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ObjectiveThrough the correlation analysis between intestinal absorption profile and inhibition of macrophage foaming， the pharmacodynamic components of Zhuriheng dripping pills（ZRH） were explored to provide a basis for establishing its quality standard. MethodIntestinal absorption fluids with 0， 5， 10， 15， 20 times clinical equivalent doses were prepared by a rat everted gut sac（EGS）， and the oxidized low density lipoprotein（ox-LDL）-induced RAW264.7 macrophage foaming model was used to investigate the effect of intestinal absorption fluid with different doses on the accumulation of lipids in RAW264.7 cells by oil red O staining and cholesterol content determination， and to screen for the optimal dose. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS） was used to analyze and identify intestinal absorption fractions of ZRH intestinal absorption fluids， and partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were performed on different doses of ZRH intestinal absorption fluids using SIMCA 13.0 with peak area as the independent variable and the pharmacodynamic indicators as the dependent variables to screen the compounds with variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1.0 as contributing components， and Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the spectral effect relationship， determined the compounds and positive correlation with pharmacodynamic were as active ingredients. Molecular docking was used to verify the binding energy of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α（PPARα）， PPARγ， PPARβ， human retinoid X receptor α（RXRA） and nuclear transcription factor-κB（NF-κB） with the active ingredients in ZRH intestinal absorption fluids. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was performed to detect the mRNA levels of PPARγ， scavenger receptor A1（SRA1） and adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter A1（ABCA1） in RAW264.7 cells， Westen blot was used to detect the expression level of PPARγ protein in RAW264.7 cells， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to detect the levels of interleukin（IL）-1β and NF-κB in RAW264.7 cells. ResultAccording to the results of oil red O staining and cholesterol content determination， the ZRH intestinal absorption fluids could significantly reduce macrophage foaming， and intestinal absorption fluids with 15， 20 times clinical equivalent doses had the best effect， the 15-fold ZRH intestinal absorption fluid was finally determined as the study subject. Spectral effect relationship showed that 52 corresponding peaks in the ZRH-containing intestinal fluid were positively correlated with the efficacy， including organic acids， phenylpropanoids， iridoids， flavonoids， bile acids， coumarins and chromones. Target validation results showed that 86.9%-96.2% of the total components processed good binding activities with the key targets of PPARα， PPARγ， PPARβ， RXRA and NF-κB， and the docking energy values were all less than -6.0 kcal·mol-1（1 cal≈4.19 J）. The results of validation showed that， compared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in the levels of SRA1 and PPARγ mRNA expression， a significant decrease in ABCA1 mRNA expression， a significant increase in the level of PPARγ protein expression， and a significant increase in the levels of IL-1β and NF-κB（P<0.01）， compared with the model group， the 15-fold intestinal absorption fluid group showed a significant decrease in the levels of SRA1 and PPARγ mRNA expression（P<0.05， P<0.01）， ABCA1 mRNA expression level was significantly up-regulated， the levels of IL-1β and NF-κB were significantly reduced（P<0.01）， and PPARγ protein expression level was significantly reduced（P<0.05）. ConclusionThis study identifies 52 components and their metabolites in ZRH intestinal absorption fluid that are positively correlated with the inhibition of macrophage foaming， which may be related to the regulation of the PPARs pathway in cells and the reduction of the levels of inflammatory factors， and can provide a reference for the quality control and clinical application of ZRH.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma on the urinary metabolites of gerbils with stroke by non-targeted metabolomics technique， and then to clarify the mechanism of the two， as well as their similarities and differences. MethodTwenty-four gerbils were randomly divided into control group（CG）， model group（MG）， Aconiti Coreani Radix group（RA） and Typhonii Rhizoma group（RT）. Except for the CG， ischemic stroke model was constructed using right unilateral ligation of gerbil carotid artery in the remaining groups. Except for the CG and MG， rats in the other groups received whole powder suspension（0.586 mg·g-1） was administered for 14 days. The neurological deficit in each group was scored by Longa scoring on days 0， 3， 7 and 14. After the end of administration， the serum， brain tissue and urine of gerbils in each group were collected， and the rate of cerebral infarction was detected by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride（TTC）， and the levels of interleukin（IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， malondialdehyde（MDA）， superoxide dismutase（SOD）， glutathione（GSH）， and nitric oxide（NO） in serum and brain tissue were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. The urine metabolomics of gerbils in each group was studied by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS）， and the data were processed by multivariate statistical analysis， and differential metabolites were screened based on value of variable importance in the projection（VIP） of the first principal component>1 and t-test P<0.05. Metabolic pathway analysis of the screened differential metabolites was performed using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） database and Metaboanalyst 5.0. ResultCompared with the CG， the neurological deficit score was significantly increased in the MG（P<0.05）， compared with the MG， the neurological deficit scores in the RA and RT were significantly reduced after 7 d and 14 