Nontargeted SWATH acquisition mode for metabolites identification of osthole in rats using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Anticancer potential of osthole: targeting gynecological tumors and breast cancer

Gynecological tumors, such as ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers, alongside breast cancer, represent significant malignancies that pose serious threats to women's health worldwide. Standard treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies, are commonly utilized in clinical practice. However, challenges such as high recurrence rates, drug resistance, and adverse side effects underscore the urgent need for more effective therapeutic options. Osthole, a natural coumarin compound derived from Chinese herbal medicine, has demonstrated remarkable antitumor activity against various cancers. Emerging evidence indicates that osthole can inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of gynecological and breast cancer cells through various mechanisms, including inducing apoptosis and autophagy, regulating the tumor microenvironment, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, and enhancing the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This review highlights the recent advancements in osthole research within the context of gynecological and breast cancers, focusing on its molecular mechanisms, and offers a theoretical foundation for its potential development as an anticancer agent.

Metabolic activation and hepatic cytotoxicity of osthole mediated by cytochrome P450 enzymes

Osthole (OST), a coumarin derivative, is one of the major components of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cussion. OST was reported to induce apoptosis in hepatocytes. Elevated serum ALT and AST were documented in Sprague-Dawley rats after administration of OST. In the present study, OST was found to be metabolized to a phenol metabolite which was further metabolically oxidized to the corresponding quinone methide intermediate. A glutathione conjugate derived from the reactive metabolite was detected in vitro and in vivo. The structures of the metabolites were verified by chemical analysis. CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 were the major enzymes to catalyze the oxidation reactions. Pre-treatment with 1-aminobenzotriazole or ketoconazole decreased the susceptibility of primary hepatocytes to the cytotoxicity of OST. The findings provided solid evidence that the metabolic activation of OST correlated with the cytotoxicity of OST.

Differentiating Tangerine Peels from Other Citrus reticulata through GC-MS, UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS, and HPLC-PDA

The nonvolatile and volatile compounds in the peels of 13 Citrus reticulata cultivars (4 mandarins, 5 tangerines, and 4 hybrids) and 5 Citrus sinensis (sweet oranges) cultivars were analyzed. Initially, 66 volatile compounds were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Tangerines were distinguished from other citrus cultivars (mandarins, sweet oranges, hybrids) by having higher volatile oil extraction rates and higher relative contents of o-Cymene, α-Terpinene, d-α-Pinene, Terpinolene, γ-Terpinene, l-β-Pinene, and 3-Thujene. Additionally, 115 nonvolatile compounds were tentatively identified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS). C. sinensis contained fewer compounds than did C. reticulata. Pterostilbene was detected in all tangerines but not in mandarins and hybrids, suggesting its potential as a marker compound for differentiating tangerines from other C. reticulata. Lastly, a high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array (HPLC-PDA) was used to quantify 9 major nonvolatile components. Heat map and principal component analysis showed that the contents of tangerines differed from other cultivars (sweet oranges, mandarins, and hybrids). It may be caused by the higher content of synephrine, nobiletin, tangeretin, and 5-hydroxy-6,7,8,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone in tangerines. The study may obtain information for the application of different types of C. reticulata (tangerines, mandarins, or hybrids) and C. sinensis peels, thereby promoting their recycling.

Osthole, a Coumarin from Cnidium monnieri: A Review on Its Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms

Osthole, a coumarin compound mainly derived from Cnidium monnieri (L.), has attracted much interest from the scientific community owing to its multiple therapeutic properties. However, its pharmacological mechanism, pharmacokinetics, and toxicological effects are far from clear. Furthermore, the potential drug delivery platforms of osthole remain to be comprehensively delineated. The present review aimed to systematically summarize the most up-to-date information related to pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and safety issues related to osthole, and discuss the investigations of novel drug delivery platforms. The information herein discussed was retrieved from authoritative databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and so on, reviewing information published up until February of 2024. New evidence shows that osthole induces a sequence of therapeutic actions and has a moderate absorption rate and rapid metabolic characteristics. In addition, this phytoconstituent possesses potential hepatotoxicity, and caution should be exercised against the risk of the drug combination. Furthermore, given its needy solubility in aqueous medium and non-organizational targeting, novel drug delivery methods have been designed to overcome these shortcomings. Given the properties of osthole, its therapeutic benefits ought to be elucidated in a greater array of comprehensive research studies, and the molecular mechanisms underlying these benefits should be explored.

Gender differences pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, hepatic metabolism and metabolism studies of Pinnatifolone A, a sesquiterpenoid compound, in rats by LC-MS/MS and UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS

BACKGROUND

Pinnatifolone A is a typical sesquiterpenoid and the primary active ingredient of Syringa oblata Lindl., has potent anti-inflammatory activity. However, Pinnatifolone A pharmacokinetic and metabolites analysis investigations in male and female rats, as well as its in vitro stability in male and female rat liver microsomes, have not been evaluated and compared.

