Analysis of eight Murraya species by flow injection-Qtrap-mass spectrometry / 药学学报

In this study, the flow injection (FI) technology combined with the unique step wise multiple ions monitoring scanning (step-wise MIM) mode of Qtrap-MS was first established for the identification and discrimination of eight Murraya species. It only takes 5 min for each sample to detect approximate 600 compounds. The characteristic MS chromatograms of eight Murraya plants were analyzed by Analyst and SIMCA-P. The results of PCA showed that sect. Murraya and sect. Bergera were clearly divided into two categories, suggesting that there is difference in the chemical compositions between these two groups. Further detail analysis of the MS data could realize the preliminary structure elucidation of the component types contained in different plants. The main components in M. exotica and M. alata are coumarins, and polymethoxyflavones are rich in M. paniculata, while carbazole alkaloids are the major ones in sect. Bergera plants. The results are consistent with our previous comprehensive analysis of the chemical components of Murraya species. In conclusion, our research confirmed that FI-Qtrap-MS technology can be used for rapid identification and differentiation of similar plant species, providing reference for chemical taxonomy and a new method for the quality evaluation of medicinal materials.

Analysis and evaluation of bioactive constituents from different parts of Epimedium brevicornum / 中国中药杂志

A comprehensive analytical method based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole/linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry(UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was established for simultaneous determination of the content of 45 bioactive constituents including flavonoids, alkaloids, amino acids, phenolic acids, and nucleosides in Epimedium brevicornum. The multiple bioactive constituents in leaves, petioles, stems and rhizomes of E. brevicornum were analyzed. The gradient elution was performed at 30 ℃ in an XBridge~® C_(18) column(4.6 mm×100 mm, 3.5 μm) with 0.4% formic acid aqueous solution-acetonitrile as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL·min~(-1). Single factor experiment and response surface methodology were employed to optimize the extraction conditions. Multivariate statistical analyses including systematic cluster analysis(SCA), principal component analysis(PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), and one-way analysis of variance(One-way ANOVA) were carried out to classify the samples from different parts and identify different constituents. Grey relation analysis(GRA) and entropy weight-TOPSIS analysis were performed to build a multi-index comprehensive evaluation model for different parts of E. brevicornum. The results showed that there was a good relationship between the mass concentrations of 45 constituents and the corresponding peak areas, with the correlation coefficients(r) not less than 0.999 0. The precision, repeatability, and stability of the established method were good for all the target constituents in this study, with the relative standard deviations(RSDs) less than 5.0%(0.62%-4.9%) and the average recovery of 94.51%-105.7%. The above results indicated that the bioactive constituents varied in different parts of E. brevicornum, and the overall quality followed the trend of leaves > petioles > rhizomes > stems. This study verified the rationality of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition) stipulating that the medicinal part of E. brevicornum is the leaf. Moreover, our study indicated that the rhizome had the potential for medicinal development. The established method was accurate and reliable, which can be used to comprehensive evaluate and control the quality of E. brevicornum. This study provides data reference for clarifying the medicinal parts and rationally utilizing the resources of E. brevicornum.

Quality evaluation of Bupleuri Radix in Shanxi Province by LC-MS based pseudotargeted metabonomics / 药学学报

Bupleuri Radix is commonly used in the traditional Chinese medicine, and saikosaponins are the important active ingredients. In this study, we first established a relative quantitative method for 25 saikosaponins using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTrap-MS) in the scheduled multiple reaction monitoring (sMRM) mode. The established method showed good intra-day and intra-day precision, linearity, repeatability and stability. Then the method was applied to compare 37 batches of Bupleuri Radix from different planting areas. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the saikosaponins composition of Bupleuri Radix from different planting areas in Shanxi Province, which indicating that Bupleuri Radix is well adapted to the environment, so it is suitable for widely planting. However, Bupleuri Radix harvested at spring and autumn were differed from those harvested at summer, which indicated that the traditional harvesting experience was reasonable. Correlation analysis showed that saikosaponins a and d were positively correlated with some saponins, and 4 saponins (such as clinoposaponin XII) showed bigger content variation were identified by coefficient of variation analysis. The LC-MS based pseudotargeted metabonomic method established in this study can be applied to the comprehensive detection of saikosaponins, which providing new method for the quality evaluation of Bupleuri Radix.