d（P<0.05）. Compared with the CG， the rate of cerebral infarction was significantly increased in the MG（P<0.05）， compared with the MG， the rates of cerebral infarction in the RA and RT were significantly reduced（P<0.05）. Compared with the CG， the levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and MDA in the serum and brain tissue of gerbils from the MG were significantly increased（P<0.05）， and the levels of SOD， GSH and NO were significantly reduced（P<0.05）. Compared with the MG， Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma could down-regulate the levels of IL-6， TNF-α and MDA， and up-regulated the levels of SOD， GSH and NO. A total of 112 endogenous differential metabolites were screened by urine metabolomics， of which 16 and 26 metabolites were called back by Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma， and could be used as potential biomarkers for both treatments in stroke gerbils， respectively. The results of the pathway analysis showed that both Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma had regulatory effects on arginine and proline metabolism， pyrimidine metabolism， and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. In addition， Aconiti Coreani Radix could also regulate riboflavin metabolism， Typhonii Rhizoma could also regulate purine metabolism， glycine， serine and threonine metabolism， arachidonic acid metabolism， biosynthesis of pantothenate and coenzyme A， and β-alanine metabolism. ConclusionBoth Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma have better therapeutic effects on stroke， with Aconiti Coreani Radix having stronger effects. From the metabolomics results， the main metabolic pathways regulated by Aconiti Coreani Radix involve amino acid metabolism， oxidative stress and so on， while Typhonii Rhizoma mainly involve amino acid metabolism， lipid metabolism， energy metabolism， etc.
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ObjectiveTo qualitatively analyze the chemical constituents and their tissue distribution in Lujiao formula based on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS）. MethodThe separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC® BEH C18 column（2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.7 μm） with the mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（A）-methanol（B） in a gradient elution（0-2 min， 4%B； 2-6 min 4%-12%B； 6-38 min， 12%-70%B； 38-38.5 min， 70%B； 38.5-39 min， 70%-95%B； 39-43 min， 95%B； 43-43.1 min， 95%-4%B； 43.1-45 min， 4%B）， the flow rate was 0.3 mL·min-1 with the column temperature of 40 ℃ and the injection volume of 5 µL. The data were acquired by an electrospray ionization（ESI） in the full scanning mode of positive and negative ions， the scanning rang was set at m/z 100-1 500， the collision energies were 10， 20， 40 eV. Retention time， precise relative molecular mass and secondary mass spectrometry fragment ions were used to identify the compounds in Lujiao formula and analyze their tissue distribution， combing with self-established database and comparing with standard substances and published literature data. ResultA total of 260 compounds， including 156 flavonoids， 43 terpenoids， 18 coumarins， 13 organic acids， 7 phenylethanoids， 7 alkaloids and 16 others， were identified or hypothesized from Lujiao formula， 68 of which were identified by comparison with standard substances. And the results of tissue distribution showed that 100， 143， 129 and 126 prototype components were detected in blood， heart， liver and kidney， respectively. ConclusionThe chemical composition of Lujiao formula and their tissue distribution were systematic analyzed， which can provide reference for the quality control， clinical application， pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic material basis of Lujiao formula and its medicinal materials.
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ObjectiveTo identify the prototypical components and metabolites absorbed into blood and cerebrospinal fluid of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus（SCF） based on sequential metabolism combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. MethodBlood and cerebrospinal fluid samples of integrated metabolism， intestinal metabolism and hepatic metabolism were collected from male SD rats after gavage and in situ intestinal perfusion administration， and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS） was used to analyze and compare the differences in the spectra of SCF extract， blank plasma， administered plasma， blank cerebrospinal fluid and administered cerebrospinal fluid with ACQUITY UPLC BEH Shield RP18 column（2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.7 µm）， the mobile phase was acetonitrile（A）-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（B） for gradient elution（0-7 min， 95%B； 7-12 min， 95%-35%B； 12-17 min， 35%-15%B； 17-20 min， 15%-12%B； 20-22 min， 12%-5%B； 22-23 min， 5%B； 23-25 min， 5%-95%B； 25-28 min， 95%B）. And heated electrospray ionization（HESI） was used with positive and negative ion modes， the scanning range was m/z 100-1 500. The prototypical constituents and their metabolites absorbed into blood and cerebrospinal fluid of SCF were identified according to the retention time， characteristic fragments， molecular formulae and the information of reference substances. ResultA total of 42 chemical components were identified in the extract of SCF， including lignans， flavonoids， amino acids， tannins， and others， of which lignans were the main ones. A total of 27 prototypical components and 14 metabolites were identified in plasma samples from different sites. A total of 15 prototypical components and 9 metabolites were identified in cerebrospinal fluid. The main metabolic reactions involved in the formation of metabolites were mainly demethylation， methylation， demethoxylation and hydroxylation. ConclusionThrough the systematic identification of the prototypical components and metabolites of SCF in rats， it provides data support for further better exploring the material basis of SCF in the treatment of central nervous system diseases.
