UPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS-based metabolomics survey on the toxicity of triptolide and detoxication of licorice / 中国天然药物

Triptolide (TP) from Tripterygium wilfordii has been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and anticancer activities. TP is specially used for the treatment of awkward rheumatoid arthritis, but its clinical application is confined by intense side effects. It is reported that licorice can obviously reduce the toxicity of TP, but the detailed mechanisms involved have not been comprehensively investigated. The current study aimed to explore metabolomics characteristics of the toxic reaction induced by TP and the intervention effect of licorice water extraction (LWE) against such toxicity. Obtained urine samples from control, TP and TP + LWE treated rats were analyzed by UPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS. The metabolic profiles of the control and the TP group were well differentiated by the principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis. The toxicity of TP was demonstrated to be evolving along with the exposure time of TP. Eight potential biomarkers related to TP toxicity were successfully identified in urine samples. Furthermore, LWE treatment could attenuate the change in six of the eight identified biomarkers. Functional pathway analysis revealed that the alterations in these metabolites were associated with tryptophan, pantothenic acid, and porphyrin metabolism. Therefore, it was concluded that LWE demonstrated interventional effects on TP toxicity through regulation of tryptophan, pantothenic acid, and porphyrin metabolism pathways, which provided novel insights into the possible mechanisms of TP toxicity as well as the potential therapeutic effects of LWE against such toxicity.

Sulfur-containing derivatives as characteristic chemical markers in control of sulfur-fumigated Moutan Cortex / 药学学报

The amount of sulfur dioxide residue is currently employed by Chinese Pharmacopoeia (CP) as an index to screen sulfur-fumigated herbs, but it is unclear if this index can objectively reflect the quality of sulfur-fumigated herbs. In the present study, sulfur-containing derivatives were confirmed in sulfur-fumigated Moutan Cortex (MC) by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis, and the contents of sulfur-containing derivatives and sulfur dioxide residues were statistically analyzed both in self-made and commercially available sulfur-fumigated and non-fumigated MC as well as the samples thereof before and after eight-month storage. The amount of sulfur dioxide was significantly decreased, but that of the newly-generated sulfur-containing markers was not, after eight-month storage of the sulfur-fumigated MC samples, indicating that the amount of sulfur dioxide residue may not be positively correlated with the quality of sulfur-fumigated MC. Therefore, sulfur dioxide residue index alone may not objectively reflect the sulfur-fumigation extent (quality change extent) of MC, more specific method using characteristic sulfur-containing derivatives as chemical markers should be developed to supplement the sulfur dioxide residue determination in the quality control of sulfur-fumigated MC.

Hot air-microwave combination drying method for processing Angelicae Sinensis Radix / 中草药

Objective: In this study, the feasibility of hot air-microwave combination drying method for processing Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR) was investigated and evaluated. Methods: Hot air temperature, drying time, microwave electric current, and microwave time were taken into consideration. The combined drying method was optimized based on the standards of ASR documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 version). After that, microorganisms, heavy metals, harmful elements, and active ingredients (ferulic acid, coniferyl ferulate, senkyunolide I, senkyunolide H, senkyunolide A, E-ligustilide, Z-ligustilide, n-butylidenephthalide, riligustilide, and levistilide A) were detected to evaluate the quality of processed samples. Results: The optimal method was that samples were dried in hot air (70℃) for 20 h, then heated in microwave (100 mA) for 6 min. The number of microorganisms in processed samples equaled to sulfur-fumigated samples; Heavy metals and harmful elements were qualified after this processing; The new drying method for processing ASR had no significant effect on the active ingredient. Conclusion: After this process, the physical and chemical indicators of ASR are in line with the criteria of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. This hot air-microwave combination drying method should be a fast drying method for post-harvest handling of ASR.