Evaluation of xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of flavonoids by an online capillary electrophoresis-based immobilized enzyme microreactor

Xanthine oxidase (XOD) is a key enzyme in the human body to produce uric acid, and its inhibitor can be used for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. In this study, an online CE-based XOD immobilized enzyme microreactor (IMER) was developed for the enzyme kinetics assays and inhibitor screening. After 30 consecutive runs, the XOD activity remained about 95.6% of the initial immobilized activity. The Michaelis–Menten constant (K_m) of the immobilized XOD was determined as 0.39 mM using xanthine as substrate. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration and inhibition constant of the known inhibitor 4-aminopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine on XOD were determined as 11.9 and 5.2 μM, respectively. Then, the developed method was applied to evaluate the XOD inhibitory activity of 10 flavonoids, which indicated that dihydroquercetin, quercetin, biochanin A, and epicatechin had significant inhibitory effect on XOD. In addition, molecular docking results verified that the binding energy of the flavonoids with enzyme were in line with their inhibitory activity determined by XOD–IMER. Therefore, the developed XOD–IMER is a potential tool for the primary screening of XOD inhibitors from natural products.     

Screening,and identification of the binding position,of xanthine oxidase inhibitors in the roots of Lindera reflexa Hemsl using ultrafiltration LC–MS combined with enzyme blocking

A method based on enzyme blocking combined with ultrafiltration liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) has been developed to identify xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitors in the roots of Lindera reflexa Hemsl (LR) and determine their binding positions. Allopurinol and febuxostat, known XOD inhibitors, which occupy different binding positions in XOD, were used as blockers and pre‐incubated with XOD. Then the LR extract was incubated without XOD, and with XOD, allopurinol‐blocked XOD and febuxostat‐blocked XOD before ultrafiltration LC–MS was performed. By comparing the chromatographic profiles of the incubation samples, not only the ligands, but also the binding position of these ligands with XOD could be determined. Finally, three compounds, pinosylvin, pinocembrin and methoxy‐5‐hydroxy‐trans‐stilbene, were identified as potential XOD inhibitors and the binding modes of these three compounds were shown to be similar to those of febuxostat. To verify the XOD inhibitory activity of the screened compounds, the microplate method and molecular docking in silico were used to evaluate the enzyme inhibitory activities and the binding positions with XOD. The results showed that the developed method could screen for XOD ligands in LR extracts and also determine the binding positions of the ligands. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the XOD inhibitory activity of these three compounds.     

Evaluation of Enzyme Inhibitory Activity of Flavonoids by Polydopamine-Modified Hollow Fiber-Immobilized Xanthine Oxidase

In this study, a polydopamine (PDA)-modified hollow fiber-immobilized xanthine oxidase (XOD) was prepared for screening potential XOD inhibitors from flavonoids. Several parameters for the preparation of PDA-modified hollow fiber-immobilized XOD, including the dopamine concentration, modification time, XOD concentration and immobilization time, were optimized. The results show that the optimal conditions for immobilized XOD activity were a dopamine concentration of 2.0 mg/mL in 10.0 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8.5), a modification time of 3.0 h, an XOD concentration of 1000 μg/mL in 10.0 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.5) and an immobilization time of 3.0 h. Subsequently, the enzymatic reaction conditions such as the pH value and temperature were investigated, and the enzyme kinetics and inhibition parameters were determined. The results indicate that the optimal pH value (7.5) and temperature (37 °C) of the PDA-modified hollow fiber-immobilized XOD were consistent with the free enzyme. Moreover, the PDA-modified hollow fiber-immobilized XOD could still maintain above 50% of its initial immobilized enzyme activity after seven consecutive cycles. The Michaelis–Menten constant (K_m) and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of allopurinol on the immobilized XOD were determined as 0.25 mM and 23.2 μM, respectively. Furthermore, the PDA-modified hollow fiber-immobilized XOD was successfully applied to evaluate the inhibitory activity of eight flavonoids. Quercetin, apigenin, puerarin and epigallocatechin showed a good inhibition effect, and their percentages of inhibition were (79.86 ± 3.50)%, (80.98 ± 0.64)%, (61.15 ± 6.26)% and (54.92 ± 0.41)%, respectively. Finally, molecular docking analysis further verified that these four active compounds could bind to the amino acid residues in the XOD active site. In summary, the PDA-modified hollow fiber-immobilized XOD is an efficient method for the primary screening of XOD inhibitors from natural products.     