Quality evaluation of Lysimachiae Herba from different habitats based on simultaneous determination of multiple bioactive constituents combined with multivariate statistical analysis / 中国中药杂志

A method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole linear ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of 41 bioactive constituents of flavonoids, organic acids, nucleosides, and amino acids in Lysimachiae Herba. The content of multiple bioactive constituents was compared among the samples from different habitats. The chromatographic separation was performed in a Waters XBridge®C_(18) column(4.6 mm×100 mm, 3.5 μm) at 30 ℃. The gradient elution was performed with 0.4% methanol(A)-formic acid water(B) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL·min~(-1), and the multiple-reaction monitoring(MRM) mode was adopted. According to the content of 41 constituents, hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), and gray relational analysis(GRA) were perfomed to comprehensively evaluate the samples from different habitats. The results showed that the 41 constituents exhibited good linear relationship within the tested concentration ranges, with the correlation coefficients(r) greater than 0.999 4. The method featured good precision, repeatability, and stability with the relative standard deviations(RSDs) less than 5.0%. The average recoveries of the 41 constituents ranged from 98.06% to 101.9%, with the RSDs of 0.62%-4.6%. HCA and OPLS-DA separated 48 batches of Lysimachiae Herba samples from different habitats into three categories: the producing areas in Sichuan and Chongqing, the producing areas in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi, and the producing areas in Guizhou. The content of 41 constituents varied among the Lysimachiae Herba samples from different habitats. The GRA results revealed that the Lysimachiae Herba sample from Nanchong City, Sichuan Province had the best comprehensive quality. The method developed in this study was accurate and reliable and thus can be used for comprehensive evaluation of Lysimachiae Herba quality and provide basic information for the selection of habitats.

Multi-index components of Scutellariae Barbatae Herba according to UHPLC-QTRAP-MS coupled with chemometrics / 中国中药杂志

The present study developed an ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-linear ion trap composite mass spectrometry(UHPLC-QTRAP-MS) to simultaneously determine the content of potential active components in Scutellariae Barbatae Herba and also to provide a reference approach for screening out the differential quality control components among different batches of Scutellariae Barbatae Herba. Chromatographic separations were conducted on a Thermo Acclaim~(TM) RSLC 120 C_(18) column(3.0 mm×100 mm, 2.2 μm) in a gradient program. The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile, and the column temperature was maintained at 40 ℃. The flow rate was 0.4 mL·min~(-1) and the injection volume was 2 μL. The targeted compounds were monitored in the multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) mode. The acquired data were processed by hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA) and partial least square discriminant analysis(PLS-DA). Sixteen compounds all showed good linear relationship within the corresponding linear ranges and the R~2 values were all higher than 0.993 2. The RSDs of precision, repeatability, and stability were less than or equal to 3.7%. Mean recovery rates were in the range of 95.67% and 104.8% with RSDs≤3.2%. According to HCA and PLS-DA, all samples were clustered into four categories. Scutellarin, acteoside, scutellarein, and scutebarbatine X(VIP>1) were considered as differential chemical markers in the four categories. In conclusion, the developed method can be used for the simulta-neous determination of the multiple components and quality control of Scutellariae Barbatae Herba.

Simultaneous determination of multiple bioactive constituents in Abelmoschi Corolla by UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS / 中国中药杂志

