sulfo-based high performance liquid chromatography column

We herein report the use of a sulfo-based column and hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) to separate 14 ginsenosides, namely Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Rf, Re, Rg1, Rg2, Rg3, Rh1, Rh2, F₂, and C-K. In addition to its rapid and efficient ability to separate these ginsenosides, the sulfo-based column exhibited a good relationship between the ginsenoside capacity factor (k') and molecular weight (M_w) and a strict elution order corresponding to the polarity (P) of the ginsenosides, as confirmed by thin layer chromatography.

Dose-dependent exposure profile and metabolic characterization of notoginsenoside R1 in rat plasma by ultra-fast liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry

Notoginsenoside R₁ (NGR₁ ), a diagnostic protopanaxatriol-type (ppt-type) saponin in Panax notoginseng, possesses potent biological activities including antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, neuron protection and improvement of microcirculation, yet its pharmacokinetics and metabolic characterization as an individual compound remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the exposure profile of NGR₁ in rats after oral and intravenous administration and to explore the metabolic characterization of NGR₁ . A simple and sensitive ultra-fast liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric method was developed and validated for the quantitative determination of NGR₁ and its major metabolites, and for characterization of its metabolic profile in rat plasma. The blood samples were precipitated with methanol, quantified in a negative multiple reaction monitoring mode and analyzed within 6.0 min. Validation parameters (linearity, precision and accuracy, recovery and matrix effect, stability) were within acceptable ranges. After oral administration, NGR₁ exhibited dose-independent exposure behaviors with t_1/2 over 8.0 h and oral bioavailability of 0.25-0.29%. A total of seven metabolites were characterized, including two pairs of epimers, 20(R)-notoginsenoside R₂ /20(S)-notoginsenoside R₂ and 20(R)-ginsenoside Rh₁ /20(S)-ginsenoside Rh₁ , with the 20(R) form of saponins identified for the first time in rat plasma. Five deglycometabolites were quantitatively determined, among which 20(S)-notoginsenoside R₂ , ginsenoside Rg₁ , ginsenoside F₁ and protopanaxatriol displayed relatively high exploration, which may partly explain the pharmacodynamic diversity of ginsenosides after oral dose.

Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed the distribution of saponins in Panax notoginseng

Panax notoginseng is famous for its important therapeutic effects. Saponins are bioactive compounds found in different parts and developmental stages of P. notoginseng plants. Thus, it is urgently to study saponins distribution in different parts and growth ages of P. notoginseng plants. In this study, potential biomarkers were found, and their chemical characteristic differences were revealed through metabolomic analysis. High-performance liquid chromatography data indicated the higher content of saponins (i.e., Rg1, Re, Rd, and Rb1) in the underground parts than that in the aerial parts. 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol saponins were mainly distributed in the aerial parts. Additionally, the total saponin content in the 3-year-old P. notoginseng plant (188.0 mg/g) was 1.4-fold higher than that in 2-year-old plant (130.5 mg/g). The transcriptomic analysis indicated the tissue-specific transcription expression of genes, namely, PnFPS, PnSS, PnSE1, PnSE2, and PnDS, which encoded critical synthases in saponin biosyntheses. These genes showed similar expression patterns among the parts of P. notoginseng plants. The expression levels of these genes in the flowers and leaves were 5.2fold higher than that in the roots and fibrils. These results suggested that saponins might be actively synthesized in the aerial parts and transformed to the underground parts. This study provides insights into the chemical and genetic characteristics of P. notoginseng to facilitate the synthesis of its secondary metabolites and a scientific basis for appropriate collection and rational use of this plant.