Natural Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitor 5-O-Caffeoylshikimic Acid Ameliorates Kidney Injury Caused by Hyperuricemia in Mice

Xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibition has long been considered an effective anti-hyperuricemia strategy. To identify effective natural XOD inhibitors with little side effects, we performed a XOD inhibitory assay-coupled isolation of compounds from Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma (SGR), a traditional Chinese medicine frequently prescribed as anti-hyperuricemia agent for centuries. Through the in vitro XOD inhibitory assay, we obtained a novel XOD inhibitor, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid (#1, 5OCSA) with IC₅₀ of 13.96 μM, as well as two known XOD inhibitors, quercetin (#3) and astilbin (#6). Meanwhile, we performed in silico molecular docking and found 5OCSA could interact with the active sites of XOD (PDB ID: 3NVY) with a binding energy of −8.6 kcal/mol, suggesting 5OCSA inhibits XOD by binding with its active site. To evaluate the in vivo effects on XOD, we generated a hyperuricemia mice model by intraperitoneal injection of potassium oxonate (300 mg/kg) and oral gavage of hypoxanthine (500 mg/kg) for 7 days. 5OCSA could inhibit both hepatic and serum XOD in vivo, together with an improvement of histological and multiple serological parameters in kidney injury and HUA. Collectively, our results suggested that 5OCSA may be developed into a safe and effective XOD inhibitor based on in vitro, in silico and in vivo evidence.     

Screening the anti-gout traditional herbs from TCM using an in vitro method

The aim of this work was to evaluate the ability of 33 herbal extracts in inhibiting the acute inflammation and xanthine oxidase(XOD) activity.The anti-inflammation effects of the herbal extracts were detected by an in vitro cell model,which was established by stimulating human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC) using sodium urate(MSU).In this model,the intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) and interleukin-1 beta(IL-1β) were expressed,and the anti-inflammation effects of herbal extracts were evaluated by detecting the content changes of ICAM-1 and IL-1β in cell lysates and cell culture supernates using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Moreover,an ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) method was used for the detection of XOD activity and the screening of XOD inhibitors in this research.The amount of uric acid from each analyte was directly detected using the multiple reaction monitoring mode and the uric acid level could be reduced via the addition of an inhibitor.Results indicated that Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizome,Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix,Selaginellae Herba,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,especially Ginkgo Folium seemed to be more effective in anti-inflammation and inhibiting XOD activity.The anti-inflammation and enzyme inhibitory activities of the herbal extracts may be correlated with their bioactive components.And the differences between the herbal extracts were correlated with the amount of flavonoid and anthraquinone components.In our study,we have investigated the potential anti-inflammation bioactivity of 33 herbal extracts in vitro,which could provide a reference for further in vivo research in the prevention and treatment of gout.     

Flow-injection analysis for hypoxanthine in meat with dissolved oxygen detector and enzyme reactor

A low cost flow-injection analysis (FIA) with a dissolved oxygen (DO) detector and a xanthine oxidase immobilized column for the analysis of hypoxanthine as an index to determine degree of aging in meat was developed for quality control in the food industry. In this system, hypoxanthine is oxidized by an enzyme reaction with xanthine oxidase immobilized on the column to produce xanthine. Then the catalytic reaction between hypoxanthine and DO with xanthine oxidase proceeds with the DO concentration decreasing in the stream of the flow system. Decrease in the DO concentration was monitored by a DO detector located downstream of the flow system. This decrease in DO concentration was proportional to the hypoxanthine concentration. For detecting the decreased DO concentration efficiently a flow-through cell with a polarographic-type DO sensor was specially designed. As a result, a linear working curve was obtained from 3.68 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.84 × 10⁻³ M hypoxanthine concentrations with this FIA system. We applied the present system with a DO detector for the determination of hypoxanthine in meat samples and compared the results with those obtained by the conventional HPLC method. The data obtained with the present FIA method were in fairly good agreement with those obtained by the conventional HPLC method for the meat samples. Correlation factor and regression line between the two methods were 0.998 and Y= 1.51X-32.64 respectively. We concluded that the present FIA system with a DO detector was suitable as a simple, easy to handle and reliable instrument for quality control in the food industry.     