A comprehensive analytical method based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole/linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry(UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was established for simultaneous determination of the content of 38 active components in Abelmoschi Corolla, including flavonoids, organic acids, nucleosides and amino acids, so as to investigate the effects of different harvesting and processing methods on multi-active components in Abelmoschi Corolla. The chromatographic separation was performed on a XBridg®C_(18) column(4.6 mm×100 mm, 3.5 μm) with(0.1% formic acid water) methanol-acetonitrile(1∶1) as the mobile phase for gradient elution at 30 ℃. The flow rate was 0.5 mL·min~(-1). The components were detected in a multiple-reaction monitoring(MRM) mode. The gray relational analysis(GRA) was used to comprehensively evaluate the multiple active components of Abelmoschi Corolla at different harvesting times and drying temperatures. The results showed that 38 components had a good linearity with correlation coefficients all above 0.999 0. The method featured a good precision, repeatability and stability with the relative stan-dard deviations(RSDs) of less than 5.0%. Recoveries ranged from 98.06% to 104.4% with RSD between 0.22% and 4.9%. The results of GRA indicated that a better quality in the samples collected on September 9 th. Samples dried at 90 ℃ had a better quality. The established method is accurate and reliable, and can be used to assess the internal quality of Abelmoschi Corolla. This study can provide basic materials for determining appropriate harvesting time and processing method of Abelmoschi Corolla.

Simultaneous determination and analysis of amino acids and nucleosides in Dendrobium by UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS / 中国中药杂志

By using multivariate statistical analysis to evaluate essential quality, and provide scientific basis for their comprehensive utilization, we established an UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS method for the fast, precise, efficient determination of 21 kinds of amino acids and 10 kinds of nucleosides in different species of Dendrobium. The analysis was performed on a Waters XBridge Amide column(2.1 mm×100 mm,3.5 μm) with elution by mobile phase of 0.2% formic acid in water-0.2% formic acid in acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.2 mL·min~(-1) with the column temperature at 30 ℃. The target compounds were analyzed by the positive ion multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) mode. The comprehensive evaluation of different species of Dendrobium was carried out by PCA and TOPSIS analysis. All 21 kinds of amino acids and 10 nucleosides showed good linearity among certain concentration range(r>0.999), the RSDs of the stability, precision, and repeatability tests were less than 3.0%. The recovery rate was in the range from 93.31% to 107.5%, and RSD was in the range of 1.1%-3.7%. The comprehensive evaluation index obtained with PCA showed that D. huoshanense was significantly higher than others regarding amino acids and D. officinale has higher nucleosides than other species. The biggest C_i difference of TOPSIS was 68.7%, and comprehensive evaluation showed that D. huoshanense produced the highest comprehensive quality. The method is precise, fast and efficient and can provide reliable basis for further researches and intrinsic quality control of Dendrobium.

Analysis and evaluation of dynamic accumulation of multiple bioactive constituents in Spatholobi Caulis / 中国中药杂志

A method was established for simultaneous determination of 21 active constituents including flavanols, isoflavones, flavonols, dihydroflavones, dihydroflavonols, chalcones, pterocarpan, anthocyanidins and phenolic acids in Spatholobi Caulis by ultra fast liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry(UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS). Then, it was employed to analyze and evaluate the dynamic accumulation of multiple bioactive constituents in Spatholobi Caulis. The chromatographic separation was performed on a XBridge®C_(18)(4.6 mm×100 mm, 3.5 μm) at 30 ℃ with a gradient elution of 0.3% formic acid aqueous solution-methanol, and the flow rate was 0.8 mL·min~(-1), using multiple-reaction monitoring(MRM) mode. A comprehensive evaluation of the multiple bioactive constituents was carried out by gray correlation analysis(GRA). The 21 target components showed good linearity(r>0.999 0) in the range of the tested concentrations. The average recovery rates of the 21 components were from 97.46% to 103.6% with relative standard deviations less than 5.0%. There were differences in the contents of 21 components in Spatholobi Caulis at diffe-rent harvest periods. Spatholobi Caulis had high quality from early November to early December, which is consistent with the local tradi-tional harvest period. This study reveals the rule of the dynamic accumulation of 21 components in Spatholobi Caulis and provides basic information for the suitable harvest time. At the same time, it provides a new method reference for the comprehensive evaluation of the internal quality of Spatholobi Caulis.

