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Liu H, Wu XQ, Qin XL, Zhu JH, Xu JD, Zhou SS, Kong M, Shen H, Huo JG, Li SL, Zhu H. Metals/bisulfite system involved generation of 24-sulfonic-25-ene ginsenoside Rg1, a potential quality control marker for sulfur-fumigated ginseng. Food Chem 2024; 448:139112. [PMID: 38569404 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Ginseng is a most popular health-promoting food with ginsenosides as its main bioactive ingredients. Illegal sulfur-fumigation causes ginsenosides convert to toxic sulfur-containing derivatives, and reduced the efficacy/safety of ginseng. 24-sulfo-25-ene ginsenoside Rg1 (25-ene SRg1), one of the sulfur-containing derivatives, is a potential quality control marker of fumigated ginseng, but with low accessibility owing to its unknown generation mechanism. In this study, metals/bisulfite system involved generation mechanism was investigated and verified. The generation of 25-ene SRg1 in sulfur-fumigated ginseng is that SO2, formed during sulfur-fumigation, reacted with water and ionized into HSO3-. On the one hand, under the metals/bisulfite system, HSO3- generates HSO5- and free radicals which converted ginsenoside Rg1 to 24,25-epoxide Rg1; on the other hand, as a nucleophilic group, HSO3- reacted with 24,25-epoxide Rg1 and further dehydrated to 25-ene SRg1. This study provided a technical support for the promotion of 25-ene SRg1 as the characteristic quality control marker of sulfur-fumigated ginseng.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China; Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430016, China
| | - Xiao-Qian Wu
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Xiang-Ling Qin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Jin-Hao Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Jin-Di Xu
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Shan-Shan Zhou
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Ming Kong
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Hong Shen
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Jie-Ge Huo
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China.
| | - Song-Lin Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China.
| | - He Zhu
- Drug Clinical Trial Center, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou 225300, China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China.
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Wan F, Chen ZW, Xu TT, Guan JJ, Cui XM, Kang CZ, Zhou T, Wang CX, Guo LP, Yang Y. Selection and application of aptamers for p-hydroxybenzyl hydrogen sulfite after Gastrodia elata Bl. fumigated with sulfur. Talanta 2024; 269:125461. [PMID: 38056416 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Gastrodia elata Bl. is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine known for its medicinal properties. However, during the drying process, G. elata is often fumigated with sulfur to prevent corrosion and improve its appearance. Sulfur-fumigation can result in a reduction in the effective components of the herb and can also be hazardous to human health due to the remaining sulfur dioxide. Sulfur-fumigation of G. elata poses a significant challenge to both end-users and researchers. The detection of p-hydroxybenzyl hydrogen sulfite (p-HS) is a useful tool in determining whether G. elata has been fumigated with sulfur. Unfortunately, the current method for detecting p-HS is costly and requires sophisticated instruments. Therefore, there is a need to develop a more cost-effective and user-friendly method for the detection of p-HS. This study utilized the Capture-SELEX technique to screen high-affinity aptamers for p-HS, which were subsequently characterized by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). An aptamer sequence (seq 6) with a high affinity of Kd = 26.5 μM was obtained following 8 rounds of selection against p-HS. With the aptamer serving as the recognition element and gold nanoparticles as the colorimetric indicator, a simple and efficient colorimetric sensor was developed for the specific detection of p-HS. This detection method exhibited a limit of detection of 1 μg/ml, while the p-HS recoveries demonstrated a range of between 88.5 % and 105 % for samples of G. elata obtained in the market. In summary, the aptamer exhibited a high affinity for p-HS, and the sensor developed through the use of a colloidal gold detector based on nucleic acid aptamer can be utilized for rapid detection of sulfur-fumigated G. elata. With these findings, this research paper provides valuable scientific insights and highlights significant potential for future studies in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fen Wan
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhuo-Wen Chen
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Ting-Ting Xu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Jin-Jie Guan
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiu-Ming Cui
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China; Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Panax Notoginseng, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Chuan-Zhi Kang
- China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Tao Zhou
- Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Cheng-Xiao Wang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China; Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Panax Notoginseng, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Lan-Ping Guo
- China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Ye Yang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China; Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Panax Notoginseng, Kunming, 650500, China.