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OBJECTIVES@#To identify 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl) pentan-1-one (4-F-α-PVP) analog 1-(4-fluoro-3-methyl phenyl)-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl) pentan-1-one (4-F-3-Methyl-α-PVP) hydrochloride without reference substance.@*METHODS@#The direct-injection electron ionization-mass spectrometry (EI-MS), GC-MS, electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS), ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS/MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ion chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were integrated utilized to achieve the structural analysis and characterization of the unknown compound in the sample, and the cleavage mechanism of the fragment ions was deduced by EI-MS and UPLC-HRMS/MS.@*RESULTS@#By analyzing the direct-injection EI-MS, GC-MS, ESI-HRMS and UPLC-HRMS/MS of the compound in the samples, it was concluded that the unknown compound was a structural analog of 4-F-α-PVP, possibly with one more methyl group in the benzene ring. According to the analysis results of 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR, it was further proved that the methyl group is located at the 3-position of the benzene ring. Since the actual number of hydrogen in 1H-NMR analysis was one more than 4-F-3-Methyl-α-PVP neutral molecule, it was inferred that the compound existed in the form of salt. Ion chromatography analysis results showed that the compound contained chlorine anion (content 11.14%-11.16%), with the structural analysis of main functional group information by FTIR, the unknown compound was finally determined to be 4-F-3-Methyl-α-PVP hydrochloride.@*CONCLUSIONS@#A comprehensive method using EI-MS, GC-MS, ESI-HRMS, UPLC-HRMS/MS, NMR, ion chromatography and FTIR to identify 4-F-3-Methyl-α-PVP hydrochloride in samples is established, which will be helpful for the forensic science laboratory to identify this compound or other analog compounds.
Subject(s)
Benzene , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods , Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methodsABSTRACT
Objective@#To optimize the sample pretreatment and establish an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS) assay based on the parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mode for determination of antibiotic residues in chicken meat.@*Methods@#Blank matrix-spiked chicken meat samples were extracted with 95% acetonitrile aqueous solution containing Na2EDTA and formic acid. The extraction solutions were cleaned up using different combinations of C18, PSA and GCB fillers, and the combinations with a higher antibiotic recovery rate was screened. The residues of 32 antibiotics were determined using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS based on the PRM mode.@*Results@#If the extraction solution was cleaned up using the C18 filler, the largest number of antibiotics with a spiked recovery rate of >80% was seen, with matrix effects of 82.2% to 112.6%. The detection limits of 32 antibiotics were 0.8 to 5.8 μg/kg, with linear correlation coefficients of >0.99, spiked recovery rates of 71.3% to 111.5% and relative standard deviations of 3.2% to 14.2%.@*Conclusion@#The UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS assay is suitable for determination and quantitative analysis of multiple antibiotics in chicken meat. Key words： high-resolution mass spectrometry orbitrap antibiotic residue parallel reaction monitoring
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ObjectiveTo characterize the efficacy components of Guizhi Jia Gegentang（GGT） in intervening influenza virus pneumonia by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS）. MethodBALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal group and GGT group（36 g·kg-1·d-1） with six mice in each group. GGT group was continuously administered GGT extract for 5 d， while the normal group was administered an equal amount of ultrapure water. Serum and lung tissue were collected after administration， and UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS was used to characterize the prototypical and metabolic components of GGT in serum and lung tissue of mice. The components existed simultaneously in the serum and lung tissue of mice from the GGT group were defined as its functional components， and the targets of efficacy components were searched by SwissTargetPrediction database， and GeneCards database was used to query the target of influenza virus pneumonia， and then the intersection was taken to obtain potential targets of GGT for intervening in the disease. Protein-protein interaction（PPI） network analysis of potential targets was performed by STRING database， and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis on potential targets was performed by Metascape. ResultA total of 29 prototypical components and 28 metabolic components of GGT were detected in the drug-containing serum of mice， of which 11 prototypical components and 4 metabolic components were detected in the lung tissue of mice. The main metabolic pathways included reduction， hydroxylation， methylation， glucuronidation and sulfation. The results of PPI network and KEGG analysis showed that these functional components may act through their effects on targets such as albumin（ALB）， epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR）， steroid receptor coactivator（SRC）， Toll-like receptor 4（TLR4）， nuclear transcription factor（NF）-κB and adhesion junction. ConclusionThe 11 prototypical components and 4 metabolites present simultaneously in the drug-containing serum and lung tissue of mice may be the potential therapeutic components of GGT in interfering with influenza viral pneumonia， and act through interfering with inflammatory metabolic pathways. This study can provide a reference for the mechanism study of GGT in the treatment of influenza viral pneumonia.