CE Method with Partial Filling Techniques for Screening of Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitor in Traditional Chinese Medicine

A combination of electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) methodology with a partial filling technique was developed for screening of xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitors in substances used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In order to achieve sufficient separation, a micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method was employed for the separation. The enzyme activity was determined by the quantification of the peak area of the product, uric acid (UA), at 295 nm. Enzyme inhibition can be read out directly from the reduced peak area of UA in comparison to a reference electropherogram obtained in the absence of any inhibitor. The method was validated using a commercially available XOD inhibitor, 4-aminopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, and the IC₅₀ value was determined to be 29.90 ± 0.26 μM. Fifteen natural extracts from TCM were screened, and Cortex Phellodendri (the dried bark of Phellodendron chinense) extract was found to be positive for XOD inhibition.     

Effects of interaction of tannins with co-existing substances. VII. Inhibitory effects of tannins and related polyphenols on xanthine oxidase

The inhibitory effects of hydrolyzable tannins, condensed tannins and related polyphenols on the activity of xanthine oxidase (XOD), catalyzing uric acid formation from xanthine, were investigated. Marked differences in the strength of the inhibition were observed. Some of the differences among the monomeric hydrolyzable tannins were due to their molecular weights, reflecting the number of phenolic hydroxyl groups in the molecule. However, the inhibitory activity of several oligomeric hydrolyzable tannins seemed particularly low in spite of their large molecular size. It was also observed that differences in location of acyl groups on the carbohydrate cores caused differences in the inhibitory activity among monomeric and oligomeric hydrolyzable tannins. A caffeic acid derivative (caffeetannin), 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (24), also inhibited this enzyme. Galloylation and the degree of polymerization in proanthocyanidins were also shown to affect remarkably the strength of the inhibition. Among the compounds tested in the present study, valoneic acid dilactone (29), isolated from Mallotus japonicus, inhibited the enzyme most effectively. A kinetic study showed that this dilactone inhibited XOD non-competitively. Comparison of the inhibitory effect on XOD, with the binding activity to hemoglobin, for each tannin, suggests that their inhibition of XOD is not based on non-specific binding to the protein. Similar comparison of the inhibitory effect on XOD with the inhibitory effect on the generation of superoxide anion radical (O2-.) from the hypoxanthine-XOD system revealed that the inhibition of O2-. generation by tannins is due to their radical-scavenging activity, and not due to their inhibitory activity upon the enzyme.     

Flow injection analysis of angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity with enzymatic reactors

Assay of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity always draws much attention because of diverse applications in the field of antihypertension and related pathogenesis. Recently, the use of a new synthetic substrate, 3-hydroxybutyrylglycyl-glycyl-glycine (3HB-GGG), for the assay of ACE inhibitory activity has been confirmed. To construct a rapid, economical, and automatic determination system of ACE inhibitory activity using 3HB-GGG, a flow injection analysis (FIA) system with enzymatic reactors was developed in this study. Enzyme reactors were composed of aminoacylase and 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase immobilized separately on CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. The assay condition was optimized in terms of the conversion of 3HB-G into NADH by the enzymatic reactors when the reaction solution containing 3HB-G generated from 3HB-GGG (after the incubation with ACE) was repetitively injected into the FIA system. Under the optimized conditions, 3HB-G was converted to 3HB, and then 3HB was oxidized by NAD⁺ to form NADH. The developed system successfully detected practical ACE inhibitors with a great sensitivity, high sampling frequency (10 samples h⁻¹) and a durable stability of the enzymatic reactors.     

