Preparation and purification of canthinone and β‐carboline alkaloids from Picrasma quassioides based on bioautography and mass‐spectrometry‐directed autopurification system

Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for anti‐inflammation and antibiosis. Canthinone and β‐carboline alkaloids are the main characteristic constituents that possess diverse pharmacological effects, such as anti‐inflammatory and anti‐infectious properties. In this study, bioautography in thin‐layer chromatography indicated that the antiradical activity compound may be alkaloids. Then, a simple, fast, and efficient method was established for the separation and purification of two types of alkaloids from P. quassioides by mass‐spectrometry‐directed autopurification system. Eight alkaloids were isolated and purified in this one‐step methodology. Among them, five compounds ( 3 , 95.1%, 58.8 mg; 4 , 98.4%, 71.7 mg; 6 , 97.8%, 365.4 mg; 7 , 97.7%, 172.7 mg; 8 , 98.2%, 180.3 mg) were obtained in large amounts with extremely high purities. Then, the antiradical activities of the isolates showed that 4‐methoxy‐5‐hydroxycanthin‐6‐one ( 6 ) exhibited obvious 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl‐hydrazyl free radical scavenging activity with an IC₅₀ value of 84.037 μM. This study offers a new method for the preparation of targeted bioactive alkaloids in P. quassioides. This work also provides a reference for the separation of other targeted chemical components with potential activities from traditional Chinese herbal medicines.     

Bioactivity‐integrated ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry for the identification of nuclear factor‐κB inhibitors and β2 adrenergic receptor agonists in Chinese medicinal preparation Chuanbeipipa dropping pills

A simple and dual‐target method based on ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry combined with dual‐bioactive [nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) and β₂‐adrenergic receptor] luciferase reporter assay systems was developed to rapidly characterize the chemical structure of various bioactive compounds of TCM preparations. Chuanbeipipa dropping pills, a traditional Chinese medicine preparation used for the clinical therapy of chronic obstructive lung disease and cough caused by bronchial catarrh, was analyzed with this method. Potential anti‐inflammatory and spasmolytic constituents were screened using NF‐κB and β₂‐adrenergic receptor activity luciferase reporter assay systems and simultaneously identified according to the time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry data. One β₂‐adrenergic receptor agonist (ephedrine) and two structural types of NF‐κB inhibitors (platycosides derivatives and ursolic acid derivatives) were characterized. Platycodin D3 and E were considered new NF‐κB inhibitors. Further cytokine and chemokine detection confirmed the anti‐inflammatory effects of the potential NF‐κB inhibitors. Compared with conventional fingerprints, activity‐integrated fingerprints that contain both chemical and bioactive details offer a more comprehensive understanding of the chemical makeup of plant materials. This strategy clearly demonstrated that multiple bioactivity‐integrated fingerprinting is a powerful tool for the improved screening and identification of potential multi‐target lead compounds in complex herbal medicines. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isolation and purification of alkaloids from the fruits of Macleaya cordata by ionic‐liquid‐modified high‐speed counter‐current chromatography

Macleaya cordata (Willd) R. Br. is a medicinal plant. The most important bioactive compounds of M. cordata are alkaloids that have many biological activities including antifungal, anti‐inflammatory, and antitumor. In this study, an ionic‐liquid‐modified high‐speed counter‐current chromatography method was established to obtain alkaloids from the fruits of M. cordata. The conditions of ionic‐liquid‐modified high‐speed counter‐current chromatography, including solvent systems, the content of ionic liquid (1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [C₄mim][BF₄]), and the posttreatment of the ionic liquid, were investigated. Five alkaloids protopine, allocryptopine, sanguinarine, 8‐O‐demethylchelerythrine, and chelerythrine were separated from the extract of the fruits using a high speed counter‐current chromatography with two‐phase solvent system composed of dichloromethane/methanol/0.3 mol/L hydrochloric acid aqueous solution/[C₄mim][BF₄] (4:2:2:0.015, v/v). Their purities were 96.33, 95.56, 97.94, 96.22, and 97.90%, respectively. The results indicated that a small amount of ionic liquids as modifier of the two‐phase solvent system could shorten the separation time and improve the separation efficiency of the alkaloids from the fruits. The ionic‐liquid‐modified high‐speed counter‐current chromatography would provide a feasible way for highly effective separation of alkaloids from natural products.     