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the transformation mechanism and content variation of saponins from Polygalae Radix before and after being boiled with licorice juice and water. MethodSimulated licorice juice boiled products and simulated water boiled products of onjisaponin B， onjisaponin Z， onjisaponin F， polygalasaponin ⅩⅩⅧ were prepared by simulated processing technology， and analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS）. Then the contents of onjisaponin B， onjisaponin Z， onjisaponin F， polygalasaponin ⅩⅩⅧ and tenuifolin in Polygalae Radix， licorice-boiled Polygalae Radix and water-boiled Polygalae Radix were determined by UPLC-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS）. ResultDuring the boiling process with licorice juice and water， onjisaponin B could be hydrolyzed to produce 4-methoxycinnamic acid， desacylsenegin Ⅲ， polygalasaponin ⅩⅩⅧ and tenuifolin， onjisaponin Z could be hydrolyzed to produce 3，4，5-trimethoxycinnamic acid， onjisaponin TF， polygalasaponin ⅩⅩⅧ and tenuifolin， onjisaponin F could be hydrolyzed to produce 3，4，5-trimethoxycinnamic acid， onjisaponin G， polygalasaponin ⅩⅩⅧ and tenuifolin， and polygalasaponin ⅩⅩⅧ was hydrolyzed to produce tenuifolin. After being boiled with licorice juice or water， the content of onjisaponin B decreased significantly（P<0.05， P<0.01）， but the contents of onjisaponin Z， onjisaponin F， polygalasaponin ⅩⅩⅧ and tenuifolin increased significantly（P<0.05， P<0.01） in Polygalae Radix. Compared with the water-boiled products， the contents of onjisaponin Z and tenuifolin increased significantly（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the change of tenuifolin content was the most significant in the licorice-boiled products.However， there was no significant difference in the content of onjisaponin B， onjisaponin F and polygalasaponin ⅩⅩⅧ between the water-boiled products and the licorice-boiled products. ConclusionBeing boiled with licorice juice or water can hydrolyze onjisaponin B， onjisaponin Z， onjisaponin F and polygalasaponin ⅩⅩⅧ， and generate secondary glycosides and aglycones（organic acids） through deglycosylation， which leads to obvious changes in the contents of onjisaponins after Polygalae Radix being processed.It is inferred that licorice juice can promote the hydrolysis of some onjisaponins in Polygalae Radix to onjisaponin Z and tenuifolin.This study provides an experimental basis for revealing processing mechanism of Polygalae Radix.
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ObjectiveTo rapidly identify the chemical constituents in Tongxie Yaofang decoction by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap-electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS）. MethodChromatographic conditions were ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column（2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.7 μm）， mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（A）-acetonitrile（B） for gradient elution （0-4 min， 5%-15%B； 4-10 min， 15%-25%B； 10-15 min， 25%-60%B； 15-20 min， 60%-90%B； 20-25 min， 90%-100%B； 25-27 min， 100%B； 27-30 min， 100%-5%B； 30-32 min， 5%B）， flow rate of 0.3 mL·min-1， column temperature at 35 ℃ and injection volume of 3 μL. UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS was equipped with an electrospray ionization（ESI）， the MS and MS/MS data were collected in positive and negative ion modes， and detection range was m/z 100-1 250. Combining the reference substance， chemical databases and related literature information， TraceFinder 4.1 and Xcalibur 2.1 were used to identify the chemical constituents of Tongxie Yaofang decoction. ResultA total of 90 compounds， mainly including flavonoids， coumarins， monoterpene glycosides， chromones and lactones， were identified from Tongxie Yaofang decoction. By attributing the sources of Chinese medicines for all identified compounds， 9 of them were found to be derived from Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma， 21 from Paeoniae Radix Alba， 24 from Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium， 29 from Saposhnikoviae Radix， and 7 from at least two Chinese medicines. ConclusionThe method can effectively， quickly and comprehensively identify the chemical components of Tongxie Yaofang decoction， and clarify the chemical composition. These identified compounds cover the main active ingredients of the four herbs with high abundance， which indicates that the extraction method and the ratio of the medicinal materials of Tongxie Yaofang are scientific， and can provide a reference for the research on the material basis and quality evaluation of this famous classical formula.