Inhibitors of xylose reductase from the yeast pichia stipitis

Several compounds were examined for their inhibitory effects on xylose reductase from the yeastPichia stipitis NRC 2548. Mercuric chloride, cupric chloride, menadione sodium bisulfite, and sodium bisulfite inhibited enzyme activity in a sigmoidal dose-dependent manner, whereas quercetin and rutin were observed to have nonsigmoidal dose-response curves. Diphenylhydantoin, hydantoin, and valproic acid had no effect on xylose reductase activity. Mercuric chloride was the most potent inhibitor tested, with an IC₅₀ (the concentration that inhibited enzyme activity by 50%) of 4.7xl0^-6M. Three distinct inhibition patterns were observed amongst selected inhibitors. Mercuric chloride and quercetin were noncompetitive inhibitors of xylose reductase with respect to substrate and cofactor. Sodium bisulfite was an uncompetitive inhibitor with respect to substrate and cofactor, whereas menadione sodium bisulfite was a competitive inhibitor with respect to substrate, but noncompetitive to the cofactor.     

Preparation of a Xanthine Sensor Based on the Immobilization of Xanthine Oxidase on a Chitosan Modified Electrode by Cross‐linking

Here in this paper, xanthine oxidase (XOD) was immobilized onto the chitosan (CHT) modified electrode by a simple way of cross‐linking with glutaraldehyde (GTD) and 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH). The electrode displayed a sharp peak to the oxidation of xanthine at a potential about 0.67 V and the optimum of pH for determination was investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the biosensor fabricated on the KH/GTD/XOD/CHT modified electrode showed excellent response to the oxidation of xanthine within the range of 0.5 to 18 μmol/L with a low detection limit of 0.0215 µmol/L, a good stability and a high selectivity. The sensor can also be used for the determination of hypoxanthine. The electrochemical results indicated that the immobilized enzyme still retained its biological activity and this provided a new way for the construction of biosensors and determination of xanthine.     

Influence of some metal ions on oxidation of nadh and on formation of the superoxide anion radical (O(2)(-)), during enzymatic catalysis by E.C. 1.2.3.2 xanthine oxidase

The inhibitory effect of selected metal ions [Ag(I), Hg(II), Cu(II), Cr(VI), V(V), Au(III), T1(I) and Zn(II)], on the xanthine oxidase (XOD) catalysis of xanthine oxidation, has been investigated with reference to the XOD catalysis of oxidation of NADH. Hg(II), Ag(I), Zn(II) and Au(III) act as inhibitors, T1(I) has no effect and Cu(II), Cr(VI) and V(V) act as activators. The formation of O(2)(-) during XOD catalysis of oxidation of either xanthine or NADH has also been studied. All the metal ions considered act as inhibitors with respect to O(2)(-) production when the reducing substrate is xanthine, but only a few of them when the substrate is NADH, the others showing no effect whatsoever whether or not they activate NADH oxidation in the course of the same reaction. Vanadium (V) has an anomalous effect: it inhibits xanthine oxidation but considerably increases NADH oxidation, and thus appears to modify the catalytic properties of the enzyme. This behaviour appears promising as the basis for a kinetic method for determination of V(V).     

Changes in content and composition of dietary fiber in yellow onions and red delicious apples during commercial storage

Changes in pectin composition and solubility are part of the softening process in apples during ripening and postharvest storage. Lignification may also occur with long-term storage. In the United States, apples and onions are harvested once yearly and then stored and marketed for the next 12 months. The changes that occur in the dietary fiber content and composition in Red Delicious apples and yellow Spanish onions during storage were studied, and the loss of fiber in peeled apples was determined. Dietary fiber was extracted by the enzymatic-chemical method of Theander and Westerlund. Storage had no effect on total or insoluble fiber content of apples; Klason lignin concentration was greater in samples stored for 12 months than in those stored for 0, 4, or 8 months. Peeling reduced apple fiber concentration about 25% by decreasing neutral and acidic sugars and Klason lignin in the insoluble fraction. The total fiber content of onions increased with storage, primarily by increasing the insoluble fiber content of uronic acids. The results suggest that the standardized, environmentally controlled storage of apples, as used in Washington State, has little effect on dietary fiber content. In contrast, the less rigorously controlled storage conditions for yellow Spanish onions increases the insoluble fiber fraction and uronic acid content.     