Simultaneous Determination of Multiple Constituents in Panacis Japonici Rhizoma from Different Habitats by UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To develop a method for the determination of saponins, amino acids and nucleosides in Panacis Japonici Rhizoma from different habitats by UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS. METHODS: The chromatographic separation was performed on an XBridge C18 coulumn(4.6 mm×100 mm,3.5 μm) at 30 ℃ with gradient elution of 0.1% formic acid solution-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile, and the flow rate was 0.8 mL•min-1, using multiple-reaction monitoring(MRM) mode. RESULTS: The 33 constituents showed good linearity(r>0.999 0) in the range of the tested concentrations; the precision, repeatability and stability were good; the average recovery rates were between 96.95% and 101.8%, and the relative standard deviations were less than 5%. CONCLUSION: The established method is accurate and reliable, which can be used as a reference for the quality evaluation and control of Panacis Japonici Rhizoma.

Identification of metabolites in rat plasma,bile,urine and feces after oral administration of Cinnamomi Cortex aqueous extract by UPLC-Qtrap-MS / 中国中药杂志

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry(UPLC-QtrapMS) method was established to identify the metabolites in rat plasma,bile,urine and feces after oral administration of Cinnamomi Cortex(CC) aqueous extract. Several survey experiments,such as enhanced mass spectrum scan(EMS),precursor ion scan(PI),neutral loss scan(NL) and multiple ions monitoring(MIM) were applied to search target components,and two separate enhanced product ion(EPI) scans were triggered via information-dependent acquisition(IDA) method to generate the MS/MS spectra. According to the mass spectrometric data collected from reference standards and reported literature,the structures of metabolites were deduced. A total of76 metabolites and 5 original compounds were tentatively identified in rats after oral administration of CC aqueous extract. Deglycosylation,methylation,sulfonation,and glucuronidation were observed as the primary metabolic pathways for the chemical constituents of CC. These data are able to benefit the clarification of the therapeutic material basis,the clinical usage and further R&D of CC.

Comparative Analysis of Ginsenosides in Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra by UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE To develop a comprehensive analytical method based on UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS for simultaneous determination of protopanaxadiol [ginsenoside Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rd, F2, 20(S)-Rg3, 20(R)-Rg3, CK], protopanaxatriol [ginsenoside Re, Rg1, Rf, 20(S)-Rg2, 20(S)-Rh1, 20(R)-Rg2, 20(R)-Rh1, F1] and oleanolic(ginsenoside Ro) in Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra. METHODS Under the optimized chromatographic conditions, good separation for seventeen target compounds was obtained on a SynergiTM Hydro-RP 100 column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 2.5 μm) at 40 ℃ with 0.1% aqueous formic acid (A)/acetonitrile (B) as the mobile phase by gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL·min-1. The target compounds were analyzed under multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with an ESI source operated in negative ion mode, and principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA)were used for data processing. RESULTS The calibration curves of the 17 components had good linearity (r>0.999 0). The precision, repeatability and stability were all satisfying.The average recoveries of standard addition for the compounds were between 96.69% and 102.01%,and the relative standard deviations were less than 5%. The results of PCA and HCA showed that Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra were clearly distinguished.The main compositions with significant difference were ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3, 20(R)-Rg3, 20(S)-Rh1, 20(R)-Rh1, and 20(R)-Rg2. CONCLUSION The established method could provide a new technique for the comprehensive evaluation and quality control of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra, at the same time, it would pave the way for discovering the material basis contributing to the different properties and efficacies of the two medicinal materials.

Effects of Different Processing Methods on Lignans and Organic Acids in Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: The influence of different processing methods on the quality of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus was investigated based on simultaneous determination of multiple bioactive constituents combined with multivariate statistical analysis.METHODS: An analytical method based on UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS was used for the simultaneous determination of fifteen components including lignans, such as schizantherin B, schisandrol B, schizandrin C, γ-schisandrin, deoxyschizandrin, schisantherin, schisandrin, schisanhenol, gomisin D, gomisin J, and angeloylgomisin H and organic acids, such as (S)-malic acid, D (-)-tartaric acid, protocatechuic acid, and quinic acid in Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus under different processing methods. Besides, clustering analysis and grey relation analysis(GRA) have been applied to comprehensively analyze and evaluate the results of different processing methods according to the content of 15 components.RESULTS: The results showed that fifteen components had good linearity, and correlation coefficients were more than 0.999 1. The method exhibited good precision, repeatability and stability. The average recoveries were between 96.64% and 99.96%, and the relative standard deviations were less than 5%. In addition, GRA results indicated that the quality of oven drying samples were better than the quality of oven drying after steaming samples. The quality of S7 was the best, followed by S10.CONCLUSION: The established method was accurate and reliable, which could be used to appraise the quality of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus. Our study may lay the way for the processing method of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus in optimization, normalization and standardization.