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ObjectiveTo study the metabolism of chemical components from Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium（CRP）in different parts of rats by sequential metabolism and ultra performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-HRMS）. MethodSD male rats were employed as experimental subjects， and blood samples of intestinal metabolism and hepatic metabolism were prepared after administration of CRP ethanol extract by in situ intestinal perfusion， and comprehensive metabolic samples were collected after intragastric administration. UPLC-HRMS was used to analyze the samples with acetonitrile（A）-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（B）as the mobile phase for gradient elution（0-10 min， 10%-30%A； 10-30 min， 30%-95%A； 30-31 min， 95%-10%A； 31-35 min， 10%A）at a flow rate of 0.35 mL·min-1， using a heated electrospray ionization with positive and negative ion mode scanning in the range of m/z 100-1 500. Under these conditions， the differences in the profiles of CRP ethanol extract， blank plasma and drug-containing plasma under different treatment groups were compared， and the chemical components of each sample were analyzed and identified based on the retention time， accurate relative molecular mass， primary and secondary ion fragments， and the information of reference substances. ResultA total of 44 chemical components were identified in the CRP ethanol extract， including flavone-O-glycosides， flavone-C-glycosides and polymethoxyflavonoids， etc. The results of sequential metabolism showed that 22 chemical components in CRP were detected in the intestinal metabolic sample， 18 chemical components were detected in the hepatic metabolic sample， and 9 identical chemical components（narirutin， hesperidin， meranzin， 5，7，8，3ʹ，4ʹ，5ʹ-hexamethoxy-flavone， isosinensetin， sinensetin， 3，5，6，7，8，3ʹ，4ʹ-heptamethoxyflavone， nobiletin and tangeretin）could be detected in all three metabolic samples， with a total of 22 compounds entering the blood in prototype form. ConclusionThe identified 21 components with well-defined structures entering the blood as prototypes may be potential active components of CRP， and differences in the components at different metabolic parts can provide an experimental basis for elucidating the in vivo biotransformation process of the metabolic components of CRP.
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ObjectiveTo compare the effects of different processing methods in ancient and modern times on the chemical components of Lilii Bulbus decoction， and to provide experimental support for the origin processing， decoction piece processing and clinical application of this herb. MethodUltra high performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS） was used for structural identification of the compounds using excimer ions， secondary MS and characteristic fragment ions， and referring to relevant literature and database information. Principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to screen the main differential components， the differential components were quantitatively studied by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）， in order to compare the types and contents of chemical components in the decoction of different processing products of Lilii Bulbus. ResultA total of 24 chemical components were identified from the decoction of different processed products of Lilii Bulbus， water extract and scalding liquid of fresh Lilii Bulbus， including 17 phenols， 5 saponins and 2 alkaloids. Compared with the fresh Lilii Bulbus decoction， the contents of regaloside A， p-coumaric acid， colchicine and other components in the decoction of dry Lilii Bulbus processed by scalding method decreased， the content of regaloside C in the decoction of dry Lilii Bulbus processed by steaming method decreased， and the contents of regaloside A and regaloside C in the decoction of fresh Lilii Bulbus processed by water immersion also decreased. Compared with the decoction of dry Lilii Bulbus processed by scalding method， the overall content of components in the fresh Lilii Bulbus decoction and the decoction of fresh Lilii Bulbus processed by water immersion was higher， the contents of components in the decoction of dry Lilii Bulbus processed by steaming method was higher， except for the slightly lower content of regaloside C. ConclusionDifferent processing processes have a certain effect on the types and contents of chemical components in Lilii Bulbus decoction. Scalding process is beneficial to the preservation of Lilii Bulbus， but can cause the loss of effective components. Compared with scalding method， steaming method can prevent browning of Lilii Bulbus and reduce the loss of its active ingredients. The processing method of removing foam after overnight immersion proposed by ZHANG Zhongjing may be more conducive to the treatment of Baihe disease， which can provide reference for the clinical rational application and mechanism research of different processed products of Lilii Bulbus.