Rapid screening,identification, and purification of neuraminidase inhibitors from Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb.et Zucc. by ultrafiltration with HPLC–ESI‐TOF‐MS combined with semipreparative HPLC

We put forward an efficient strategy based on bioassay guidance for the rapid screening, identification, and purification of the neuraminidase inhibitors from traditional Chinese medicines, and apply to the discovery of anti‐influenza components from Lithospermiun erythrorhizon Sieb.et Zucc. Ultrafiltration with high‐performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry was employed for the rapid screening and preliminarily identification of anti‐influenza components from Zicao. Semipreparative high‐performance liquid chromatography was used for the rapid separation and purification of the target compounds. NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and UV spectroscopy were used for further structural identification, and the activity of the compounds was verified by in vitro assay. Five compounds were found to have neuraminidase inhibitory activity by this method. Subsequently, the five compounds were separated by semipreparative high‐performance liquid chromatography with the purity over 98% for all of them by high‐performance liquid chromatography test. Combined with the NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and UV spectroscopy data, they were identified as alkannin, acetylalkannin, isobutyrylalkannin, β,β‐dimethylacryloylalkannin and isovalerylalkannin. The in vitro assay showed that all five compounds had good neuraminidase inhibitory activities. These results suggested that the method is highly efficient, and it can provide platform and methodology supports for the rapid discovery of anti‐influenza active ingredients from complex Chinese herbal medicines.     

Rapid analysis of constituents of Radix Cyathulae using hydrophilic interaction‐reverse phase LC‐MS

A hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and reverse‐phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) coupled with electrospray TOF MS method was developed for the analysis and characterization of constituents in the radix of Cyathula officinalis Kuan. Separation parameters of HILIC such as buffer pH, mobile phase strength, and organic modifier were evaluated. Fructose, glucose, and sucrose were identified by HILIC‐ESI/TOF MS. Reverse‐phase liquid chromatography‐ESI/TOF MS were applied for quick and sensitive identification of major saponins in Cyathula officinalis. In‐source collision‐induced dissociation has been performed to elucidate the fragmentation pathways of oleanane‐, hederagenin‐, and gypsogmin‐type saponins. Twelve saponins were characterized in this plant for the first time, and four of them were presumed to be new compounds. In addition, one phytoecdysteroid (cyasterone) and one coumarin (6,7‐dimethoxycoumarin) were detected at the same time. The present method was capable of rapid characterizing and providing structure information of constituents from herbal drugs.     

Preparation of five high‐purity iridoid glycosides from Gardenia jasminoides Eills by molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction integrated with preparative liquid chromatography

Five iridoid glycosides were prepared using molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction combined with preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography. Hydrophilic molecularly imprinted polymers were synthesized using α‐1‐allyl‐2‐N‐acetyl glucosamine, which introduced an abundance of hydrophilic groups into the polymers. Using molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction as the sample pretreatment procedure, five iridoid glycosides, gardenoside, geniposide, shanzhiside, geniposidic acid, and genipin‐1‐O‐gentiobioside, were selectively enriched from Gardenia fructus extracts. Preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography then provided iridoid glycosides with a purity >98%. The structures were elucidated by using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, optical rotation and melting point measurements, and mass spectrometry. The results demonstrate that molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction combined with preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography was an efficient, rapid, and economical method for the preparation of bioactive compounds from natural products.     

Screening and isolation of cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors from Trifolium pratense L. via ultrafiltration,enzyme‐immobilized magnetic beads,semi‐preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography and high‐speed counter‐current chromatography

Nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs reportedly reduce the risk of developing cancer. One mechanism by which they reduce carcinogenesis involves the inhibition of the activity of cyclooxygenase‐2, an enzyme that is overexpressed in various cancer tissues. Its overexpression increases cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis. However, selected cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors can also act through cyclooxygenase‐independent mechanisms. In this study, using ultrafiltration, enzyme‐immobilized magnetic beads, high‐performance liquid chromatography, and electrospray‐ionization mass spectrometry, several isoflavonoids in Trifolium pratense L. extracts were screened and identified. Semi‐preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography and high‐speed counter‐current chromatography were then applied to separate the active constituents. Using these methods, seven major compounds were identified in Trifolium pratense L. As cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors: rothindin, ononin, daidzein, trifoside, pseudobaptigenin, formononetin, and biochanin A, which were then isolated with >92% purity. This is the first report of the presence of potent cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors in Trifolium pratense L. extracts. The results of this study demonstrate that the systematic isolation of bioactive components from Trifolium pratense L., by using ultrafiltration, enzyme‐immobilized magnetic beads, semi‐preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography, and high‐speed counter‐current chromatography, represents a feasible and efficient technique that could be extended for the identification and isolation of other enzyme inhibitors.     