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Ge Q, Zhou SS, Xie NN, Kong M, Xu JD, Zhu H, Zhou J, Li SL, Shen H. Impact of sulfur-fumigation on carbohydrate components of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 225:115217. [PMID: 36592540 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2022.115217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (AMR) is one of commonly used medicinal and edible herbs in China. It is often sulfur-fumigated during post-harvest processing. Carbohydrates are important active components of AMR. However, it is unknown whether sulfur-fumigation would induce changes on carbohydrates. Here, carbohydrates including polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and free monosaccharides were comprehensively analyzed to characterize the quality changes of sulfur-fumigated AMR. Determination of both homemade sulfur-fumigated AMR samples and commercial samples from market revealed that sulfur-fumigation did not affect molecular weight distribution of polysaccharides, but altered polysaccharides content and its ratios of constituent monosaccharides, especially glucose (Glc) and fructose (Fru), as well as the contents of oligosaccharides DP2-10 and free monosaccharide Fru. Moreover, the variations enhanced with the increasing of residual SO2 content. The potential transformation mechanisms could be due to the hydrolysis of polysaccharides. The research outcomes could provide a chemical basis for the safety and efficacy evaluations of sulfur-fumigated AMR.
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Liu H, Wang SY, Zhu JH, Kong M, Zhou SS, Li SL, Zhu H. Effects and contributory factors of sulfur-fumigation on the efficacy and safety of medicinal herbs evaluated by meta-analysis. J Ethnopharmacol 2022; 293:115250. [PMID: 35367331 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Sulfur-fumigation undoubtedly alters the chemical and metabolic profiles, but controversially affects the efficacy and safety of medicinal herbs. AIM OF THE STUDY To comprehensively evaluate the effects of sulfur-fumigation on the efficacy and safety of medicinal herbs using a meta-analysis approach and further investigate the potential contributory factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS Literatures were retrieved on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese VIP Information and Wanfang, and the outcomes involved activities and toxicities were extracted using standard data extraction forms. The effects of sulfur-fumigation on the efficacy and safety of medicinal herbs were evaluated by meta-analysis approaches. RESULTS A total of sixteen studies were included in this study. Sulfur-fumigation reduced the efficacies of medicinal herbs with immune activity [thymus index (SMD = -1.81; P < 0.00001); spleen index (SMD = -1.11; P < 0.0001)], anti-oxidative activity [MDA (SMD = 2.60; P = 0.04); SOD (SMD = -2.21; P < 0.00001)], analgesic activity [heat tolerate time (SMD = -2.51; P = 0.001); writhing time (SMD = 0.36; P = 0.006)], anti-platelet aggregation activity (SMD = -1.84; P = 0.001), and anti-inflammatory activity [ear swelling degree (SMD = 0.47; P = 0.006)]. The reductions might be ascribed to sulfur-fumigation significantly reduced the contents of active ingredients in medicinal herbs, leading to dramatic decrease in the absorption of these ingredients and their metabolites in vivo. Furthermore, sulfur-fumigation induced the toxicities of medicinal herbs, mainly on hepatotoxicity, which might due to fumigation-induced residues of sulfur dioxide and heavy metal, and generations of sulfur-containing derivatives and toxic metabolites. Besides, administrated with sulfur-fumigated medicinal herbs with high sulfur ratio and/or higher dosage showed more significant toxicity. CONCLUSION Sulfur-fumigation reduced the efficacy and safety of medicinal herbs, indicating sulfur-fumigation might not a feasible approach to process medicinal herbs. However, with obvious limitations, much more rigorous designed-trials are still needed to confirm the conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Si-Yu Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Jin-Hao Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Ming Kong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Shan-Shan Zhou
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Song-Lin Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China.
| | - He Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China.
