Chemical composition and absorption characteristics of Raw and Prepared Cassiae Semen extracts based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry

In traditional Chinese medicine, the two commodity forms of Cassiae Semen Raw and Prepared Cassiae Semen, exert different clinical applications, in which Prepared Cassiae Semen is commonly used to treat liver and eye diseases. However, the material basis of Raw and Prepared Cassiae Semen remains unclear due to the limited studies on their overall composition and metabolism in vivo. In this study, an integrated analysis strategy based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry was established to systematically screen the prototype and metabolite constituents of Raw and Prepared Cassiae Semen. Automatic matching analysis of metabolites was performed on Compound Discoverer software based on the function of predicting metabolites. Using this strategy, a total of 77 compounds in Raw Cassiae Semen and 71 compounds in Prepared Cassiae Semen were identified. Furthermore, in vivo study, 46 prototype components and 104 metabolites from the Raw Cassiae Semen group and 41 prototype components and 87 metabolites from the Prepared Cassiae Semen group were unambiguously or preliminarily identified in mice (plasma, urine, feces, eye, and liver). This is the first study of chemical component analysis and in vivo metabolite profiling of Raw and Prepared Cassiae Semen.

Rapid determination of 93 banned industrial dyes in beverage, fish, cookie using solid-supported liquid-liquid extraction and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry

Banned industrial dyes are composed of a large number of chemicals with diverse physical and chemical properties, making their simultaneous determination a challenging task. A one-step extraction and purification of 93 banned industrial dyes from beverage, fish and cookie sample methods was proposed by using solid supported liquid-liquid extraction (SLE). The extract was analyzed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS). The quantitative and qualitative mode adopts Q-Orbitrap-HRMS full scan MS (full scan MS¹) and data-dependent MS/MS (dd-MS²) acquisition mode. The mass resolution was screened under 70,000 FWHM for full-scan MS¹ and 35,000 FWHM for dd-MS². Linearity was observed in the range of 0.01 ∼ 0.5 μg/mL and the limits of quantification were 0.04 ∼ 0.2 mg/kg for 93 dyes. The average recoveries were 70.5-105.8%, with RSD ≤ 10%. The proposed method has the ability to simultaneously screen many banned dyes in foods with high throughput, sensitivity and reliability.

Identification and chemical profiling of anti-alcoholic liver disease biomarkers of ginseng Huang jiu using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS and network pharmacology-based analyses

This study investigated the mechanism of characteristic non-volatile organic compounds (NVOCs) from ginseng Huang jiu (GH) in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease through UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS and network pharmacological analyses. Changes in NVOC contents in ginseng Huang jiu and ginseng-soaked wine fermented by different processing technologies were analyzed through liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A total of 96 ginsenosides were identified in ginseng Huang jiu throughout the fermentation process, which included 37 protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides, 47 protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides, and 4 oleanolic acid-type ginsenosides. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed that 20(R)-Rg2, Gypenoside XVII, 20(S)-Rf3, CK, Rg5, Rh2, and other rare ginsenosides in ginseng Huang jiu could be the potential index for determining ginseng Huang jiu. In addition, ginseng Huang jiu could improve alcoholic liver disease by regulating the GSTP1, HRAS, AKR1B1, GSTA1, Androgen receptor (AR), GSR, and LDHB genes through bioinformatics analysis. This study provides new insights into improving the industrial production of ginseng Huang jiu and treating alcoholic liver disease with medicinal and food products.

Analysis of the characteristic compounds of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus from different geographical origins

INTRODUCTION

Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus (CSF) is widely used as a food ingredient and a traditional Chinese medicine. In China, CSF is cultivated in many places, including Sichuan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces. The types and chemical contents of CSF from different origins may vary greatly due to the difference in climate and environmental conditions. Therefore, comparing the chemical composition of CSF from various places is vital.

OBJECTIVE

To rapidly select potential characteristic compounds for differentiating CSF from different origins.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Thirty-one batches of CSF samples from different regions were analysed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry. Thereafter, chemometric methods, including principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA), were employed to find differential metabolites among the CSF samples from various origins.

RESULTS

PCA revealed 77.9% of the total variance and divided all CSF samples into three categories corresponding to their origins. OPLS-DA displayed better discrimination of CSF from different sources, with R² X, R² Y, and Q² of 0.801, 0.985, and 0.849, respectively. Finally, 203 differential metabolites were obtained from CSF from different origins using the variable importance in projection of the OPLS-DA model, 30 of which were identified, and five coumarin compounds were selected as marker compounds discriminating CSF from different origins.

CONCLUSION

This work provides a practical strategy for classifying CSF from different origins and offers a research foundation for the quality control of CSF.