PURPOSE

To investigate preclinical pharmacokinetic and metabolite in both genders, confirm gender differences, and provide usable information for the development of clinical applications.

METHODS

A quick, precise, and sensitive LC-MS/MS method was created and effectively used to determine the pharmacokinetics of oral (140 mg/kg) and intravenous (6.3 mg/kg) Pinnatifolone A in male and female rats, in vitro Pinnatifolone A elimination studies in male and female rat liver microsomes. Following that, a UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique was established to identify the metabolic profiles of Pinnatifolone A obtained from rat plasma and excreta.

RESULTS

In the current study, we established for the first time an LC-MS/MS method for the quantitation of Pinnatifolone A with acceptable linearity and selectivity, recovery and matrix effect, accuracy and precision. The absolute oral bioavailability of Pinnatifolone A was approximately 30.36% in female rats, the clearance (CL) was 20.99±3.33 l/h/kg in female rats and 472.37±437.31 l/h/kg in male rats. This difference in rat genders may pertain to the sex-specific expression of hepatic enzymes as demonstrated in the metabolic stability evaluation in the present research; the male rats exhibited higher CL_int(mic) (158.83±9.57 μl/min/mg protein) than female rats (76.47±7.90 μl/min/mg protein) liver microsomes, indicating higher Pinnatifolone A clearance in male rats. Twenty-four metabolites were detected and identified in female and male rats; N-acetylcysteine conjugation metabolite was the most abundant metabolites in both rat feces and urine. Furthermore, male and female rats had significantly different levels of the N-acetylcysteine conjugation metabolite. Hydrogenation metabolite was particular to female rats both in rat fecal and urine. Glucuronide conjugation metabolite was the predominant metabolite in rat plasma, and its amount in female rats was double that of male rats.

CONCLUSIONS

The present research is the first to report the preclinical pharmacokinetics and metabolites of Pinnatifolone A in male and female rats, confirming the gender-based differences. The findings provide a comprehensive overview for further understanding of the pharmacokinetic and metabolic characteristics of Pinnatifolone A and serve as a guide for its future development and utilization.

A holistic comparison of flavor signature and chemical profile in different harvesting periods of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. based on metabolomics combined with bioinformatics and molecular docking strategy

Taiju and Duoju are products of Hangbaiju (HJ) obtained during different collection periods, and they have been commonly used as ingredients in tea beverages and dietary traditional Chinese medicine. This study reports an integrated strategy based on metabolomics, bioinformatics and molecular docking to further explore the effect of the harvesting period on the metabolic profile and clinical efficacy of HJ. Firstly, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS) were employed for non-targeted metabolomics profiling of essential oils and flavonoids. A sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment-ion spectra information-dependent acquisition (SWATH-IDA) bi-directionally verified (SIBDV) method was developed that integrates the advantages of both SWATH and IDA in characterizing flavonoids. Chemometric methods were then used to screen potential chemical markers. Furthermore, HJ is effective in hepatoprotective functions. Therefore, hepatocellular-carcinoma-related differentially expressed genes were obtained using bioinformatics, and the corresponding proteins were molecularly docked with diagnostic chemical markers. In total, 78 volatile oils and 63 flavonoids were tentatively identified. The results allowed the selection of 11 metabolites (5 volatile oils and 6 flavonoids), which are nominated as novel markers for material authentication of Taiju and Duoju. Additionally, two proteins associated with hepatoma were screened using bioinformatics. All six flavonoid markers with binding energies of <-5 kcal mol-1 were considered to be anti-hepatoma biomarkers. Noticeably, in Taiju, the content of hydroxygenkwanin showed a downward trend, but the content of the other five flavonoids and the five flavored volatile difference compounds had an upward trend. This bestows a unique flavor profile on Taiju, leading to differences in sensory aroma and clinical efficacy in Taiju and Duoju. In conclusion, the transformation of secondary metabolites was the dominant trend during HJ growth. These findings lay the foundation for food development and distinguishing clinical applications.