Functional characterization of naturally occurring wild soybean mutant (sg-5) lacking astringent saponins using whole genome sequencing approach

Triterpenoid saponins are one of the most highly accumulated groups of functional components in soybean (Glycine max) and the oxidative reactions during their biosynthesis are required for their aglycone diversity. Natural mutants of soyasaponins in wild soybean (Glycine soja) are valuable resources for establishing the soyasaponin biosynthesis pathway and breeding new soybean varieties. In this study, we investigated the genetic mechanism behind the absence of group A saponins in a Korean wild soybean mutant, CWS5095. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of CWS5095 identified four point mutations [Val6 → Asp, Ile231 → Thr, His294 → Gln, and Arg376 → Lys] in CYP72A69 (Glyma15g39090), which oxygenate the C-21 position of soyasapogenol B or other intermediates to produce soyasapogenol A, leading to group A saponin production. An in vitro enzyme activity assay of single-sited mutated clones indicated that the Arg376 > Lys mutation (a highly conserved mutation based on a nucleotide change from G → A at the 1,127th position) may lead to loss of gene function in the sg-5 mutant. A very high normalized expression value of 377 reads per kilo base per million (RPKM) of Glyma15g39090 in the hypocotyl axis at the early maturation seed-development stage confirmed their abundant presence in seed hypocotyls. A molecular dynamics analysis of the Arg376 > Lys mutation based on the CYP3A4 (a human CYP450) protein structure found that it was responsible for the increase in axis length toward the heme (active site), which is critically important for biological activity and ligand binding. Our results provide important information on how to eradicate bitter and astringent saponins in soybean by utilizing the reported mutation in Glyma15g39090, and its importance for seed hypocotyl development based on transcript abundance.

Protective Effect of Panax notoginseng Root Water Extract against Influenza A Virus Infection by Enhancing Antiviral Interferon-Mediated Immune Responses and Natural Killer Cell Activity

Influenza is an acute respiratory illness caused by the influenza A virus, which causes economic losses and social disruption mainly by increasing hospitalization and mortality rates among the elderly and people with chronic diseases. Influenza vaccines are the most effective means of preventing seasonal influenza, but can be completely ineffective if there is an antigenic mismatch between the seasonal vaccine virus and the virus circulating in the community. In addition, influenza viruses resistant to antiviral drugs are emerging worldwide. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new vaccines and antiviral drugs against these viruses. In this study, we conducted in vitro and in vivo analyses of the antiviral effect of Panax notoginseng root (PNR), which is used as an herbal medicine and nutritional supplement in Korea and China. We confirmed that PNR significantly prevented influenza virus infection in a concentration-dependent manner in mouse macrophages. In addition, PNR pretreatment inhibited viral protein (PB1, PB2, HA, NA, M1, PA, M2, and NP) and viral mRNA (NS1, HA, PB2, PA, NP, M1, and M2) expression. PNR pretreatment also increased the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6] and interferon (IFN)-beta and the phosphorylation of type-I IFN-related proteins (TANK-binding kinase 1, STAT1, and IRF3) in vitro. In mice exposed to the influenza A H1N1 virus, PNR treatment decreased mortality by 90% and prevented weight loss (by approximately 10%) compared with the findings in untreated animals. In addition, splenocytes from PNR-administered mice displayed significantly enhanced natural killer (NK) cell activity against YAC-1 cells. Taking these findings together, PNR stimulates an antiviral response in murine macrophages and mice that protects against viral infection, which may be attributable to its ability to stimulate NK cell activity. Further investigations are needed to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of PNR and its components against influenza virus A infection.

Effects of processing method on the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of orally administered ginseng

Background

The use of different methods for the processing of ginseng can result in alterations in its medicinal properties and efficacy. White ginseng (WG), frozen ginseng (FG), and red ginseng (RG) are produced using different methods. WG, FG, and RG possess different pharmacological properties.

Methods

WG, FG, and RG extracts and pure ginsenosides were administered to rats to study the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution characteristics of the following ginsenosides—Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd. The concentrations of the ginsenosides in the plasma and tissues were determined using UPLC-MS/MS.