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Liu H, Wang SY, Zhu JH, Xu JD, Zhou SS, Kong M, Mao Q, Li SL, Zhu H. Effects of sulfur-fumigated ginseng on the global quality of Si-Jun-Zi decoction, a traditional ginseng-containing multi-herb prescription, evaluated by metabolomics and glycomics strategies. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2022; 219:114927. [PMID: 35816772 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2022.114927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Si-Jun-Zi decoction (SJZD) with ginseng as the principal medicinal herb is a traditional Chinese Medicine multi-herb prescription that commonly employed to treat colorectal cancer etc. Previous studies showed that nearly half of the commercial ginseng was sulfur-fumigated, one of the postharvest processing methods that commonly causes sulfur-dioxide (SO2) residue and chemical composition transformation in medical herbs. In this study, the effect of sulfur-fumigated ginseng on global quality of SJZD was evaluated by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS based metabolomics and multiple chromatographic techniques based glycomics strategies. For non-saccharides components, sulfur-fumigated ginseng led to the emergence of sulfur-containing derivatives and alteration of saponins and flavonoids in SJZD. For saccharide components, sulfur-fumigated ginseng decreased the total contents and molecular weights of polysaccharides, changed the monosaccharide composition of polysaccharides, and increased the contents of oligosaccharides and free monosaccharides of SJZD. The alterations of SJZD were aggravated with the sulfur-fumigated content of ginseng. Those phenomena might be attributed to 1) sulfur-fumigation caused the generation of sulfur-containing derivatives in ginseng, which further transferred to SJZD, and 2) sulfur-fumigation caused the residue of SO2 in ginseng, which reduced the pH value and further changed the dissolution of saponins and flavonoids and accelerated the degradation of the polysaccharides to oligosaccharides and/or monosaccharides in SJZD. Furthermore, although storage reduced the SO2 residue in sulfur-fumigated ginseng, it couldn't recover the alterations of chemical profiles in SJZD. In conclusion, sulfur-fumigated ginseng altered the global quality of SJZD, which promoted that extra attention must be paid during the application of herbal formulas that containing sulfur-fumigated herbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Si-Yu Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Jin-Hao Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Jin-Di Xu
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Shan-Shan Zhou
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Ming Kong
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Qian Mao
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Song-Lin Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China.
| | - He Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China.
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Shen H, Zhang L, Xu JD, Ding YF, Zhou J, Wu J, Zhang W, Mao Q, Liu LF, Zhu H, Li SL. Effect of sulfur-fumigation process on ginseng: Metabolism and absorption evidences. J Ethnopharmacol 2020; 256:112799. [PMID: 32243989 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.112799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Sulfur-fumigation has been developed to prevent insects and molds during post-harvest handling of Panax ginseng C.A. Mey (ginseng) in the near decades. Our previous study indicated sulfur-fumigation could transform ginsenosides, the active components of ginseng, into sulfur-containing derivatives (SFCDs), the artifacts with unknown toxicity. However, whether the biotransformation could be occurred and absorption characteristics between ginsenosides and SFCDs are still needed to further investigate. AIM OF THE STUDY To evaluate the effect of sulfur-fumigation process on ginseng through comparing the metabolic profile and absorption characteristics between ginsenoside Rg1, Re and their SFCDs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Intestinal microflora and liver S9 fraction were utilized to compare the metabolic profile, and single-pass intestinal perfusion and Caco-2 cell models were applied to compare the absorption characteristics, between Rg1, Re and their SFCDs. RESULTS Rg1 and Re were metabolized to 7 none sulfur-containing metabolites, while their SFCDs were metabolized to 18 sulfur-containing metabolites. The intestinal absorption and transport of Rg1 and Re were much greater than their SFCDs. Besides, the uptakes of Rg1 and Re were transport-dependent, but their SFCDs were non-transport-dependent. CONCLUSION Ginsenosides and their SFCDs could not be bio-transformed with each other and their absorption characteristics were quite different, which suggested that sulfur-fumigation is not a feasible post-harvest process of ginseng.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, PR China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicines Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China
| | - Jin-Di Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, PR China
| | - Yong-Fang Ding
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, PR China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, 210028, PR China
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, 210028, PR China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, 210028, PR China
| | - Qian Mao
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, 210028, PR China
| | - Li-Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Chinese Medicines Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - He Zhu
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, 210028, PR China.
| | - Song-Lin Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, PR China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing, 210028, PR China.