Rapid screening and evaluation of XOD inhibitors and O2•− scavenger from total flavonoids of Ginkgo biloba leaves by LC–MS and multimode microplate reader

Superoxide anion radical scavenger and xanthine oxidase inhibitor play an important role in the treatment of several relevant human diseases. In the present study, ultrafiltration liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry coupled to microplate reader was applied to screen and identify superoxide anion radical scavengers and xanthine oxidase inhibitors from total flavonoids of Ginkgo biloba leaves. As a result, four compounds (quercetin, apigenin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin) were screened as xanthine oxidase inhibitors by ultrafiltration LC–MS, and the 50% scavenging concentration values of the screened flavonoids were lower than those for allopurinol. Lineweaver–Burk plot results indicated that kaempferol was a competitive xanthine oxidase inhibitor; the other flavonoids were all anticompetitive inhibitors. Four flavonoids—rutin, quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin—were screened as superoxide anion radical scavengers by LC–MS. The results demonstrate that the method for screening and evaluation of superoxide anion radical scavenger and xanthine oxidase inhibitor from a complex mixture system is feasible and efficient.     

离心超滤质谱法筛选中药复方二妙丸中黄嘌呤氧化酶抑制剂

采用离心超滤质谱分析技术(UF-UPLC/Q-TOF/MS), 结合体外酶活性实验方法, 对中药复方二妙丸提取物中的黄嘌呤氧化酶抑制剂进行了筛选. 体外酶活性实验测得二妙丸水提液对黄嘌呤氧化酶的半数抑制浓度(IC₅₀)为(0.218±0.0034) mg/mL, 表明二妙丸具有较强的黄嘌呤氧化酶抑制活性. 进一步采用离心超滤质谱技术对二妙丸水提物中潜在的黄嘌呤氧化酶抑制剂进行筛选, 从中筛选并鉴定了9种具有潜在黄嘌呤氧化酶抑制活性的化合物, 为开发黄嘌呤氧化酶抑制剂及阐明二妙丸治疗痛风和高尿酸血症的作用机制提供了一定的依据.     

Enzymatic Assay by Flow Injection Analysis with Detection by Chemiluminescence: Determination of Glucose,Creatinine, Free Cholesterol and Lactic Acid Using an Integrated Fia Microconduit

Abstract

A miniaturized flow injection system for the determination of D-glucose, L-lactic acid, creatinine and free cholesterol is described. All substrates are degraded enzymatically by means of oxidases which, along with ancillary coenzymes (creatinine assay), are immobilized on controlled porosity glass and incorporated into small PVC column reactors. The hydrogen peroxide generated by the individual oxidases is determined by chemiluminescence with an alkaline reagent containing luminol and hexacyanofer rate (III). The injection valve, flow channels, enzyme reactor and light detector are integrated into a FIA microconduit. The detection limits were 0.03 mg glucose/dl, 0.03 mg lactate/dl, 0.3 mM creatinine and 0.5 mg cholesterol/dl. The enzyme reactors all showed little change in activity over a 3 months period of operation and were found fully compatible with serum samples.     

Amperometric determination of xanthine in fish meat by zinc oxide nanoparticle/chitosan/multiwalled carbon nanotube/polyaniline composite film bound xanthine oxidase

Xanthine oxidase (XOD) was immobilized on a composite film of zinc oxide nanoparticle/chitosan/carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotube/polyaniline (ZnO-NP/CHIT/c-MWCNT/PANI) electrodeposited over the surface of a platinum (Pt) electrode. A xanthine biosensor was fabricated using XOD/ZnO-NP/CHIT/c-MWCNT/PANI/Pt as working electrode, Ag/AgCl as reference electrode and Pt wire as auxiliary electrode connected through a potentiostat. The ZnO-NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the enzyme electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The biosensor showed optimum response within 4 s at 0.5 V potential, pH 7.0, 35 °C and linear range 0.1-100 μM with a detection limit of 0.1 μM. The enzyme electrode was employed for determination of xanthine in fish meat during storage. The electrode lost 30% of its initial activity after 80 uses over one month, when stored at 4 °C.     