Results

The rate and extent of absorption of Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd appeared to be affected by the different methods used in processing the ginseng samples. The areas under the plasma drug concentration-time curves (AUCs) of Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd were significantly higher than those of the pure ginsenosides. In addition, the AUCs of Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd were different for WG, FG, and RG. The amounts of Rg1, Re, Rd, and Rb1 were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the tissues than those of the pure ginsenosides. The amounts of Re, Rb1, and Rd from the RG extract were significantly higher than those from the WG and FG extracts in the heart, lungs, and kidneys of the rats.

Conclusion

Our results show that the use of different methods to process ginseng might affect the pharmacokinetics and oral bioavailability of ginseng as well as the tissue concentrations of Rg1, Re, Rd, and Rb1.

Analysis of the Constituents in "Zhu She Yong Xue Shuan Tong" by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Combined with Preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography

“Zhu She Yong Xue Shuan Tong” lyophilized powder (ZSYXST), consists of a series of saponins extracted from Panax notoginseng, which has been widely used in China for the treatment of strokes. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS) combined with preparative high performance liquid chromatography (PHPLC) method was developed to rapidly identify both major and minor saponins in ZSYXST. Some high content components were removed through PHPLC in order to increase the sensitivity of the trace saponins. Then, specific characteristic fragment ions in both positive and negative mode were utilized to determine the types of aglycone, saccharide, as well as the saccharide chain linkages. As a result, 94 saponins, including 20 pairs of isomers and ten new compounds, which could represent higher than 98% components in ZSYXST, were identified or tentatively identified in commercial ZSYXST samples.

A multivariate analysis on the comparison of raw notoginseng (Sanqi) and its granule products by thin-layer chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography

BACKGROUND

Granule products produced from medicinal herbs are gaining popularity. However, there have been few studies comparing the quality or efficacy of granules with those of herbal formulations. This study aims to compare commercially available notoginseng (Sanqi in Chinese) in both raw and granule forms by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (UPLC-PDA) using multivariate analysis.

METHODS

Aqueous extracts of the raw herb (collected from six different sources in China) and granule products (purchased in China, Taiwan and Australia) were re-extracted with methanol to remove water-soluble excipients. Five compounds (ginsenosides Rg1, Rg2, Rd and Rb1 and notoginsenoside NR1) in the methanolic extracts were quantified by TLC and UPLC-PDA. Multivariate statistical analysis using hierarchical component analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the similarities between the granule products and raw herbs. A 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay was used to measure the antioxidant capacities of the extracts.

RESULTS

HCA and PCA of the TLC analysis clustered the granule products into one group. By UPLC analysis, the raw herbs and two of the granule products (G7 and G12) were allocated into Group 1 and the rest of the granule products into Group 2. The contents of the five marker compounds in Group 1 were higher than Group 2 and also exhibited stronger ABTS activity (P = 0.005). By Pearson correlation, the contents of the five compounds in the samples were positively and significantly correlated to their antioxidant activities.

CONCLUSIONS

UPLC was more efficient than TLC for the simultaneous determination of the five major compounds in Sanqi products in terms of linearity, higher sensitivity and repeatability. The statistical analysis of the samples by HCA and PCA revealed that the contents of the marker compounds were significantly higher in the raw herb group than the granule group.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the major constituents in traditional Chinese medicine Danmu injection using LC-ESI-MS(n) and LC-DAD

Background:

Danmu injection, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation made from Nauclea officinalis, has been commonly used for the treatment of cold, fever, swelling of throat in China. However, the chemical constituents in Danmu injection have not been clarified yet.

Objective:

a HPLC/DAD/ESI-MSⁿ method was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the components in Danmu injection.

Materials and Methods:

The chromatographic separation was performed on a Welch Material XB-C18 (4.6mm × 250mm, 5μm) using gradient elution with acetonitrile (A) and water containing 0.1% formic acid (B) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min.