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ObjectiveTo establish a non-targeted screening method for emerging contaminants in drinking water based on high-resolution mass spectrometry and apply it to actual water samples. MethodsA total of 9 drinking water samples collected from 3 reservoirs in Shanghai were purified and concentrated by HLB solid phase extraction column， then separated and analyzed by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometer and gas chromatography high⁃resolution mass spectrometer. The acquired data were analyzed by Thermo Tracefinder， Excel and other software combined with mzCloud and NIST databases. The methodology was verified with representative compound standards. Pesticide and perfluorinated compounds were taken as examples to analyze their pollution status. ResultsA non-targeted analysis strategy based on liquid chromatography and gas chromatography tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry was established. The pollution level of 20 kinds of pesticides and 4 kinds of perfluorinated compounds identified in 9 drinking water samples were higher in the Huangpu River than in the Yangtze River estuary. ConclusionThe established non-targeted screening method by high-resolution mass spectrometry can detect potential emerging contaminants in drinking water without relying on the standards， which provides a powerful technical means for water quality monitoring and risk assessment.
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ObjectiveUltra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS） was used to identify the metabolites of limonin in rats， and to explore the gender differences in the distribution of prototype components and metabolites in rats after single dose intragastric administration of limonin， as well as to speculate the metabolic pathways. MethodThe separation was performed on a Thermo Scientific Accucore™ C18 column（3 mm×100 mm， 2.6 μm） with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（A）-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile solution（B） as mobile phase in a gradient elution mode（0-1 min， 5%B； 1-6 min， 5%-20%B； 6-18 min， 20%-50%B； 18-23 min， 50%-80%B； 23-25 min， 80%-95%B； 25-30 min， 95%B） at a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min-1 and a column temperature of 30 ℃. MS data of biological samples were collected under the positive ion mode of electrospray ionization（ESI） and in the scanning range of m/z 100-1 500. Plasma， tissues（heart， liver， spleen， lung， kidney， stomach and small intestine）， urine and fecal samples were collected and prepared after intragastric administration， and the prototype component and metabolites of limonin were identified. ResultThe prototype component of limonin were detected in the feces， stomach， small intestine of female and male rats， and in the heart， liver， spleen， lung and kidney tissues of female rats. A total of 23 metabolites related to limonin were detected in rats， of which 2， 1， 5， 4， 23 metabolites were detected in liver， stomach， small intestine， urine and feces， respectively， and the main metabolic pathways were hydrolysis， reduction， hydroxylation and methylation， etc. The distribution of some metabolites differed between male and female rats. ConclusionThe prototype component of limonin are mainly distributed in the stomach and small intestine in rats， and the distribution of prototype component and some metabolites are different by gender. Limonin is mainly excreted through feces with phase Ⅰ metabolites as the main ones. The results of this study can provide a reference for further elucidation of the effect of gender differences on the metabolism of limonin in vivo and its mechanism of action.
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ObjectiveIn order to ensure the food safety of cultured aquatic products in China， strengthen the supervision and improve detection efficiency， a high-throughput screening method for drug residues in aquatic products by mass spectrometry is to be developed. MethodsLiquid chromatography-electrostatic field track well high resolution mass spectrometry and C18 column were used to separate and collect the information of ion fragments and retention time of 195 veterinary drug standards in positive ion mode， and drug residues in aquatic products were extracted by organic solvents. ResultsThe mass spectrum database and detection methods of 195 veterinary drug standards were established， and a pre-treatment method was developed for extracting veterinary drug residues from aquatic products by acetonitrile and ethyl acetate. The detection method was sensitive， accurate， simple and rapid， and the adding standard recovery of more than 80% compounds reached 70%‒110%. ConclusionThe establishment of this method can quickly and massively screen drug residues in aquatic products， provide technical support for food safety risk monitoring and supervision， cope with the increasing demand for aquatic products and aquaculture volume year by year， and provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent development of mass spectrometry high-throughput detection methods.