pH‐Zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography for two new lipo‐alkaloids separated from refined alkaline extraction of Kusnezoff monkshood root

An efficient and refined method for the separation of six aconitine‐type alkaloids from the alkaline prepared “Kusnezoff monkshood root” was established. It is the first study that two new lipo‐alkaloids were successfully isolated from refined sample by pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography rather than synthetic method. It was of interest that a great deal of lipo‐alkaloids was produced in crude extract from the alkalization of “Kusnezoff monkshood root.” A refined sample method was proposed to enrich two types of alkaloids by liquid–liquid extraction, i.e. lipo‐alkaloids and monoester‐diterpenoid alkaloids. The pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography was performed with an optimized two‐phase solvent system composed of n‐hexane‐ethyl acetate–methanol–water (3:5:4:5, v/v), where upper organic phase was added to 3 mmol/L triethylamine as a retainer and lower aqueous mobile phase was added to 3 mmol/L hydrochloric acid as an eluter. As a result, six aconitum alkaloids, including two lipo‐alkaloids (8‐lino‐14‐benzoylaconine, 8‐pal‐14‐benzoylaconine), three monoester‐diterpenoid alkaloids (14‐benzoylmesaconine, 14‐benzoylaconine, beyzoyldeoxyaconine), and one aconine alkaloid (neoline) were acquired from the plant at the same time. The anti‐inflammatory activities of the two new lipo‐alkaloids were compared to the six alkaloids in vitro, in cyclo‐oxygen‐ase‐2 inhibition assays. The separation mechanism of six alkaloids by pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography was illustrated.     

Screening and identification of Caulis Sinomenii bioactive ingredients with dual‐target NF‐κB inhibition and β2‐AR agonizing activities

Caulis Sinomenii (CS) is a valuable traditional medicine in China. Its extract can act as an anti‐inflammatory agent and a vascular smooth muscle relaxant. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we developed a simple dual‐target method based on ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry combined with a dual‐target bioactive screening assay for anti‐inflammatory and antispasmodic activities to characterize the chemical structure of various bioactive compounds of CS rapidly. Seven potential NF‐κB inhibitors were identified, including laudanosoline‐1‐O‐xylopyranose, 6‐O‐methyl‐laudanosoline‐1‐O‐glucopyranoside, menisperine, sinomenine, laurifoline, magnoflorine and norsinoacutin. Furthermore, IL‐6 and IL‐8 assays confirmed the anti‐inflammatory effects of these potential NF‐κB inhibitors, in which laudanosoline‐1‐O‐d ‐xylopyranose and menisperine were revealed as novel NF‐κB inhibitors. Among the seven identified alkaloids, three potential β₂‐adrenergic receptor agonists, including sinomenine, magnoflorine and laurifoline, were characterized using a luciferase reporter system to measure for the activity of β₂‐adrenergic receptor agonists. Finally, sinomenine, magnoflorine and laurifoline were identified not only as potential NF‐κB inhibitors but also as potential β₂‐adrenegic receptor agonists, which is the first time this has been reported. Molecular dynamic simulation and docking results suggest that the three dual‐bioactive constituents could not only inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAK strain‐induced inflammatory responses via a negative regulation of the Braf protein that participates in MAPK signaling pathway but also activate the β₂‐adrenegic receptor. These results suggest that CS extract has dual signaling activities with potential clinical application as a novel drug for asthma.     

Solidification of floating organic drop liquid‐phase microextraction cell fishing with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for screening bioactive components from Amomum villosum Lour