Results:

Twenty-five compounds, including phenolic acid and phenol glycoside, iridous glycoside and glycoalkaloid were identified or tentatively deduced on the base of their retention behaviors, UV absorption, MS and MSⁿ data with those elucidated references or literature. In addition, eleven compounds were simultaneously determined by HPLC–DAD, which was validated and successfully applied for determination of major components in Danmu injection.

Conclusion:

The results suggested that the established qualitative and quantitative method would be a powerful and reliable analytical tool for the characterization of multi-constituent in complex chemical system and quality control of Danmu injection.

A comparative study of using in-line near-infrared spectra, ultraviolet spectra and fused spectra to monitor Panax notoginseng adsorption process

The step of enriching and purifying saponins by macroporous resin column chromatography is closely related to the safety and efficacy of Panax notoginseng products during their manufacturing processes. Adsorption process is one of the most critical unit operations within each chromatographic cycle. In order to understand the adsorption process directly, it is necessary to develop a rapid and precise method to monitor the adsorption process in real time. In this study, comparative evaluation of using near-infrared (NIR) spectra, ultraviolet (UV) spectra and fused spectra to monitor the adsorption process of P. notoginseng was conducted. The uninformative variable elimination by partial least squares (UVE-PLS) regression models were established for quantification of notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rb1 and ginsenoside Rd in effluents based on different spectra. There was a significant improvement provided by the models based on fused spectra. The results in this work were conducive to solving the problems about real-time quantitative analysis of saponins during P. notoginseng adsorption. The fusion method of NIR and UV spectra combined with UVE-PLS regression could be a promising strategy to real-time analyze the components, which are difficult to be quantified by individual spectroscopic technique.

Brain distribution pharmacokinetics and integrated pharmacokinetics of Panax Notoginsenoside R1, Ginsenosides Rg1, Rb1, Re and Rd in rats after intranasal administration of Panax Notoginseng Saponins assessed by UPLC/MS/MS

Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) constitute the main active components of a traditional Chinese medicine, Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen (Sanqi). To investigate brain distribution of Panax Notoginsenoside R1, Ginsenosides Rg1, Rb1, Re, and Rd, and the integrated PNS in rats, their contents in cortex, striatum, hypothalamus, medulla oblongata, hippocampus and olfactory bulb were simultaneously measured by UPLC-MS/MS. Sample preparation was carried out by the protein precipitation technique with an internal Digoxin standard. The method described here was highly efficient, with short run time, excellent specificity and sensitivity, and successfully applied for pharmacokinetics studies. NGR1, GRg1, GRb1, GRe and GRd from PNS have been detected in all six brain regions studied and quantified accurately. These findings provide more insight for further understanding of the main ways from the nasal cavity to brain as well as the migration of nasally applied drugs into the CNS parenchyma.

Simultaneous determination of 30 ginsenosides in Panax ginseng preparations using ultra performance liquid chromatography

A quick and simple method for simultaneous determination of the 30 ginsenosides (ginsenoside Ro, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg1, 20(S)-Rg2, 20(R)-Rg2, 20(S)-Rg3, 20(R)-Rg3, 20(S)-Rh1, 20(S)-Rh2, 20(R)-Rh2, F1, F2, F4, Ra1, Rg6, Rh4, Rk3, Rg5, Rk1, Rb3, Rk2, Rh3, compound Y, compound K, and notoginsenoside R1) in Panax ginseng preparations was developed and validated by an ultra performance liquid chromatography photo diode array detector. The separation of the 30 ginsenosides was efficiently undertaken on the Acquity BEH C-18 column with gradient elution with phosphoric acids. Especially the chromatogram of the ginsenoside Ro was dramatically enhanced by adding phosphoric acid. Under optimized conditions, the detection limits were 0.4 to 1.7 mg/L and the calibration curves of the peak areas for the 30 ginsenosides were linear over three orders of magnitude with a correlation coefficients greater than 0.999. The accuracy of the method was tested by a recovery measurement of the spiked samples which yielded good results of 89% to 118%. From these overall results, the proposed method may be helpful in the development and quality of P. ginseng preparations because of its wide range of applications due to the simultaneous analysis of many kinds of ginsenosides.