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Cheng CS, Wang CJ, Liang J, Lao CC, Zhou H, Zhang ZF. A new approach for identification of medicinal almonds by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and systematic clustering of characteristic peaks. Chin J Nat Med 2018; 15:703-709. [PMID: 28991532 DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(17)30100-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Medicinal almonds have been used for over 2 000 years and its clinical efficacy includes relieving cough and asthma. The domestic market in China is flooded with different kinds of dried almonds, such as bitter almond (Armeniacae Semen Amarum, AAS), sweet almond (Armeniacae Semen Dulce, ADS), salted almond (Armeniacae Semen Salsa, ASS), and their sulfur-fumigating products (Armeniacae Semen Sulphur Fumabat, ASFS). Wide varieties of almonds may lead to uncertain efficacy, aberrant quality, and even increased safety risk. However, the authentication method for medicinal almonds has not been reported, although imposters may lead to ineffective medical response. In the present study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the 2-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy were used to identify different almonds, which were extracted with different solvents including water, methanol, ethanol, chloroform and ethyl acetate, respectively. A new simple FTIR method was developed in the present study. According to the gradient solvent polarity, a new 2D IR method was first developed, and the commodities of almonds in China were analyzed by using the FTIR spectroscopy supported by hierarchical clustering of characteristic peaks. Moreover, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural could be used as a detection index and control target in the quality control of medicinal almonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Song Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (Macau University of Science and Technology), Macau 999078, China; Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Can-Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (Macau University of Science and Technology), Macau 999078, China; Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Jie Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (Macau University of Science and Technology), Macau 999078, China; Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Chi-Chou Lao
- Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Hua Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (Macau University of Science and Technology), Macau 999078, China; Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China; Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau 999078, China.
| | - Zhi-Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (Macau University of Science and Technology), Macau 999078, China; Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China.
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He L, Zhang Z, Liu Y, Chen D, Yuan M, Dong G, Luo P, Yan Z. Rapid discrimination of raw and sulfur-fumigated Smilax glabra based on chemical profiles by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS coupled with multivariate statistical analysis. Food Res Int 2018; 108:226-236. [PMID: 29735052 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.03.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Smilax glabra (SG) is commonly used as a traditional edible herb in eastern Asia. Recently, sulfur-fumigation has been frequently used in order to obtain better color and a longer storage lifetime. However, the chemical alterations caused by this process remain unknown. The aim of this research was to explore potential chemical differences between non-fumigated and sulfur-fumigated SG samples. A novel approach was developed by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) with principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial squared discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Fifty-eight compounds were unambiguously characterized or tentatively identified in the chemical profiles for the first time. Six newly generated sulfur-containing compounds, namely glucosyringic acid sulfate, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfite, 3-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfite, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfate, 3-O-caffeoylshikimic acid sulfate and astilbin sulfate, were screened out to be the most characteristic markers for distinguishing non-fumigated and sulfur-fumigated SG. This newly proposed approach can not only be applied for exploring chemical markers but can also be used to investigate the chemical transformation mechanism associated with sulfur for other edible herbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili He
- National Engineering Institute for the Research and Development of Endangered Medicinal Resources in Southwest China, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China
| | - Zhifeng Zhang
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Dingqiao Chen
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Muhua Yuan
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Gengting Dong
- State Key Laboratories for Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Pei Luo
- State Key Laboratories for Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.
| | - Zhigang Yan
- National Engineering Institute for the Research and Development of Endangered Medicinal Resources in Southwest China, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.