In this study, a novel solidification of floating organic drop liquid‐phase microextraction cell fishing with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SFOD‐LPME‐CF‐GC‐MS) method was established and used to screen, isolate and analyze bioactive components from Amomum villosum Lour. extract. Through comparision of its effect on the models of normal cell and inflammatory cells, anti‐inflammatory active components of essential oil from A. villosum Lour. were readily screened, and the components obtained are in agreement with related pharmacological articles. SFOD‐LPME‐CF‐GC‐MS was used to analyze the interaction of A. villosum Lour. extracts with normal and lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. The effect of A. villosum Lour. essential oil extracts in the LPS‐stimulated RAW264.7 model were also assessed in terms of cytotoxicity and nitric oxide production as an indication of bioactivity. Three potentially bioactive components were identified, demonstrating that SFOD‐LPME‐CF‐GC‐MS can be used successfully in the drug‐screening process. This approach avoids the requirement for protein precipitation, but more importantly, generates a high concentration ratio, allowing analysis of trace components in traditional Chinese medicines. SFOD‐LPME‐CF‐GC‐MS is a simple, fast, effective and reliable method for the screening and analysis of bioactive components, and it can be extended to screen other bioactive components from TCMs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bioactivity‐based ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐coupled quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry for NF‐κB inhibitors identification in Chinese Medicinal Preparation Bufei Granule

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparations have become effective treatments for many diseases. However, their active ingredients are still uncertain and difficult to identify. In this study, we propose a strategy that integrates ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q‐TOF‐MS) and bioactive (NF‐κB inhibitor) luciferase reporter assay systems for the rapid determination of various anti‐inflammatory compounds of TCM preparations. In this way, Bufei Granule (BFG), a TCM preparation used for the clinical therapy of asthma, was analyzed by the two ways of component identification and activity detection. Potential anti‐inflammatory constituents were screened by NF‐κB activity assay systems and simultaneously identified according to the mass spectrometry data. Three structural types of NF‐κB inhibitors (caffeic acid derivatives, flavonoids and Pentacyclic triterpenes) were characterized. Further cytokine detection confirmed the anti‐inflammatory effects of the potential NF‐κB inhibitors. Compared with conventional chromatographic separation and inhibitory activity detection, integrating UPLC/Q‐TOF‐MS identification and virtual validation was more convenient and more reliable. This strategy clearly demonstrates that MS data‐based fingerprinting is a meaningful tool not only in identifying constituents in complex matrix but also in directly screening for powerful trace ingredients in TCM preparations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Direct from solid natural products to pure compounds in a single step: Coupling online extraction with high‐speed counter‐current chromatography

Extraction is the most important step in the purification of bioactive compounds from natural products. This study introduces a simple online extraction strategy coupled with high‐speed counter‐current chromatography for efficient extraction and purification of bioactive components from solid natural products. For online extraction strategy, 1.0 g of ground Mangnolia officinalis or Piper nigrum was loaded into a guard column, which was then positioned on the manual injection valve instead of the sample loop. Bioactive components were directly extracted by the mobile phase of high‐speed counter‐current chromatography, and then transferred into high‐speed counter‐current chromatography for purification. In addition, the compatibility of the developed methodology for direct purification of bioactive components from fresh M. officinalis was successfully demonstrated. Obviously, in comparison with traditional offline heat‐reflux extraction, online extraction avoided the instrument, time, solvent, and energy consumption, and purified two phenolic compounds (honokiol and magnolol) from M. officinalis and three alkaloids (piperyline, piperine, and piperanine) from P. nigrum with high extraction efficiency. The superiority of the developed methodology is to establish an easy, rapid, and efficient technique for the purification of a wide variety of bioactive components from solid natural products.     

Characterization and simultaneous quantification of biological aporphine alkaloids in Litsea cubeba by HPLC with hybrid ion trap time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and HPLC with diode array detection

The root and rhizome of Litsea cubeba (Lour) Pers., named ‘Dou‐chi‐jiang’ in Chinese, has been traditionally used for treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, rheumatic arthralgia, and other diseases in China. Aporphine alkaloids are its characteristic ingredients and responsible for its bioactivities, especially anti‐inflammatory and analgesic effects. A sensitive and reliable high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection‐tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for characterization and simultaneous determination of biological aporphine alkaloids in ‘Dou‐chi‐jiang’. The optimized chromatographic conditions were performed on an Eclipse XDB C₁₈ column with a gradient of acetonitrile/water containing 0.1% formic acid as the mass spectrometry mobile phase and acetonitrile/water containing 0.2% diethylamine (pH 3.10, adjusted by acetic acid) as the liquid chromatography mobile phase. The fragmentation pathways by loss of CO, ·CH₃, ·NH₃, and ·NH₂CH₃ were detected as characteristic for aporphine alkaloids. Based on these characteristics, total 12 analogues were identified. The quantification method was validated in terms of linearity, precision, and accuracy for six major aporphine alkaloids, which was successfully applied for simultaneous determination in ten batches of samples. The established method is simple, rapid, and specific for characterization and quantitation of aporphine alkaloids in ‘Dou‐chi‐jiang’ and other traditional Chinese medicines rich in this kind of ingredient.     