Simultaneous determination of eleven amino acids in Gynostemma pentaphyllum by UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS / 中成药

AIM To establish a UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS method for the simultaneous content determination of phenylalanine,isoleucine,methionine,valine,proline,tyrosine,aspartic acid,histidine,arginine,lysine and glutamic acid in Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino.METHODS The analysis of aqueous extract of G.pentaphyllum was performed on a Waters XBridge Amide column (2.1 mm × 100 mm,3.5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of water-acetonitrile (containing 0.2％ formic acid) flowing at 0.6 mL/min in a gradient elution manner.RESULTS Eleven amino acids showed good linear relationships within their own ranges (r ＞0.998 9),whose average recoveries were 90.74％-103.05％ with the RSDs of 0.61％-5.00％.CONCLU-SION This accurate,stable and reproducible method can be used for the quality control of G.pentaphyllum.

Comparative analysis of multiple index constituents in Ophiopogonis Radix and Liriopes Radix / 中国中药杂志

An analytical method based on UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS was established for simultaneous determination of thirty-three components including steroidal saponins, homoisoflavonoids, amino acids and nucleosides in Ophiopogonis Radix. Thirty-three target components of commercial medicinal materials of Maidong were comparative analysis. Synergi™ Hydro-RP 100 column (2.0 mm × 100 mm, 2.5 μm) was used with 0.1% formic acid solution-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile for gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL·min⁻¹. In addition, multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was employed. The data were comprehensively processed and analyzed with hierarchical clustering analysis(HCA), principal component analysis(PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) methods. All components showed good linearity(>0.999 0) within the tested ranges. The average recoveries were between 96.23%-102.0%, and the relative standard deviation(RSD) were less than 5%. The results showed that there were significant differences in components between Ophiopogonis Radix and Liriopes Radix, with seven components obviously different. This method was useful for providing basis for the comprehensive evaluation and intrinsic quality control of Ophiopogonis Radix and Liriopes Radix , and may provide a new method reference for the identification of Ophiopogonis Radix and Liriopes Radix.

Stimultaneous determination of multiple bioactive constituents in Panacis Japonici Rhizoma processed by different methods and grey relational analysis / 中国中药杂志

A method, for determination of saponins, amino acids and nucleosides in Panacis Japonici Rhizoma of ultra fast liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS), was established to investigate the effect of different processing methods on the target components of Panacis Japonici Rhizoma. The chromatographic separation was performed on a XBridgeC₁₈(4.6 mm×100 mm, 3.5 μm) at 30 °C with a gradient elution of 0.1% formic acid solution-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile, and the flow rate was 0.8 mL·min⁻¹, using multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The grey relational analysis was adopted for the analysis of different processing samples. The results showed that the thirty-three constituents were in a good linear range and the correlation coefficient was greater than 0.999 0; the precision, repeatability and stability were good; the average recovery rates were between 95.33% and 101.8%, and the relative standard deviations were less than 5%. The result of grey relational analysis showed that the complete rhizomes without peeling, which were adopted for the microwave dried method, had the best quality. The established method was accurate and reliable, which could be used to appraise the quality of Panacis Japonici Rhizoma. Our study may lay the way for the processing method of Panacis Japonici Rhizoma in optimization,normalization and standardization.

Simultaneous Determination of Amino Acids, Nucleosides and Nucleobases in Different Parts of Metaplexis japonica(Thunb.) Makino Processed by Different Methods by UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To establish an UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of 15 kinds of amino acids and 12 kinds of nucleosides and nucleobases in different parts of Metaplexis japonica(Thunb.) Makino processed by different methods. METHODS: The analysis was carried out on a Waters XBridge Amide column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 3.5 μm) with elution by mobile phase of 0.2% formic acid in acetonitrile-0.2% formic acid in water at a flow rate of 0.6 mL·min-1. The column temperature was maintained at 30 ℃. The target compounds were analyzed by positive ion multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) mode. RESULTS: Twenty-seven multiple constituents showed good linearity(r>0.997 3) in the ranges of the tested concentrations. The average recoveries of the 27 components were 98.17%-100.75% with relative standard deviations of 0.90%-2.49%. CONCLUSION: The established method is accurate and precise, which provides a reliable solution for selecting the parts and the optimal processing method of Metaplexis japonica(Thunb.)Makino.