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ObjectiveTo analyze the differential components in water extract of Chuanxiong Rhizoma before and after processing with wine， and to explore the molecular mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma processed with wine in enhancing anti-cerebral ischemia injury. MethodUltra high performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry （UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS） was used to qualitatively analyze the main chemical components in water extract of Chuanxiong Rhizoma based on the spectral information of compound， comparison of reference substance and references. The chemical pattern recognition method was used to screen the differential components of Chuanxiong Rhizoma before and after processing. Based on these differential components， the potential targets of differential components were predicted by online databases， and the related targets of cerebral ischemia were searched. Cytoscape 3.6.0 was used to establish the network diagram of differential components-action targets-diseases of Chuanxiong Rhizoma processed with wine. The protein-protein interaction （PPI） network of intersection targets was constructed by STRING 11.5. The potential targets of differential components against cerebral ischemia were analyzed by Gene Ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis through DAVID 6.8. At the same time， the chemical compounds with high relative content and increased peak area after wine processing were docked with their corresponding targets to verify the mechanism of enhanced effect after wine processing. ResultA total of 71 chemical components were identified from Chuanxiong Rhizoma， 34 differential components and 603 potential targets were screened out. At the same time， a total of 769 disease targets and 60 intersection targets were obtained. Seven key targets were identified through PPI network analysis， including JUN， signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3）， mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 （MAPK3）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）， Caspase-3 （CASP3） and mtrix metalloproteinase 9 （MMP9）. Tumor necrosis factor （TNF） signaling pathway was the main differential signaling pathway. The results of molecular docking showed that differential components （senkyunolide K， senkyunolide F， 3-n-butylphthalide， Z，Z′-6，8′，7，3′-diligustilide， ferulic acid and Z-ligustilide） and corresponding targets had good binding activities. ConclusionThe synergistic mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma processed with wine may be related to the enhanced inhibitory effect of inflammatory reaction.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the antidiarrheal effect and mechanism of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens on diarrhea mice， and to provide research basis for the inhibition of intestinal peristalsis by Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens and its application in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. MethodThe diarrhea model of mice was established by Sennae Folium. The control group， model group， Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens low-， medium-， high-dose groups （0.1， 0.32， 1.0 g·kg-1） and loperamide group （1.6 g·kg-1） were set. The intervention effect of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens with different doses on diarrhea mice was detected by diarrhea score， incidence rate of loose stools （LSIR）， grade of average loose stools （ALSG）， diarrhea index （DI）， intestinal propulsion rate and intestinal pathological section. The serum metabonomics of mice was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry （UPLC-QE-Orbitrap-MS）， principal component analysis （PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA）. The conditions were as follows：mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution （A）-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile solution （B） for gradient elution （0-3.5 min， 5%-15%B； 3.5-6 min， 15%-30%B； 6-6.5 min， 30%B； 6.5-12 min， 30%-70%B； 12-12.5 min， 70%B； 12.5-18 min， 70%-100%B）， flow rate of 0.4 mL·min-1， injection volume of 5 µL， electrospray ionization （ESI）， positive and negative ion detection modes， acquisition range of m/z 100-1 500. ResultCompared with the model group， Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens high-dose group could obviously reduce the diarrhea score， LSIR， ALSG， DI and intestinal propulsion rate （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and improve the intestinal mucosal injury. There were 40 main differential metabolites among the control group， model group and Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens high-dose group， including glucose 1-phosphate， xanthine， xanthosine and so on. The metabolic pathways mainly included starch and sucrose metabolism， amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism， fructose and mannose metabolism， tryptophan metabolism， and galactose metabolism. ConclusionZingiberis Rhizoma Recens can inhibit intestinal peristalsis in diarrhea mice and exert antidiarrhoea effect， the mechanism of which may be related to the regulation of carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism.
ABSTRACT
Pulmonary fibrosis(PF)is an irreversible lung disease that is characterized by excessive scar tissue with a poor median survival rate of 2-3 years.The inhibition of transforming growth factor-β receptor type-Ⅰ(TGF-β RI)by an appropriate drug may provide a promising strategy for the treatment of this disease.Polygonum cuspidatum(PC)is a well-known traditional Chinese herbal medicine which has an anti-PF effect.Accordingly,a combination of high resolution mass spectrometry with an in silico strategy was developed as a new method to search for potential chemical ingredients of PC that target the TGF-β RI.Based on this strategy,a total of 24 ingredients were identified.Then,absorption,distribution,meta-bolism,and excretion(ADME)-related properties were subsequently predicted to exclude compounds with potentially undesirable pharmacokinetics behaviour.Molecular docking studies on TGF-β RI were adopted to discover new PF inhibitors.Eventually,a compound that exists in PC known as resveratrol was proven to have excellent biological activity on TGF-β RI,with an ICso of 2.211 μM in vitro.Furthermore,the complex formed through molecular docking was tested via molecular dynamics simulations,which revealed that resveratrol had strong interactions with residues of TGF-β RI.This study revealed that resveratrol has significant potential as a treatment for PF due to its ability to target TGF-β RI.In addition,this research demonstrated the exploration of natural products with excellent biological activities toward specific targets via high resolution mass spectrometry in combination with in silico technology is a promising strategy for the discovery of novel drugs.