UPLC-PDA determination of paeoniflorin in rat plasma following the oral administration of Radix Paeoniae Alba and its effects on rats with collagen-induced arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disabling autoimmune disease with characteristics of chronic, progressive inflammatory joint synovial damage, which mainly encroaches upon the synovium of the joint. The use of traditional medicine to treat RA slows the development of RA to a certain extent; however, it often has numerous side-effects. Therefore, the focus of RA research is the identification of a new, safe and effective medicine. The aim of the present study was to use an ultra performance liquid chromatography and photo diode array (UPLC-PDA) method to detect the paeoniflorin component in a Radix Paeoniae Alba decoction and in rat plasma following the oral administration of Radix Paeoniae Alba decoction. In addition, the effects of paeoniflorin on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats were investigated. The results indicate that a UPLC-PDA method for determining the presence of paeoniflorin in the Radix Paeoniae Alba decoction was successfully established. The method was fast, simple, sensitive, precise and valid. Paeoniflorin was shown to be a bioactive component of the Radix Paeoniae Alba decoction that was absorbed into rat plasma. Paeoniflorin significantly improved the disease resistant ability of RA rats and reduced the levels of the inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and TNF-α, thereby inhibiting inflammation and bone erosion in the rats with CIA. The observations are likely to lay the foundation for further study of the mechanism of paeoniflorin in the treatment of RA.

Rapid characterisation and comparison of saponin profiles in the seeds of Korean Leguminous species using ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector and electrospray ionisation/mass spectrometry (UPLC-PDA-ESI/MS) analysis

The present work was reported on investigation of saponin profiles in nine different legume seeds, including soybean, adzuki bean, cowpea, common bean, scarlet runner bean, lentil, chick pea, hyacinth bean, and broad bean using ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector and electrospray ionisation/mass spectrometry (UPLC-PDA-ESI/MS) technique. A total of twenty saponins were characterised under rapid and simple conditions within 15min by the 80% methanol extracts of all species. Their chemical structures were elucidated as soyasaponin Ab (1), soyasaponin Ba (2), soyasaponin Bb (3), soyasaponin Bc (4), soyasaponin Bd (5), soyasaponin αg (6), soyasaponin βg (7), soyasaponin βa (8), soyasaponin γg (9), soyasaponin γa (10), azukisaponin VI (11), azukisaponin IV (12), azukisaponin II (13), AzII (14), AzIV (15), lablaboside E (16), lablaboside F (17), lablaboside D (18), chikusetusaponin IVa (19), and lablab saponin I (20). The individual and total saponin compositions exhibited remarkable differences in all legume seeds. In particular, soyasaponin βa (8) was detected the predominant composition in soybean, cowpea, and lentil with various concentrations. Interestingly, soybean, adzuki bean, common bean, and scarlet runner bean had high saponin contents, while chick pea and broad bean showed low contents.

Recent methodology in ginseng analysis

As much as the popularity of ginseng in herbal prescriptions or remedies, ginseng has become the focus of research in many scientific fields. Analytical methodologies for ginseng, referred to as ginseng analysis hereafter, have been developed for bioactive component discovery, phytochemical profiling, quality control, and pharmacokinetic studies. This review summarizes the most recent advances in ginseng analysis in the past half-decade including emerging techniques and analytical trends. Ginseng analysis includes all of the leading analytical tools and serves as a representative model for the analytical research of herbal medicines.