Identification of metabolites of Ginkgolide B in vivo and in vitro using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Ginkgolide B is a dietary diterpene with multiple pharmacological activities. However, current research on ginkgolide B is not comprehensive. The current study analyzed the metabolic profile of ginkgolide B in vivo and in vitro using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry . To detect and identify the different metabolites in ginkgolide B, a novel data processing method was used as an assistant tool. A total of 53 different metabolites of ginkgolide B (38 phase I metabolites and 15 phase II metabolites) were detected relative to blank samples. The biotransformation route of ginkgolide B was identified as oxidation, dehydroxylation, hydrogenation, decarbonylation, demethylation, sulfate conjugation, glucose conjugation, methylation and acetylation. The current study demonstrated a method for rapidly detecting and identifying metabolites and provided useful information to further characterize the pharmacology and mechanism of ginkgolide B. A method for the analysis of other diterpene metabolic components in vivo and in vitro was also established. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Preparation, evaluation and metabolites study in rats of novel amentoflavone-loaded TPGS/soluplus mixed nanomicelles

Amentoflavone (AMF) is a kind of biflavonoids existing in Ginkgo biloba leaves. It has many biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antiviral, hypoglycemic, anti-tumor and inducing apoptosis. However, its solubility and bioavailability are poor and there are a few studies on it in vivo. In this study, to improve its solubility and bioavailability, the nanomicelles were prepared with TPGS and soluplus as carriers for the first time. The particle size, Zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, drug loading, stability, cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and metabolites in rats were studied. Cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and metabolites in rats of AMF-loaded TPGS/soluplus mixed micelles were compared with those of AMF. As a result, AMF-loaded TPGS/soluplus mixed micelles with a particle size of 67.33 ± 2.01 nm and Zeta potential of -0.84133 ± 0.041405 mV were successfully prepared. The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of the mixed nanomicelles were 99.18 ± 0.76% and 2.47 ± 0.01%, respectively. The physical and chemical properties of the mixed micelles were stable within 60 d, and the cytotoxicity of the mixed micelles was much greater than that of AMF monomers. Thirty-four kinds of metabolites of AMF were identified in rats. The metabolites were mainly distributed in rat feces. No metabolites were detected in bile and plasma. 14 kinds of metabolites of the mixed micelles in rats were detected, including 11 in feces, 6 in urine, and 3 in plasma, which indicated that the bioavailability of AMF has been improved. And the toxicity to cancer cells was enhanced, which laid a foundation for the development of new drugs.

Osthole inhibits proliferation of kainic acid‑activated BV‑2 cells by modulating the Notch signaling pathway

Epilepsy is a syndrome involving chronic recurrent transient brain dysfunction. Activation and proliferation of microglia serve important roles in epilepsy pathogenesis and may be targets for treatment. Although osthole, an active constituent isolated from Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson, has been demonstrated to improve epilepsy in rats, its underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. The present study investigated the effect of osthole on proliferation of kainic acid (KA)‑activated BV‑2 cells and explored the molecular mechanism by which it inhibited their proliferation. Using Cell Counting Kit‑8, enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay, reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR, western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining, it was identified that following exposure of KA‑activated BV‑2 cells to 131.2 µM osthole for 24 h, cell proliferation and release of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 6 and nitric oxide synthase/induced nitric oxide synthase were significantly inhibited (P<0.05). Further experiments revealed that osthole significantly downregulated mRNA and protein levels of Notch signaling components in KA‑activated BV‑2 cells (P<0.05). Therefore, it was hypothesized that osthole inhibited the proliferation of microglia by modulating the Notch signaling pathway, which may be useful for the treatment of epilepsy and other neurodegenerative diseases characterized by Notch upregulation.

Identification of bilobetin metabolites, in vivo and in vitro, based on an efficient ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry strategy

Bilobetin, a natural compound extracted from Ginkgo biloba, has various pharmacological activities such as antioxidation, anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and promoting osteoblast differentiation. However, few studies have been conducted and there are no reports on its metabolites owing to its low content in nature. In addition, it has been reported to have potential liver and kidney toxicity. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the metabolites of bilobetin in vitro and in vivo. Bilobetin was incubated with liver microsomes to determine metabolites in vitro, and faeces and urine were collected after oral administration to rats to determine metabolites in vivo. After the samples were processed, they were measured using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. As a result, a total of 21 and 9 metabolites were detected in vivo and in vitro, respectively. Demethylation, demethylation and loss of water, demethylation and hydrogenation, demethylation and glycine conjugation, oxidation, methylation, oxidation and methylation, and hydrogenation were the main metabolic pathways. This study is the first to identify the metabolites of bilobetin and provides a theoretical foundation for the safe use of bilobetin in clinical application and the development of new drugs.