Rapid identification and comparative analysis of the chemical constituents and metabolites of Phellodendri amurensis cortex and Zhibai dihuang pill by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole TOF‐MS

Zhibai dihuang pill is a famous traditional Chinese medicine formula containing the herbal medicine Phellodendri amurensis cortex. In this work, an integrative pattern recognition approach including principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squared discriminant analysis based on ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to MS was successfully applied for the rapid discovery of natural compounds from herbal medicines. In a 24 min analysis, 93 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized from Zhibai dihuang pill based on their fragmentation behaviors, 23 of which were from Phellodendri amurensis cortex. A total of 26 metabolites in plasma were identified from Phellodendri amurensis cortex in Zhibai dihuang pill formula, among them, 12 prototypes and 14 metabolites through metabolic pathways of demethylation, methylation, hydrolysis, sulfate conjugation, and glucuronide conjugation, which were seven metabolites more than that of the single drug, suggesting the importance of the compatibility of traditional Chinese medicine. The present study provided important structural information on the metabolism of Zhibai dihuang pill. Furthermore, the results of this work have demonstrated the feasibility of ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to MS for the rapid and reliable characterization of metabolites from herbal medicines. Based on these results, this method could be a novel approach for identifying potentially bioactive components in other traditional Chinese medicines.     

Preparative separation of isoquinoline alkaloids from Corydalis impatiens using a middle‐pressure chromatogram isolated gel column coupled with two‐dimensional liquid chromatography

We established a two‐dimensional strong cation exchange/reversed‐phase liquid chromatography protocol to isolate and purify isoquinoline alkaloids from Corydalis impatiens. Isoquinoline alkaloids were first enriched from a C. impatiens extract in which liposoluble components were removed using a medium‐pressure chromatographic tower containing middle chromatogram isolated gel. A strong cation exchange column was employed to separate and obtain 30 fractions. We chose fractions 22–29 for reversed‐phase liquid chromatography purification using characteristic isoquinoline alkaloid ultraviolet absorption spectra. Several isoquinoline alkaloid fractions (22–29) were further separated, and those of low resolution were isolated via two‐dimensional liquid chromatography in the orthogonal plane. A total of eight novel isoquinoline alkaloids with characteristic ultraviolet spectra were obtained from C. impatiens. We thus demonstrate the benefits of off‐line two‐dimensional strong cation exchange/reversed‐phase liquid chromatography to isolate isoquinoline alkaloids from C. impatiens.     

An efficient strategy based on liquid‐liquid extraction and pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography for selective enrichment,separation, and purification of alkaloids and organic Acids from natural products

This study presents an efficient strategy based on liquid‐liquid extraction and pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography for selective enrichment, separation, and purification of alkaloids and organic acids from natural products. First, an acid or base modified two‐phase solvent system with maximum or minimum partition coefficient was developed for the liquid‐liquid extraction of the crude extract. As a result, alkaloids or organic acids could be selectively enriched in the upper or lower phase. Then pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography was employed to separate and purify the selectively enriched alkaloids or organic acids efficiently. The selective enrichment and separation of five bufadienolide from toad venom of Bufo marinus was used as an example to show the advantage of this strategy. As a result, 759 mg of selectively enriched bufadienolide was obtained from 2 g of crude extract and the total content of five targets was increased from 14.64 to 83%. A total of 31 mg of marinobufagin‐3‐adipoyl‐l ‐arginine, 42 mg of telocinobufagin‐3‐pimeloyl‐l ‐arginine, 51 mg of telocinobufagin‐3‐suberoyl‐l ‐arginine, 132 mg of marinobufagin‐3‐suberoyl‐l ‐arginine, and 57 mg of bufalin‐3‐suberoyl‐l ‐arginine were all simultaneously separated from 500 mg of selectively enriched sample, with the purity of 92.4, 97.5, 90.3, 92.1, and 92.8%, respectively.     