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Kong M, Liu HH, Wu J, Shen MQ, Wang ZG, Duan SM, Zhang YB, Zhu H, Li SL. Effects of sulfur-fumigation on the pharmacokinetics, metabolites and analgesic activity of Radix Paeoniae Alba. J Ethnopharmacol 2018; 212:95-105. [PMID: 29080828 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Radix Paeoniae Alba (Baishao, BS), one of the most commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, has many pharmacological effects including analgesic activity. Previous studies found that sulfur-fumigation, a post-harvest handling process developed to prevent mold contamination of medicinal herbs, altered the quality of BS. However, whether sulfur-fumigation affects the pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of BS warrants further investigation. AIM OF THE STUDY To evaluate the feasibility of sulfur-fumigation as a post-harvest handling process of BS from the viewpoints of pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS The pharmacokinetic behaviors of four active components of BS and one characteristic component of sulfur-fumigated BS (S-BS) were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-TQ-MS/MS). The safety was investigated using ultra high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) based metabolomics approach after intragastric (i.g.) administration of non-fumigated BS (N-BS) and S-BS in rats. The analgesic efficacy was compared using hot-plate test in mice, after i.g. administration of N-BS and S-BS, at both high and low dosages. RESULTS Systemic exposures of paeoniflorin and oxypaeoniflorin, two analgesic components of BS, were significantly decreased in the S-BS treated group compared to the N-BS treated group, while paeoniflorin sulfonate, one of the sulfur-containing derivatives of S-BS, was detected in all time-points of S-BS treated group with the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-t) and the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) as high as 7077.06 ± 2232.97ng/mL*h and 1641.42 ± 634.79ng/mL respectively, which indicated that sulfur-fumigation altered the pharmacokinetic behaviors of BS. Besides, paeoniflorin sulfonate and its four metabolites with ambiguous toxicities, as well as one endogenous metabolite p-cresol glucuronide, the biomarker of disordered homeostasis of intestinal bacteria and bile acid, were identified as the characteristic metabolites in S-BS administered rats, suggesting that sulfur-fumigation reduced the safety of BS. Furthermore, the analgesic effects at both low and high dosages were decreased in different extent when compared to N-BS administered groups, indicating that sulfur-fumigation weakened the efficacy of BS. CONCLUSION Sulfur-fumigation altered the pharmacokinetics, as well as reduced the safety and efficacy of BS, suggesting that sulfur-fumigation is not recommended for post-harvest handling of BS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Kong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, PR China
| | - Huan-Huan Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, PR China
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210028, PR China
| | - Ming-Qin Shen
- Department of Pharmacology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, PR China
| | - Zhi-Gang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, PR China
| | - Su-Min Duan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, PR China
| | - Yan-Bo Zhang
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - He Zhu
- Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210028, PR China.
| | - Song-Lin Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, PR China; Department of Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210028, PR China.
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10
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Kang C, Lai CJS, Zhao D, Zhou T, Liu DH, Lv C, Wang S, Kang L, Yang J, Zhan ZL, Huang LQ, Guo L. A practical protocol for comprehensive evaluation of sulfur-fumigation of Gastrodia Rhizoma using metabolome and health risk assessment analysis. J Hazard Mater 2017; 340:221-230. [PMID: 28715745 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/02/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Gastrodia Rhizoma is one of the most heavily sulfur-fumigated edible and medical herbs in the marketplace. We developed a practical protocol using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight-MSE (UPLC/QTOF-MSE)-based metabolome and health risk assessment model to identify characteristic sulfur-fumigated markers, dissect chemical transformation mechanisms, and control the quality of sulfur-fumigated Gastrodia Rhizoma. Two sulfur-containing p-hydroxybenzyl products, one sulfur-containing disaccharide, one glycolipid, and two phospholipids were selected and identified as markers based on multivariate statistical analysis. In particular, the sulfur-containing markers p-hydroxybenzyl hydrogen sulfite and trace p-mercaptobenzyl hydrogen sulfate were positively correlated with the active major phenolics. Moreover, a practical index the time of the minimum content was useful for evaluating the extent of the sulfur-fumigation under different weight ratios of the sulfur to herbal materials (1:20, 1:40, and 1:80). Ultimately, the 1:40 ratio within 1h of sulfur-fumigation was considered as safe and efficient for herb quality preservation under the maximum residue limit of 750mg/kg. This study shows that the practical protocol-based discriminated markers and practical limits can be applied to quality assurance of sulfur-fumigation and non-fumigation Gastrodia Rhizoma and other edible or medical materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanzhi Kang
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, PR China
| | - Chang-Jiang-Sheng Lai
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, PR China
| | - Dan Zhao
- Guiyang University of Chinese Medicine,Guiyang 550025, PR China
| | - Tao Zhou
- Guiyang University of Chinese Medicine,Guiyang 550025, PR China
| | - Da-Hui Liu
- College of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, PR China
| | - Chaogeng Lv
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, PR China
| | - Sheng Wang
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, PR China
| | - Liping Kang
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, PR China
| | - Jian Yang
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, PR China
| | - Zhi-Lai Zhan
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, PR China
| | - Lu-Qi Huang
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, PR China.
| | - Lanping Guo
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, PR China.
