Characterisation and critical processes identification for production of herbal preparations using 1H-NMR and chemometrics: A case study of Trichosanthis Pericarpium injection

INTRODUCTION

Herbal preparations are extensively utilised for the treatment of diseases in Asian countries. However, the variations in origin, climate, and production processes can lead to inconsistencies in the quality of herbal preparations. Existing quality control methods only target a few components in the finished product but ignore the control in the pharmaceutical process. Therefore, this study intends to develop a comprehensive component analysis method for intermediates in the pharmaceutical process to reveal the change patterns of substances and deepen the process understanding.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to develop a rapid and comprehensive process characterisation and critical process identification method for herbal preparations.

METHODS

Six batches of Trichosanthis Pericarpium injection (TPI) intermediates were collected from the production process. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectra were acquired for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the se intermediates. Subsequently, chemometrics were used to identify critical processes and potential chemical markers.

RESULTS

A total of 39 components in intermediates were identified, and the transfer of 25 components during the production process was investigated. Column chromatography was determined as the critical process. Nine components were identified as chemical markers.

CONCLUSION

The application of 1H-NMR facilitated a comprehensive reflection of the chemical composition information of process intermediates, enabling investigations into the transfer of multi-component substances and accurate identification of critical processes and chemical markers.

Combined nuclear magnetic resonance methods in quality control of lubricants in green energy production

NMR methods were applied for lubricant analysis. Different factors influence the real aging of lubricants on diverse length scales and are captured by NMR. Chemical conversion of additives is addressed by NMR spectroscopy. High-field NMR experiments allow the identification and quantification of chemical components and are transferred to benchtop devices. Molecular dynamics and contaminations like fuel or abrasion are addressed via NMR relaxation and diffusion. Quality parameters were extracted via suitable data analysis of NMR raw data, which allow the detection of aging and indicate changes in the oil composition. At the same time, the methodology is optimized to the conditions in quality control. The feasibility is shown the example of a series of lubricants from applications in regenerative energy production, namely, wind turbine oils and biogas motor oils.

Phytochemical profiles and classification of Agave syrups using 1H-NMR and chemometrics

BACKGROUND

Agave syrups are natural sweeteners that are highly desirable for human consumption because they have low glycemic index. In this work, we explored the potential of 1H-NMR-Chemometrics as a useful tool in the identification and differentiation of Agave syrups. Also, we evaluated the phytochemical screening and antioxidant capacity of Agave syrup compared to other natural sweeteners.

RESULTS

The phytochemical screening stands out for Agave syrups containing higher levels of metabolites with antioxidant activity, mainly saponins, glycosides, and terpenoids. Agave syrup antioxidant activity was in a range from 10% to 53%, while the total phenolic content was from 24 to 300 EAG/100 g, and condensed tannins were between 240 and 1,900 mg CE/g. Additionally, 1H-NMR spectroscopy was used to characterize syrup profiles and chemometrics. PCA group analyses allowed the sweeteners' classification by origin and kind of Agave.

CONCLUSION

Thus, we conclude that 1H-NMR and chemometrics can be used for identifying, differentiating, and classifying Agave syrups. Besides, Agave syrups contain significant amounts of antioxidative components and can be considered as an effective source of antioxidant.

IMM-H007, a new therapeutic candidate for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, improves hepatic steatosis in hamsters fed a high-fat diet

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common chronic liver disease in humans, is characterized by the accumulation of triacylglycerols (TGs) in hepatocytes. We tested whether 2′,3′,5′‐tri‐acetyl‐N6‐(3‐hydroxylaniline) adenosine (IMM‐H007) can eliminate hepatic steatosis in hamsters fed a high‐fat diet (HFD), as a model of NAFLD. Compared with HFD‐only controls, IMM‐H007 treatment significantly lowered serum levels of TG, total cholesterol, and free fatty acids (FFAs) in hamsters fed the HFD, with a prominent decrease in levels of serum transaminases and fasting insulin, without affecting fasting glucose levels. Moreover, ¹H‐MRI and histopathological analyses revealed that hepatic lipid accumulation and fibrosis were improved by IMM‐H007 treatment. These changes were accompanied by improvement of insulin resistance and oxidative stress, and attenuation of inflammation. IMM‐H007 reduced expression of proteins involved in uptake of hepatic fatty acids and lipogenesis, and increased very low density lipoprotein secretion and expression of proteins responsible for fatty acid oxidation and autophagy. In studies in vivo, IMM‐H007 inhibited fatty acid import into hepatocytes and liver lipogenesis, and concomitantly stimulated fatty acid oxidation, autophagy, and export of hepatic lipids. These data suggest that IMM‐H007 resolves hepatic steatosis in HFD‐fed hamsters by the regulation of lipid metabolism. Thus, IMM‐H007 has therapeutic potential for NAFLD.

Strengthening of the intestinal epithelial tight junction by Bifidobacterium bifidum

Epithelial barrier dysfunction has been implicated as one of the major contributors to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. The increase in intestinal permeability allows the translocation of luminal antigens across the intestinal epithelium, leading to the exacerbation of colitis. Thus, therapies targeted at specifically restoring tight junction barrier function are thought to have great potential as an alternative or supplement to immunology-based therapies. In this study, we screened Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, and Lactobacillus species for beneficial microbes to strengthen the intestinal epithelial barrier, using the human intestinal epithelial cell line (Caco-2) in an in vitro assay. Some Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species prevented epithelial barrier disruption induced by TNF-α, as assessed by measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). Furthermore, live Bifidobacterium species promoted wound repair in Caco-2 cell monolayers treated with TNF-α for 48 h. Time course (1)H-NMR-based metabonomics of the culture supernatant revealed markedly enhanced production of acetate after 12 hours of coincubation of B. bifidum and Caco-2. An increase in TER was observed by the administration of acetate to TNF-α-treated Caco-2 monolayers. Interestingly, acetate-induced TER-enhancing effect in the coculture of B. bifidum and Caco-2 cells depends on the differentiation stage of the intestinal epithelial cells. These results suggest that Bifidobacterium species enhance intestinal epithelial barrier function via metabolites such as acetate.