Identification of Imperatorin and Its Metabolites in Vitro and in Vivo by HPLC-QTrap-MS Technology / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To identify the metabolites of imperatorin in rat urine, feces and bile after oral administration as well as the transformation products of imperatorin after incubation with rat liver microsomes with HPLC-QTrap-MS technology. METHODS: The combination use of HPLC-QTrap-MS scanning mode including multiple ion monitoring-information dependent acquisition-enhanced product ion (MRM/MIM-IDA-EPI)mode, precursor scan-enhanced resolution-information dependent acquisition-enhanced product ion (PREC-ER-IDA-EPI)mode and enhanced product ion (EPI) mode were performed for the identification of the metabolites. Based on the simultaneous appearance of [M+H]+ and [M+NH4]+ in the spectrum of PREC, the molecular weight could be unambiguously identified. The structures of compounds were then identified by the fragment ions generated from these three modes. RESULTS: With the HPLC-QTrap-MS method, 32 metabolites in urine sample, 14 metabolites in faces sample, 6 metabolites in bile sample and 17 transformation products from the rat liver microsomes sample were detected. CONCLUSION: Imperatorin is metabolized mainly in liver and excreted through kidney. The metabolic profiles of imperatorin in vivo and in vitro have good correlation.

In vivo metabolic pathway of naringenin in rats / 中草药

Objective: To study the in vivo metabolic pathway of naringenin in rats, which would provide reference for its further research and development. Methods: A liquid chromatography with hybrid quadruple-linear ion trap mass spectrometer (LC-QTRAP-MS) was applied to identify the metabolites of naringenin in bile, urine, feces and plasma after ig administration to rats. The fragmentation patterns of naringenin were also used to analyze possible metabolic pathways in the study. Results: There were altogether 14 metabolites detected. The possible metabolic pathways of naringenin were oxidation, methylation, glucuronidation and sulfation in rats. Conclusion: In vivo metabolism studies show that naringenin undergoes extensive metabolism, including phase I and phase II biotransformation, and the phase II glucuronide and sulfate conjugates are primary metabolites. The relative quantitative amounts of metabolites excreted from urine are almost equivalent to that of the parent naringenin, while a large majority of metabolites are conjugated ones in bile, which are subsequently transformed to the parent in intestinal tract and appeared in feces.

Four new phenolic glycosides from Baoyuan decoction

Four new phenolic glycosides, including two flavonoid glycosides (and) and two lignan glycosides (and), were isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine formula, Baoyuan decoction. Their structures were established by detailed analysis of the NMR and HR-ESI-MS spectroscopic data and their absolute configurations were determined by the experimental electronic circular dichroism data as well as chemical methods. Furthermore, the sources of the four new compounds were determined by the UPLC-Qtrap-MS method, which proved thatandare originated from, andandare from.

Simultaneous determination of multiple constituents in scrophulariae radix from different habitats and commercial herbs by UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To develop a method for the determination of iridoid, phenylpropanoid glycosides, and organic acids in Scrophulariae Radix from different habitats and commercial herbs by UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS. METHODS: The analysis was carried out on a BDS HYPERSIL C18 column (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) with elution by mobile phase of acetonitrile-water at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1. The column temperature was maintained at 35℃. The target compounds were analyzed by the negative ion multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. RESULTS: Twelve multiple constituents showed good linearity (r>0.9994) in the range of the tested concentration. The average recoveries of the 12 components were 99.59%-101.24% with relative standard deviations of 0.93%-1.60%. CONCLUSION: The established method is accurate and precise, which provides a reliable and effective technique for the quality evaluation of Scrophulariae Radix.