Ultrafiltration liquid chromatography combined with high‐speed countercurrent chromatography for screening and isolating potential α‐glucosidase and xanthine oxidase inhibitors from Cortex Phellodendri

Cortex Phellodendri is a typical Chinese herb with a large number of alkaloids existing in all parts of it. The most common methods for screening and isolating alkaloids are mostly labor intensive and time consuming. In this study, a new assay based upon ultrafiltration liquid chromatography was developed for the rapid screening of ligands for α‐glucosidase and xanthine oxidase. The C. Phellodendri extract was found to contain two alkaloids with both α‐glucosidase‐ and xanthine oxidase binding activities and one lactone with α‐glucosidase‐binding activity. Subsequently, with the help of high‐speed countercurrent chromatography, the specific binding ligands including palmatine, berberine, and obaculactone with purities of 97.38, 96.12, and 96.08%, respectively, were successfully separated. An optimized low‐toxicity two‐phase solvent system composed of ethyl acetate/n‐butanol/ethanol/water (3.5:1.7:0.5:5, v/v/v/v) was used to isolate the three compounds mentioned above from C. Phellodendri. The targeted compounds were identified by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Therefore, ultrafiltration liquid chromatography combined with high‐speed countercurrent chromatography is not only a powerful tool for screening and isolating α‐glucosidase and xanthine oxidase inhibitors in complex samples but is also a useful platform for discovering bioactive compounds for the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus and gout.     

Preparative isolation of flavonoid glycosides from Sphaerophysa salsula using hydrophilic interaction solid‐phase extraction coupled with two‐dimensional preparative liquid chromatography

An offline preparative two‐dimensional reversed‐phase liquid chromatography/hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with hydrophilic interaction solid‐phase extraction method was developed for the preparative isolation of flavonoid glycosides from a crude sample of Sphaerophysa salsula . First, the non‐flavonoids were removed using an XAmide solid‐phase extraction cartridge. Based on the separation results of three different chromatographic stationary phases, the first‐dimensional preparation was performed on an XAqua C18 prep column, and 15 fractions were obtained from the 5.2 g target sample. Then, three representative fractions were selected for additional purification on an XAmide preparative column to further isolate the flavonoid glycosides. In all, eight flavonoid glycosides were isolated in purities over 97%. The results demonstrated that the two‐dimensional liquid chromatography method used in this study was effective for the preparative separation of flavonoid glycosides from Sphaerophysa salsula . Additionally, this method showed great potential for the separation of flavonoid glycosides from other plant materials.     

An online coupled peritoneal macrophage/cell membrane chromatography and high‐performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method to screen for anti‐inflammatory components from the Chinese traditional medicine Chloranthus multistachys Pei

Cell membrane chromatography (CMC) is a chromatographic biological affinity method that uses specific cell membranes as the stationary phase. In this study, a novel peritoneal macrophage/cell membrane chromatography (PM/CMC)–online‐high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) method was established to screen for the anti‐inflammatory components from traditional Chinese medicines using hydrocortisone and dexamethasone as standards. The stationary phase of the CMC employed mouse peritoneal macrophage cell membranes. This method was applied to the purification and identification of components in extracts of Chloranthus multistachys Pei. The major component retained by CMC was identified as isofraxidin by HPLC/MS. In vitro experiments revealed that IF was able to inhibit the production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor‐α in lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated mice and peritoneal macrophages in a dose‐dependent manner. The results demonstrated that the PM/CMC‐online‐HPLC/MS is an effective screening system for the rapid detection, enrichment, and identification of target components from complex samples. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chinese hamster ovary‐sphingomyelin synthase2 biospecific extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis for the prediction of bioactive components of Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati

A novel strategy for predicting bioactive components in traditional Chinese medicines using Chinese hamster ovary‐sphingomyelin synthase2 (CHO‐SMS₂) cell biospecific extraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry analysis was proposed. The hypothesis is that when cells are incubated with the extract of traditional Chinese medicines, the potential bioactive components in the traditional Chinese medicines should selectively combine with the cells, while the cell‐combining components would be detectable in the extract of denatured cells. The identities of the cell‐combining components could be determined by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Using the proposed approach, the potential bioactive components of Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine for atherosclerosis, were detected and identified. Eight compounds in the extract of Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati were detected as the components selectively combined with CHO‐SMS₂ cells, which is a stable cell line that highly expresses sphingomyelin synthases, it was found that piceid, resveratrol, emodin‐8‐β‐d‐ glucoside, physcion‐8‐β‐d‐ glucoside, emodin, physcion, 3,5,4‘‐trihydroxystilbene‐3‐O‐(6“‐galloyl)‐glucoside, and emodin‐1‐O‐glucoside combined specifically with CHO‐SMS₂ cells. The results indicate that the proposed approach may be applied to predict the bioactive candidates in traditional Chinese medicines.