Chemometrics for comprehensive analysis of nucleobases,nucleosides, and nucleotides in Siraitiae Fructus by hydrophilic interaction ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple‐quadrupole linear ion‐trap tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive hydrophilic interaction ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple‐quadrupole linear ion‐trap tandem mass spectrometry method was validated for the simultaneous determination of 20 nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides (within 3.5 min), and then was employed to test the functional food of Luo‐Han‐Guo samples. The analysis showed that the Luo‐Han‐Guo was rich in guanosine and uridine, but contained trace levels of the other target compounds. Chemometrics methods were employed to identify 40 batches of Luo‐Han‐Guo samples from different cultivated forms, regions and varieties. Unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used to classify Luo‐Han‐Guo samples based on the level of the 20 target compounds, and the supervised learning method of counter propagation artificial neural network was utilized to further separate clusters and validate the established model. As a result, the samples could be clustered into three primary groups, in which correlation with cultivated varieties was observed. The present strategy could be applied to the investigation of other edible plants containing nucleobases, nucleosides, or nucleotides.     

Determination of selected polychlorinated biphenyls in soil and earthworm (Eisenia fetida) using a QuEChERS‐based method and gas chromatography with tandem MS

Soil and earthworms are important objects in soil pollution assessment and environmental behavior and toxicity study for polychlorinated biphenyls. Accelerated solvent extraction and solid‐phase extraction are generally required for the extraction and clean‐up of polychlorinated biphenyls in soil and earthworm, which are tedious and time‐consuming. In this work, a modified QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) procedure combined with gas chromatography and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of 20 selected polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in soil and earthworm. Different extraction times, solvents, and clean‐up adsorbents were compared and optimized. The average recoveries from spiked soils ranged between 70 and 120% with satisfactory relative standard deviations for all the polychlorinated biphenyls. In earthworm, the recoveries of polychlorinated biphenyls 180, 183, and 189 were relatively low (< 70% in some spiking levels) compared to that of the other polychlorinated biphenyls. The limits of quantification were in the range of 0.01–0.05 ng/g. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of 66 agricultural soils. To our knowledge, a combined method based on QuEChERS for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in soil and earthworms has not been published before. The procedure proved to be simple, sensitive, efficient, and environmentally friendly.     

Screening anti‐tumor compounds from Ligusticum wallichii using cell membrane chromatography combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

Tyrosine 367 Cysteine‐fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 cell membrane chromatography combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry was developed. Tyrosine 367 Cysteine‐HEK293 cells were used as the cell membrane stationary phase. The specificity and reproducibility of the cell membrane chromatography was evaluated using 1‐tert‐butyl‐3‐{2‐[4‐(diethylamino)butylamino]‐6‐(3,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)pyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐7‐yl}urea, nimodipine and dexamethasone acetate. Then, anti‐tumor components acting on Tyrosine 367 Cysteine‐fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 were screened and identified from extracts of Ligusticum wallichii. Components from the extract were retained on the cell membrane chromatographic column. The retained fraction was directly eluted into high‐performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry system for separation and identification. Finally, Levistolide A was identified as an active component from Ligusticum wallichii extracts. The 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐tetrazolium bromide‐formazan colorimetric assay revealed that Levistolide A inhibits proliferation of overexpressing the mutated receptor cells with dose‐dependent manner. Phosphorylation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 was also decrease under Levistolide A treatment. Flex dock simulation verified that Levistolide A could bind with the tyrosine kinase domain of fibroblast growth factor receptor 4. Therefore, Levistolide A screened by the cell membrane chromatography combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry can arrest cell growth. In conclusion, the two‐dimensional high‐performance liquid chromatography method can screen and identify potential anti‐tumor ingredients that specifically act on the tyrosine kinase domain of the mutated fibroblast growth factor receptor 4.     

Determination of five sesquiterpenoids in Xingnaojing injection by quantitative analysis of multiple components with a single marker

A quantitative analysis of multiple components with a single‐marker method was established for the simultaneous determination of five sesqutiterpenoids in Xingnaojing injection. This method was established with Xingnaojing injection determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection. The durability and system suitability of the established method were evaluated, and the reliable relative correction factors were obtained with curdione selected as an internal reference. The contents of the five components in all Xingnaojing injections were determined by external standard method and the contents of curcumenone, curcumenol, curzerenone, and germacrone were also calculated with the obtained relative correction factors. Then, relative error was investigated to estimate the difference of the two methods. As a result, the established new method possesses good adaptability, and there is no significant difference between the two methods, except for the content of curzerenone in eight samples. To put the established method into practice, the limits of quantitation of the established method of the five components were proposed and defined. Thus, the developed methodology can also be utilized to the quality evaluation of Xingnaojing injection, in spite of the difference found in the content of curzerenone between the external standard method and the newly established method.     

Application of chromatography technology in the separation of active alkaloids from Hypecoum leptocarpum and their inhibitory effect on fatty acid synthase

A method that involved the combination of pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography and semipreparative reversed‐phase liquid chromatography has been established for the preparative separation of alkaloids from Hypecoum leptocarpum. From 1.2 g of crude sample, 31 mg N‐feruloyltyramine, 27 mg oxohydrastinine, 47 mg hydroprotopine, 25 mg leptopidine, and 18 mg hypecocarpine have been obtained. The structure of the new compound, hypecocarpine, is confirmed based on the analysis of spectroscopic data, including NMR, UV, and IR spectroscopy and positive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The known chemical structures were characterized on the basis of ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The purities of the five alkaloids are all over 92.7% as determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography. The alkaloids’ cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells is assessed by using a Cell Counting Kit assay and their inhibitory effect on fatty acid synthase expression is assessed by a Western blot assay. These results suggest that leptopidine could suppress growth and induce cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells and that the cytotoxicity of leptopidine may be related to its inhibitory effect on fatty acid synthase expression.