UHPLC: The Greening Face of Liquid Chromatography

Pharmaceutical analysis based on chromatographic separation is an important part of studies aimed at developing routine quality analysis of drugs. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is one of the main analytical techniques recommended for drug analysis. Although it meets many criteria vital for analysis, it is time-consuming and uses a relatively high amount of organic solvents compared to other analytical techniques. Recently, Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) has been frequently proposed as an alternative to HPLC, which means introducing an environment-friendly approach to drug analysis achieved by reducing the consumption of solvents. It also offers greater chromatographic resolution and higher sensitivity as well as requiring less time due to faster analysis. This review focuses on the basics of UHPLC, compares that technique with HPLC and discusses the possibilities of applying UHPLC for the analysis of different pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals.

Chemical investigation of saponins in different parts of Panax notoginseng by pressurized liquid extraction and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry

A pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method was developed for the qualitative determination of saponins in different parts of P. notoginseng, including rhizome, root, fibre root, seed, stem, leaf and flower. The samples were extracted using PLE. The analysis was achieved on a Zorbax SB-C18 column with gradient elution of acetonitrile and 8 mM aqueous ammonium acetate as mobile phase. The mass spectrometer was operated in the negative ion mode using the electrospray ionization, and a collision induced dissociation (CID) experiment was also carried out to aid the identification of compounds. Forty one saponins were identified in different parts of P. notoginseng according to the fragmentation patterns and literature reports, among them, 21 saponins were confirmed by comparing the retention time and ESI-MS data with those of standard compounds. The results showed that the chemical characteristics were obviously diverse in different parts of P. notoginseng, which is helpful for pharmacological evaluation and quality control of P. notoginseng.

Rapid simultaneous determination of major isoflavones of Pueraria lobata and discriminative analysis of its geographical origins by principal component analysis

INTRODUCTION

Isoflavones are main bioactive components of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi. Puerarin has been used as the marker compound in herb quality evaluation in the Chinese Pharmacopoiea. However, it is also important to include the other isoflavones present in the herb, such as daidzin, daidzein, genistin and genistein, in the evaluation as they also contribute to the overall bioactivity of the herb.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a rapid and reliable method for simultaneous quantitation of isoflavones for P. lobata herb quality evluation.

METHODOLOGY

The chromatographic separation was performed on an Agilent rapid resolution liquid chromatographic system through gradient elution. The developed method for the quantification of puerarin, daidzin, daidzein, genistin and genistein was fully validated. When it was applied to analyse the extracts of P. lobata, baseline separation was obtained within 10 min.

RESULTS

The amounts of puerarin, daidzin, daidzein and genistin varied greatly among the samples although their chromatographic fingerprints were similar to each other. The 19 samples studied were classified into three clusters (I-III) by principal component analysis based on the amounts of puerarin, daidzin, daidzein and genistin.

CONCLUSION

The classification result can be related to herbal origins, but the classification outcome from the chromatographic fingerprinting similarity approach did not provide any geographical origin information. This shows that bioactive constituents can reflect the intrinsic quality of P. lobata more accurately.

Target separation of a new anti-tumor saponin and metabolic profiling of leaves of Panax notoginseng by liquid chromatography with eletrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A method coupling high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometers (QTOF-MS) using an eletrospray ionization (ESI) source was firstly developed for detection, characterization and guiding target separation of variants of protopanaxdiol saponin from leaves of Panax notoginseng. Under the guidance of LC-QTOF-MS, a new trace saponin was probed according to the precise elemental compositions of molecular ions and the fragmentation behavior, and then separated from the ethanol extract of the plant by a set of chromatographic methods. It was further confirmed by NMR experiments as 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside-3β,l2β,23β-triol-20-ene-dammar (Pn-1). The cytotoxic assay showed that Pn-1 had relatively stronger anti-tumor effects against three tumor cell lines (NCI-H460, HepG2 and SGC-7901) than Rg₃, an approved clinical agent for cancer therapy. Meanwhile, based on accurate mass measurements within 5 ppm for each molecular ions and subsequent product ions, 48 saponins, including 40 protopanaxadiol saponins, 7 protopanaxatriol saponins and 1 oleanane saponin were identified. It is noted that the knowledge of the presence of abundant protopanaxadiol saponins in leaves of P. notoginseng may provide tools for a full understanding of the chemical diversity of secondary metabolites from the different parts of P. notoginseng. From the points of time consuming and accurate mass measurement capability, the LC-QTOF-MS is a highly powerful tool for screening and guiding target separation of new compounds in herbal extract, and thus benefits the speed of new drug discovery progress.