Comprehensive Study of the in Vivo and in Vitro Metabolism of Dietary Isoflavone Biochanin A Based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS

Biochanin A is a dietary isoflavone with multiple biological functions. Owing to a lack of comprehensive studies of biochanin A metabolism, this study was designed to further clarify the processes involved in biochanin A metabolism. In this study, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was utilized to characterize the metabolism of biochanin A in vivo and in vitro. As a result, 43 metabolites in rats, 22 metabolites in liver microsomes, and 18 metabolites in intestinal flora were elucidated, and 5 metabolites were identified by comparison with standards. Oxidation, demethylation, hydrogenation, internal hydrolysis, conjugation (e.g., glucuronidation, sulfonation, glucose conjugation, methylation, and acetylation), and their composite reactions were determined to be major processes involved in biochanin A biotransformation. The results contribute to a better understanding of the pharmacological mechanism of biochanin A and provide a basis for comprehension of the safety and toxicity of biochanin A.

Identification of Metabolites of Eupatorin in Vivo and in Vitro Based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS

Eupatorin is the major bioactive component of Java tea (Orthosiphon stamineus), exhibiting strong anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. However, no research on the metabolism of eupatorin has been reported to date. In the present study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with an efficient online data acquisition and a multiple data processing method were developed for metabolite identification in vivo (rat plasma, bile, urine and feces) and in vitro (rat liver microsomes and intestinal flora). A total of 51 metabolites in vivo, 60 metabolites in vitro were structurally characterized. The loss of CH2, CH2O, O, CO, oxidation, methylation, glucuronidation, sulfate conjugation, N-acetylation, hydrogenation, ketone formation, glycine conjugation, glutamine conjugation and glucose conjugation were the main metabolic pathways of eupatorin. This was the first identification of metabolites of eupatorin in vivo and in vitro and it will provide reference and valuable evidence for further development of new pharmaceuticals and pharmacological mechanisms.

UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS method based on four-step strategy for metabolites of hinokiflavone in vivo and in vitro

Hinokiflavone (HF), belonging to biflavonoids, possesses excellent pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumor activity. Nevertheless, its metabolism in vivo (rats) and in vitro (rat liver microsomes and intestinal flora) is presently not characterized. In this study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) based on four-step strategy was a rapid method for the detection of HF metabolites. A total of 41 metabolites in vivo, 49 metabolites in vitro were characterized. It also verified that intestinal tract exceeds the liver in the biotransformation of HF. More significant, the main metabolic pathways for HF were mainly bio-transformed to various mono-flavone resulting from the rupture of connective CO bonds, which exhibited a large distinction with other biflavones. Noteworthily, glutamine conjugation and glycine conjugation were considered as unique metabolic pathways of HF. The information obtained from this study contributes to better understanding of pharmacological mechanism of HF.

Selectivity enhancement using sequential mass isolation window acquisition with hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry for pesticide residues

The introduction of sequential mass isolation window acquisition mode in high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight analysers undoubtedly represents an important improvement in the MS/MS spectra obtained when working in non-target analysis. However, the advantages and limitations of this approach have not been sufficiently defined and evaluated. The present work seeks to fill this gap by considering its application in non-target multiresidue pesticide analysis. This work focuses on the called SWATH^® method, which combines both MS and MS/MS acquisition, dividing the entire mass range into smaller segments for the MS/MS mode. The effect of the number of mass isolation windows, the total cycle-time lapsed, the sensitivity obtained, the MS/MS spectra quality, the ion ratio stability as well as the identification and quantification capabilities has been evaluated. The use of ten mass isolation windows for data acquisition was selected as a compromise between the required points per chromatographic peak and the reduction in interferences achieved. An identification study was carried out on 141 pesticides in 20 vegetable matrices to check the false positives and false identifications found automatically, in accordance with the criteria set out in Document No. SANTE/11945/2015. Furthermore, special attention was given to certain issues that can make correct identification difficult, such as low fragment abundance due using of a generic collision energy, the matrix influence on the collision cell, the effect of the concentration level as well as deconvolution failure and mass window width. Finally, to verify the efficiency of the optimum parameters proposed, two proficiency samples were analysed, obtaining good results. This proved the benefits in terms of identification and quantification purposes.

A comprehensive study of eriocitrin metabolism in vivo and in vitro based on an efficient UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS strategy

Eriocitrin, a main flavonoid in lemons, possesses strong antioxidant, lipid-lowering and anticancer activities and has long been used in food, beverages and wine. However, its metabolism in vivo and in vitro is still unclear. In this study, an efficient strategy was developed to detect and identify metabolites of eriocitrin by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) based on online data acquisition and multiple data processing techniques. A total of 32 metabolites in vivo and 27 metabolites in vitro were obtained based on the above method. Furthermore, the main metabolic pathways of eriocitrin included reduction, hydrogenation, N-acetylation, ketone formation, oxidation, methylation, sulfate conjugation, glutamine conjugation, glycine conjugation, desaturation and demethylation to carboxylic acid. This study will lay a foundation for further studies on the metabolic mechanisms of eriocitrin.

41 metabolites of eriocitrin in vivo and in vitro was identified based on the efficient UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS strategy.