In vitro anti-inflammatory and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of Tephrosia purpurea shoot extract

The methanolic extract of Tephrosia purpurea (Leguminosae) shoots was evaluated in-vitro for its anti-inflammatory and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. Anti-inflammatory activity was measured by the Diene-conjugate, HET-CAM and beta-glucuronidase methods. The enzyme inhibitory activity was tested against isolated cow milk xanthine oxidase. The average anti-inflammatory activity of T. purpurea shoot extract in the concentration range of 1-2 microg/mL in the reacting system revealed significant anti-inflammatory activities, which, as recorded by the Diene-conjugate, HET-CAM and beta-glucuronidase assay methods, were 45.4, 10.5, and 70.5%, respectively. Screening of the xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of the extract in terms of kinetic parameters revealed a mixed type of inhibition, wherein the Km and Vmax values in the presence of 25 to 100 microg/mL shoot extract was 0.20 mM/mL and 0.035, 0.026, 0.023 and 0.020 microg/min, while, for the positive control, the Km and Vmax values were 0.21 mM/mL and 0.043 microg/min, respectively. These findings suggest that T. purpurea shoot extract may possess constituents with good medicinal properties that could be exploited to treat the diseases associated with oxidative stress, xanthine oxidase enzyme activity and inflammation.     

Flow injection analysis of potassium using an all-solid-state potassium-selective electrode as a detector

The concentration of potassium was determined by a combination of flow injection analysis (FIA) with an all-solid-state potassium sensor detection. The all-solid-state potassium-selective electrode possessing long-term potential stability was fabricated by coating an electroactive polypyrrole/poly(4-styrenesulfonate) film electrode with a plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membrane containing valinomycin. The simple FIA system developed in this laboratory demonstrated sensitivity identical to that in the batch system and achieved considerably rapid assay (150 samples h⁻¹). Analyses of soy sauce and control serum samples by this FIA system yielded results in good agreement with those obtained by conventional measurements.     

Rapid screening and detection of XOD inhibitors from S. tamariscina by ultrafiltration LC-PDA–ESI-MS combined with HPCCC

Xanthine oxidase (XOD) catalyzes the metabolism of hypoxanthine and xanthine to uric acid, the overproduction of which could cause hyperuricemia, a risk factor for gout. Inhibition of XOD is a major treatment for gout, and biflavonoids have been found to act as XOD-inhibitory compounds. In this study, ultrafiltration liquid chromatography with photodiode-array detection coupled to electrospray-ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UF-LC-PDA–ESI-MS) was used to screen and identify XOD inhibitors from S. tamariscina. High-performance counter-current chromatography (HPCCC) was used to separate and isolate the active constituents of these XOD inhibitors. Furthermore, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (TQ-MS) was used to determine the XOD-inhibitory activity of the obtained XOD inhibitors, and enzyme kinetics was performed with Lineweaver–Burk (LB) plots using xanthine as the substrate. As a result, two compounds in S. tamariscina were screened as XOD inhibitors: 65.31 mg amentoflavone and 0.76 mg robustaflavone were isolated from approximately 2.5 g?S. tamariscina by use of HPCCC. The purities of the two compounds obtained were over 98 % and 95 %, respectively, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Lineweaver–Burk plot analysis indicated that amentoflavone and robustaflavone were non-competitive inhibitors of XOD, and the IC ₅₀ values of amentoflavone and robustaflavone for XOD inhibition were 16.26 μg mL^?1 (30.22 μmol L^?1) and 11.98 μg mL^?1 (22.27 μmol L^?1), respectively. The IC ₅₀ value of allopurinol, used as the standard, was 7.49 μg mL^?1 (46.23 μmol L^?1). The results reveal that the method for systematic screening, identification, and isolation of bioactive components in S. tamariscina and for detecting their inhibitory activity using ultrafiltration LC–ESI-MS, HPCCC, and UPLC–TQ-MS is feasible and efficient, and could be expected to extend to screening and separation of other enzyme inhibitors. Graphical Abstract

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