Simultaneous analysis method for polar and non-polar ginsenosides in red ginseng by reversed-phase HPLC-PAD

The paper describes the development of a simultaneous determination method for polar and non-polar ginsenosides in red ginseng with a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-pulsed amperometric detection method. This method could be applied directly without any pretreatment steps and enabled the performance of highly sensitive analysis within 1h. The detection (S/N=3) and quantification (S/N=10) limits for the ginsenosides ranged 0.02-0.10 ng and 0.1-0.3 ng, respectively. The linear regression coefficients ranged 0.9975-0.9998. Intra- and inter-day precisions were <9.91%. The mean recoveries ranged 98.08-103.06%. The total amount of ginsenosides in the hairy root of red ginseng was higher than that in the main root.

Qualitative and quantitative characterization of chemical constituents in Xin-Ke-Shu preparations by liquid chromatography coupled with a LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometer

Xin-Ke-Shu (XKS), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation containing five herbal medicines, has been commonly used for the treatment of coronary heart disease in China. However, the chemical constituents in XKS have not been clarified yet. In order to quickly define the chemical profiles and control the quality of XKS preparations, liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization hybrid linear trap quadrupole orbitrap (LC-LTQ-Orbitrap) mass spectrometry was applied for simultaneous identification and quantification of multi-constituent. A total of 51 compounds, including phenolic acids, isoflavone-C-glycosides, isoflavone-O-glycosides, flavonoids, and triterpenoid saponins, were identified or tentatively deduced on the base of their retention behaviors, MS and MS(n) data, or by comparing with reference substances and literatures. In addition, an optimized LC-ESI-MS method was established for quantitative determination of 15 marker compounds in XKS preparations from 7 independent pharmaceutical companies. The validation of the method, including spike recoveries, linearity, sensitivity (LOD and LOQ), precision, and repeatability, was carried out and demonstrated to be satisfied the requirements of quantitative analysis. This is the first report on the comprehensive determination of chemical constituents in XKS preparations by LC-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The results suggested that the established methods would be a powerful and reliable analytical tool for the characterization of multi-constituent in complex chemical system and quality control of TCM preparations.

Isolation and analysis of ginseng: advances and challenges

Ginseng occupies a prominent position in the list of best-selling natural products in the world. Because of its complex constituents, multidisciplinary techniques are needed to validate the analytical methods that support ginseng's use worldwide. In the past decade, rapid development of technology has advanced many aspects of ginseng research. The aim of this review is to illustrate the recent advances in the isolation and analysis of ginseng, and to highlight new applications and challenges. Emphasis is placed on recent trends and emerging techniques.

Chemical fingerprinting and quantitative analysis of a Panax notoginseng preparation using HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS

Background

Xuesaitong (XST) injection, consisting of total saponins from Panax notoginseng, was widely used for the treatment of cardio- and cerebro-vascular diseases in China. This study develops a simple and global quality evaluation method for the quality control of XST.

Methods

High performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) was used to identify and quantify the chromatographic fingerprints of the XST injection. Characteristic common peaks were identified using HPLC with photo diode array detection/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA/ESI-MSⁿ).

Results

Representative fingerprints from ten batches of samples showed 27 'common saponins' all of which were identified and quantified using ten reference saponins.

Conclusion

Chemical fingerprinting and quantitative analysis identified most of the common saponins for the quality control of P. notoginseng products such as the XST injection.