Comparative analysis of nucleosides,nucleobases, and amino acids in different parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry method was established and employed to determine 21 nucleosides, nucleobases, and amino acids in 60 samples from different parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix. The established methods were validated by good linearity (r² > 0.9937), limits of detection (0.12–77.75 ng/mL), limits of quantitation (0.31–272.13 ng/mL), intra‐ and interday precisions (RSD ≤ 4.84%, RSD ≤ 6.26%), stability (RSD ≤ 5.92%), repeatability (RSD ≤ 7.14%), recovery (91.4–103.4%), and matrix effects (0.92–1.03). Chemical comparative analysis revealed that the content of total analytes in four parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix were different, and exhibited the order: Head (14.89 mg/g) > Body (10.15 mg/g) > All (8.22 mg/g) > Tail (6.23 mg/g). Principal component analysis showed that the samples could be classified into four groups in accord with four different parts of Angelicae Sinensis Radix. The results could provide a scientific basis and reference for the quality control of Angelicae Sinensis Radix, and may be conducive to further research on the pharmacological activities of Angelicae Sinensis Radix.     

Analysis of Chuanxiong Rhizoma substrate on production of ligustrazine in endophytic Bacillus subtilis by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Ligustrazine was the active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine Chuanxiong Rhizoma. However, the content of ligustrazine is very low. We proposed a hypothesis that ligustrazine was produced by the mutual effects between endophytic Bacillus subtilis and the Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. This study aimed to explore whether the endophytic B. subtilis LB5 could make use of Chuanxiong Rhizoma fermentation matrix to produce ligustrazine and clarify the mechanisms of action preliminarily. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry analysis showed the content of ligustrazine in Chuanxiong Rhizoma was below the detection limit (0.1 ng/mL), while B. subtilis LB5 produced ligustrazine at the yield of 1.0268 mg/mL in the Chuanxiong Rhizoma‐ammonium sulfate fermentation medium. In the fermented matrix, the reducing sugar had a significant reduction from 12.034 to 2.424 mg/mL, and rough protein content increased from 2.239 to 4.361 mg/mL. Acetoin, the biosynthetic precursor of ligustrazine, was generated in the Chuanxiong Rhizoma‐Ammonium sulfate (151.2 mg/mL) fermentation medium. This result showed that the endophytic bacteria B. subtilis LB5 metabolized Chuanxiong Rhizoma via secreted protein to consume the sugar in Chuanxiong Rhizoma to produce a considerable amount of ligustrazine. Collectively, our preliminary research suggested that ligustrazine was the interaction product of endophyte, but not the secondary metabolite of Chuanxiong Rhizoma itself.     

A rapid,sensitive, and widely applicable method for quantitative analysis of underivatized amino acids in different biological matrices by UHPLC‐MS/MS

A rapid, sensitive, and widely applicable method for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of 20 underivatized amino acids in different biological matrices, including serum, plasma, and tissue homogenates, using ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated. Only 4 µL of serum, plasma, or tissue homogenate was extracted with 996 µL of solution (1.7 mM ammonium formate in 85% acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid) containing 100 ng/mL phenylalanine‐d5 as an internal standard without any further derivatization step. In addition, the matrix effects were small because a large volume of extraction solution was used. The total run time including reequilibration was 13 min. The results of linearity, accuracy, repeatability, precision, limits of detection, limits of quantification, and sample stability were sufficient to allow the measurement of the amino acids in different biological matrices. We conclude that our method is rapid, sensitive, and widely applicable and represents an improvement over other currently available technologies.     

Probing the degradation mechanism of forsythiaside A and simultaneous determination of three forsythiasides in Forsythia preparations by a single marker

Forsythiaside A is the major component of Forsythia suspensa. This study investigated the degradation mechanism of forsythiaside A. Eight degraded components including forsythiaside I, forsythiaside H, forsythiaside E, caffeic acid, suspensaside A, β‐hydroxy forsythiaside I, β‐hydroxy forsythiaside H, and β‐hydroxy forsythiaside A were identified by using ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Then, the quantitative analysis of multi‐components by a single‐marker was performed with ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography to simultaneously determine forsythiaside A, forsythiaside H, and forsythiaside I in Forsythia suspensa preparations. The result showed good linear relationships within 2.871–287.1, 0.231–23.1, and 0.983–98.3 μg/mL (r > 0.9998), with average recoveries of 97.7, 95.7, and 95.8% and relative standard deviations of 1.4, 2.4, and 1.8%, respectively. Using forsythiaside A as an internal reference, the relative retention values of forsythiaside H and forsythiaside I to forsythiaside A were calculated to be 0.89 and 0.61, respectively, and the relative correction factors were 0.816 and 0.799, respectively. The method for quantitative analysis of multi‐components by a single‐marker was applied to evaluate the overall quality of forsythia preparations. There was no significant difference in the measurement results of the method developed and the method of external standard.     

Liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry assay for the simultaneous determination of three major flavonoids and their glucuronidated metabolites in rats after oral administration of Artemisia annua L. extract at a therapeutic ultra‐low dose

The traditional antimalarial herb Artemisia annua L., from which artemisinin is isolated, is widely used in endemic regions. It has been suggested that artemisinin activity can be enhanced by flavonoids in A. annua; however, how fast and how long the flavonoids are present in the body remains unknown. In the present study, a rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of three major flavonoids components, i.e. chrysosplenol D, chrysoplenetin, and artemetin and their glucuronidated metabolites in rats after oral administrations of A. annua extracts at a therapeutic ultra‐low dose. The concentration of the intact form was determined directly, and the concentration of the glucuronidated form was assayed in the form of flavonoids aglycones, after treatment with β‐glucuronidase/sulfatase. The method was linear in the range of 0.5–300.0 ng/mL for chrysoplenetin and artemetin, and 2–600 ng/mL for chrysosplenol D. All the validation data conformed to the acceptance requirements. The study revealed a significantly higher exposure of the flavonoid constituents in conjugated forms in rats, with only trace intact from. Multiple oral doses of A. annua extracts led to a decreased plasma concentration levels for three flavonoids.     

Simultaneous quantitation of 23 bioactive compounds in Tanreqing capsule by high‐performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Tanreqing capsule (TRQC) is a formulation frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat pyrexia, cough, expectoration and pharyngalgia. Since the pharmacological action of traditional Chinese medicines is closely related to their complex and diverse constituents, understanding the exact composition of TRQC is important to elucidate its clinical effectiveness and mechanism of action as well as to establish quality control methods and resolve safety issues. Herein, we employed high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous quantitation of 23 bioactive compounds in five batches of TRQC; the analytes could be categorized into five types: organic acids (seven compounds), flavonoids (10 compounds), iridoids (two compounds), phenylethanoid glycosides (two compounds) and bile acids (two compounds). The calibration curves for all analytes showed good linearity (r > 0.9953), and the inter‐ and intra‐day precisions did not exceed 4.94 and 4.97%, respectively. The recoveries varied from 90.47% to 109.80%; the corresponding relative standard deviations (RSDs) did not exceed 4.94%; and the repeatability (RSD < 4.72%) and stability (RSD < 4.88%) were also within acceptable limits. Thus, this study can be viewed as a fundamental reference for setting comprehensive TRQC quality standards.     

Aerolysin蛋白纳米孔道直接检测单个DNA碱基修饰

基于Aerolysin生物膜通道蛋白的纳米孔道电化学分析技术,因其高的电化学空间限域能力可实现超灵敏DNA单分子检测。本文利用单个Aerolysin纳米孔道在无需标记、无需扩增的条件下直接分辨3种具有单个碱基差异的单链DNA。实验结果显示,具有单个炔基侧链基团修饰的单个ss DNA在限域空间内与Aerol-ysin纳米孔道的相互作用时间较未修饰的ss DNA增长近7倍,电流阻断程度增大7%,且高斯峰半峰宽减小了44%,增强了Aerolysin纳米孔道对单个DNA分子的分辨能力。研究成果有望推动Aerolysin纳米孔在DNA直接测序及表观遗传修饰检测中的应用。     

Determination of acidic drugs in biological and environmental matrices by membrane‐based dual emulsification liquid‐phase microextraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography

A simple method is introduced providing a highly clean microextraction for the determination of some anti‐inflammatory drugs as the model analytes in human urine and environmental matrices. This method is based upon the implementation of two consecutive emulsification liquid‐phase microextractions, which are separated by a syringe filtration step. In this method, the organic extraction solvent (dihexyl ether) is dispersed into the aqueous sample solution (20 mL), and the resulting cloudy mixture is passed through a hydrophilic polytetrafluoroethylene syringe filter. By this action, the extraction phase containing the analytes and many interfering species that could be transferred into the organic phase is retained behind the hydrophilic membrane. The filter is then detached from the syringe and attached to another syringe containing an aqueous solution (pH 12.0, 150 μL), and by the in‐syringe dispersion of the organic phase into the aqueous phase, the analytes are selectively back‐extracted into the aqueous phase. The developed method is centrifuge‐free and very simple, and provides a high sample clean‐up in a few minutes. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the developed method provided a linearity in the range of 2.0–2000 ng/mL, a low limit of detection (0.5 ng/mL), and enrichment factors of 47–53.     

Establishing the chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine standard decoction based on quality by design approach: A case study of Licorice

A novel analytical quality by design approach for developing a chromatographic fingerprint was established for analyzing complex traditional Chinese medicine, using a licorice standard decoction as an example. Considering the characteristics of integrity and ambiguity, the resolution of eight common peaks, total peak number, capacity factor distributions, and peak purity were selected as potential critical method attributes for assessing the quality of the chromatographic fingerprint. A central composite design was used to evaluate the relationship between critical method attributes and critical method parameters, including column temperature, wavelength, flow rate, formic‐acid concentration, and gradient parameters. A standard probability method was employed to calculate the design space of the fingerprint analysis parameters and evaluate the robustness of the methodology. The optimized high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprint conditions were acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid water gradient elution (0‐5 min, 5–19% A; 5–10 min, 19% A; 10–50 min, 19–42% A; 50–54 min, 42–100% A; 54–60 min, 100% A), column temperature 25±5°C, detection wavelength 265 nm. The design space of fingerprint analytical method based on the analytical quality by design approach not only met the requirements of the fingerprint analysis, but also improved the robustness and applicability of the fingerprint method.     

探索人体健康与疾病现象的实体

通过对各种化学元素、化合物在人体中的作用与影响作出分析与总结,从现代科学的角度直观地解释了中医学中如阴虚、阳虚、正、邪、湿、热等的多个抽象概念和理论。为研究抽象而深奥难懂的中医学概念和理论提供了一个新的思路,使之转化为具体而直观的符合现代科学概念的理论。