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Objective To establish a method that combines a series of techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectrum （FTIR）, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）, high resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy （NMR） for identification of unknown substances. Methods The unknown samples （off-white powder and yellow crystal） seized in the actual cases were detected by FTIR, GC-MS （methanol as solvent）, high resolution mass spectrometry （methanol as solvent） and NMR （deuterated methanol as solvent）. Results The mass spectrum characteristic ions m/z of the main components in the samples measured by GC-MS were 219 （base peak）, 363, 307, 304, 275, 145, 131 and 213 （base peak）, 357, 301, 298, 269, 185, 171, 145 and 131, respectively. The accurate mass numbers [M+H]+ measured by high resolution mass spectrometry were 364.203 61 and 358.212 34, respectively. The unknown samples were identified as synthetic cannabinoid new psychoactive substances 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA and MDMB-4en-PINACA after data consultation and database retrieval and comparison, combined with infrared analysis and mass spectrometry data analysis, and their structures were confirmed by 1H-NMR. Conclusion The established multi-technology joint identification method can be used to identify 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA and MDMB-4en-PINACA in unknown samples. This method is fast, convenient, accurate, reliable and practical, and can provide reference for the identification of cases involving such substances in the future.
Subject(s)
Cannabinoids , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Illicit Drugs , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Mass SpectrometryABSTRACT
Objective To study the metabolic transformation pathways of 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA in vivo by establishing zebrafish models. Methods Six adult zebrafish were randomly divided into blank control group and experimental group, with three fish in each group. After the zebrafish in the experimental group were exposed to 1 μg/mL 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA for 24 h, they were transferred to clean water and cleaned three times, then pretreated for instrumental analysis. The zebrafish in blank control group were not exposed to 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA. Mass spectrometry and structural analysis of 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA and its metabolites were conducted by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry and Mass Frontier software. Results A total of twenty-six metabolites of 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA were identified in zebrafish, including eighteen phase Ⅰ metabolites and eight phase Ⅱ metabolites. The main metabolic pathways of phase Ⅰ metabolites of 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA in zebrafish were ester hydrolysis, N-dealkylation, oxidative defluorination and hydroxylation, while the main metabolic pathway of phase Ⅱ metabolites was glucuronidation. Conclusion Metabolite Md24 （ester hydrolysis） and Md25 （ester hydrolysis combined with dehydrogenation） would be recommended to be potentially good biomarkers for abuse of 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA.
Subject(s)
Animals , Cannabinoids , Chromatography, Liquid , Illicit Drugs , Microsomes, Liver/chemistry , ZebrafishABSTRACT
Objective To study the changes of metabolites in serum and tissues （kidney, liver and heart） of mice died of acute tetracaine poisoning by metabolomics, to search for potential biomarkers and related metabolic pathways, and to provide new ideas for the identification of cause of death and research on toxicological mechanism of acute tetracaine poisoning. Methods Forty ICR mice were randomly divided into control group and acute tetracaine poisoning death group. The model of death from acute poisoning was established by intraperitoneal injection of tetracaine, and the metabolic profile of serum and tissues of mice was obtained by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry （UPLC-Orbitrap HRMS）. Multivariate statistical principal component analysis （PCA） and orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） were used, combined with t-test and fold change to identify the differential metabolites associated with death from acute tetracaine poisoning. Results Compared with the control group, the metabolic profiles of serum and tissues in the mice from acute tetracaine poisoning death group were significantly different. Eleven differential metabolites were identified in serum, including xanthine, spermine, 3-hydroxybutylamine, etc.; twenty-five differential metabolites were identified in liver, including adenylate, adenosine, citric acid, etc.; twelve differential metabolites were identified in heart, including hypoxanthine, guanine, guanosine, etc; four differential metabolites were identified in kidney, including taurochenodeoxycholic acid, 11, 12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid, dimethylethanolamine and indole. Acute tetracaine poisoning mainly affected purine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, as well as metabolism of alanine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid. Conclusion The differential metabolites in serum and tissues of mice died of acute tetracaine poisoning are expected to be candidate biomarkers for this cause of death. The results can provide research basis for the mechanism and identification of acute tetracaine poisoning.