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11
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Yan Y, Zhang Q, Feng F. HPLC-TOF-MS and HPLC-MS/MS combined with multivariate analysis for the characterization and discrimination of phenolic profiles in nonfumigated and sulfur-fumigated rhubarb. J Sep Sci 2016; 39:2667-77. [PMID: 27173451 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201501382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Sulfur fumigation has recently been used during the postharvest handling of rhubarb to reduce the drying duration and control pests. However, a few reports question the effect of sulfur fumigation on the bioactive components of rhubarb, which is crucial for the quality evaluation of the herbal medicine. The bottleneck limiting the study comes from the complex compounds that exist in herb samples with diverse structural features, wide concentration range and the difficulty to obtain all the reference standards. In this study, an integrated strategy based on the highly effective separation and analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection and time-of-flight/triple-quadruple tandem mass spectrometry combined with multivariate analysis was established. 68 phenolic compounds that exist in nonfumigated and sulfur-fumigated herb samples of rhubarb were tentatively assigned based on their retention behavior, UV spectra, accurate molecular weight, and mass spectral fragments. Qualitative and semiquantitative comparison revealed a serious reduction of the majority of phenolic compounds in sulfur-fumigated rhubarb. Furthermore, multivariate analysis was applied to holistically discriminate nonfumigated from sulfur-fumigated rhubarb and explore the characteristic chemical markers. The established approach was specific and rapid for characterizing and screening sulfur-fumigated rhubarb among commercial samples and could be applied for the quality assessment of other sulfur-fumigated herbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education), China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education), China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fang Feng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education), China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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12
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Duan SM, Xu J, Bai YJ, Ding Y, Kong M, Liu HH, Li XY, Zhang QS, Chen HB, Liu LF, Li SL. Sulfur dioxide residue in sulfur-fumigated edible herbs: The fewer, the safer? Food Chem 2015; 192:119-24. [PMID: 26304328 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The residual content of sulfur dioxide is frequently regarded as the exclusive indicator in the safety evaluation of sulfur-fumigated edible herbs. To examine the feasibility of such assessment criteria, here the variations in residual sulfur dioxide content during sulfur-fumigation and the potential mechanisms involved were investigated, using Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR) as a model herb. The residual sulfur dioxide content and ten major bioactive components in sulfur-fumigated ASR samples were dynamically examined at 13 successive time points within 72 h sulfur-fumigation. The relationship between the content variation tendency of sulfur dioxide and the ten chemicals was discussed. The results suggested that sulfur dioxide-involved chemical transformation of the original components in ASR might cause large consumption of residual sulfur dioxide during sulfur-fumigation. It implies that without considering the induced chemical transformation of bioactive components, the residual sulfur dioxide content alone might be inadequate to comprehensively evaluate the safety of sulfur-fumigated herbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Min Duan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210028, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Jun Xu
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
| | - Ying-Jia Bai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210028, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Yan Ding
- No. 359 Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Zhenjiang 212001, PR China
| | - Ming Kong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210028, PR China
| | - Huan-Huan Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210028, PR China
| | - Xiu-Yang Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210028, PR China
| | - Qing-Shan Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210028, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Hu-Biao Chen
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
| | - Li-Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Song-Lin Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Metabolomics, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210028, PR China.
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13
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Zhan JYX, Yao P, Bi CWC, Zheng KYZ, Zhang WL, Chen JP, Dong TTX, Su ZR, Tsim KWK. The sulfur-fumigation reduces chemical composition and biological properties of Angelicae Sinensis Radix. Phytomedicine 2014; 21:1318-1324. [PMID: 25172796 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2014.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Angelica Sinensis Radix (roots of Angelica sinensis; ASR) is a popular herbal supplement in China for promoting blood circulation. Today, sulfur-fumigation is commonly used to treat ASR as a means of pest control; however, the studies of sulfur-fumigation on the safety and efficacy of ASR are very limited. Here, we elucidated the destructive roles of sulfur-fumigation on ASR by chemical and biological assessments. After sulfur-fumigation, the chemicals in ASR were significantly lost. The biological activities of anti-platelet aggregation, induction of NO production and estrogenic properties were compared between the water extracts of non-fumigated and sulfur-fumigated ASR. In all cases, the sulfur-fumigation significantly reduced the biological properties of ASR. In addition, application of water extract deriving from sulfur-fumigated ASR showed toxicity to cultured MCF-7 cells. In order to ensure the safety and to achieve the best therapeutic effect, it is recommended that sulfur-fumigation is an unacceptable approach for processing herbal materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janis Ya-Xian Zhan
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ping Yao
- Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Cathy Wen-Chuan Bi
- Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ken Yu-Zhong Zheng
- Department of Biology, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wendy Li Zhang
- Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jian-Ping Chen
- Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tina Ting-Xia Dong
- Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zi-Ren Su
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Karl Wah-Keung Tsim
- Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Road, Hong Kong, China.
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