Drug metabolite cluster centers-based strategy for comprehensive profiling of Neomangiferin metabolites in vivo and in vitro and network pharmacology study on anti-inflammatory mechanism

Neomangiferin (NMF) is an extremely special xanthone that could be simultaneously attributed to C-glycoside and O-glycoside with a variety of biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antipyretic, and so on. So far as we know, the metabolism profiling has been insufficient until now. Herein, Drug Metabolite Cluster Centers (DMCCs)-based Strategy has been developed to profile the NMF metabolites in vivo and in vitro. Firstly, the DMCCs was proposed depending on literature-related and preliminary analysis results. Secondly, the specific metabolic rule was implemented to screen the metabolites of candidate DMCCs from the acquired Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Exactive Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS) data by extracted ion chromatography (EIC) method. Thirdly, candidate metabolites were accurately and tentatively identified according to the pyrolysis law of mass spectrometry, literature reports, comparison of reference substances, and especially the diagnostic product ions (DPIs) deduced preliminarily. Finally, network pharmacology was adopted to elucidate the anti-inflammatory action mechanism of NMF on the basis of DMCCs. As a result, 3 critical metabolites including NMF, Mangiferin (MF) and Norathyriol (NA) were proposed as DMCCs, and a total of 61 NMF metabolites (NMF included) were finally screened and characterized coupled with 3 different biological sample preparation methods including solid phase extraction (SPE), acetonitrile precipitation and methanol precipitation. Among them, 32 metabolites were discovered in rat urine, 30 in rat plasma, 12 in rat liver, 9 metabolites in liver microsomes and 8 in rat faeces, respectively. Our results also illustrated that NMF primarily underwent deglucosylation, glucuronidation, methylation, sulfation, dihydroxylation and their composite reactions in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, network pharmacology analysis based on DMCCs revealed 85 common targets of disease-metabolites, and the key targets were TNF, EGFR, ESR1, PTGS2, HIF1A, IL-2, PRKCA and PRKCB. They exerted anti-inflammatory effects mainly through the pathways of inflammatory response, calcium-dependent protein kinase C activity, nitrogen metabolism, pathways in cancer and so on. In general, our study constructed a novel strategy to comprehensive elucidate the biotransformation pathways of NMF in vivo and in vitro, and provided vital reference for further understanding its anti-inflammatory action mechanism. Moreover, the established strategy could be generalized to the metabolism and action mechanism study of other natural products.     

Qualitative and quantitative determination of Atractylodes rhizome using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap–Orbitrap mass spectrometry with data‐dependent processing

A quick and effective workflow based on ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electron spray ionization and LTQ‐Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC‐LTQ‐Orbitrap MS) was established for compositional analysis and screening of the characteristic compounds of three species of Atractylodes rhizome for quality evaluation. This technique was employed to determine the seven main components in Atractylodes rhizome samples. Ultimately, 78 constituents were identified; of these, seven characteristic compounds were selected for species discrimination, comprising atractylodin (63), atractylenolide I (43), atractylenolide II (49), atractylenolide III (53), atractylon (69), methyl‐atractylenolide II (54) and (4E,6E,12E)‐tetradecadecatriene‐8,10‐diyne‐1,3‐diacetate (59). The seven main compounds, including six characteristic compounds, were simultaneously determined in 29 batches of Atractylodes rhizome samples. Thus, the method validation showed acceptable results. Quantitative analysis showed significantly different contents of the seven main components among the three species of Atractylodes rhizome, which indicates possible distinctions in the pharmacological effects. This established method can simultaneously provide qualitative and quantitative results for compositional characterization of Atractylodes rhizomes and for quality control.     

Simultaneous analysis of tropane alkaloids in teas and herbal teas by liquid chromatography coupled to high‐resolution mass spectrometry (Orbitrap)

A new method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of 13 tropane alkaloids in tea and herbal teas using high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to an Exactive‐Orbitrap analyzer. A mixture of methanol, water, and formic acid was used for the extraction of the target compounds followed by a solid‐phase extraction step. The validated method provided recoveries from 75 to 128% with intra‐ and interday precision lower than or equal to 24% (except for apoatropine). Limits of quantification ranged from 5 to 20 μg/kg. Eleven tea and herbal tea samples and two contaminated samples with Datura stramonium seeds were analyzed. Tropane alkaloids were detected in six samples with concentrations from 5 (apoatropine) to 4340 μg/kg (sum of physoperuvine, pseudotropine, and tropine), whereas concentrations from 5 (apoatropine) to 1725 μg/kg (sum of physoperuvine, pseudotropine, and tropine) were found in the contaminated samples.     

A novel liquid chromatography Orbitrap mass spectrometry method with full scan for simultaneous determination of multiple bioactive constituents of Shenkang injection in rat tissues: Application to tissue distribution and pharmacokinetic studies

Shenkang injection is a traditional Chinese formula with good curative effect on chronic renal failure. In this paper, a novel, rapid and sensitive ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q Exactive hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap high‐resolution accurate mass spectrometry was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of seven bioactive constituents of Shenkang injection in rat plasma and tissues after intravenous administration. Acetonitrile was used as a protein precipitation agent in biological samples disposal with carbamazepine as internal standard. The chromatographic separation was carried out on a C₁₈ column with a gradient mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water (containing 0.1% formic acid). The MS analysis was performed in the full‐scan positive and negative ion mode. The lower limits of quantification for the seven analytes in rat plasma and tissues were 0.1–10 ng/mL. The validated method was successfully applied to tissue distribution and pharmacokinetic studies of Shenkang injection after intravenous administration. The results of the tissue distribution study showed that the high concentrations of seven constituents were primarily in the kidney tract. This is the first report of the application of Q‐Orbitrap with full‐scan mass spectrometry in tissue distribution and pharmacokinetic studies of Shenkang injection.     

Structure‐oriented UHPLC‐LTQ Orbitrap‐based approach as a dereplication strategy for the identification of isoflavonoids from Amphimas pterocarpoides crude extract

Hyphenated techniques and especially ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐MS) are nowadays widely employed in natural products research. However, the complex nature of plant extracts complicates considerably the analysis and the identification of their constituents. Nevertheless, new MS analyzers with increased resolving power and accuracy such as the orbital trap (Orbitrap) could facilitate drastically this process. The objective of this study is the development of a new structure‐oriented approach based on fast UHPLC‐high‐resolution (HR)MS and HRMS/MS methodologies for the identification of isoflavonoids in crude extracts. In addition, aims to assist dereplication procedures, to decrease the laborious isolation steps and orient the focused isolation of compounds of interest. As a proof of concept, the methanol extract of the stem bark of Amphimas pterocarpoides (Leguminosae) was selected. Based on chromatographic (retention time, polarity) and spectrometric features (ultraviolet spectra, accurate m/z, proposed elemental composition, ring double bond equivalent, and relative isotopic abundance) as well as HRMS/MS spectra, several isoflavonoids were identified. In order to verify the proposed structures, 11 isoflavonoids were selectively isolated and unambiguously identified using 1&2D nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Moreover, the isolated isoflavonoids were studied in HRMS/MS level, employing electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization sources, in both modes. Useful information regarding their fragmentation patterns was obtained, and characteristic diagnostic ions were defined for the identification of methoxylated isoflavones, dihydroisoflavones and 5‐hydroxylated isoflavonoids. Based on the current results, the proposed dereplication strategy was verified and could comprise a novel approach for the analysis of crude extracts in the future not only for isoflavonoids but also for other chemical classes of natural products. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Screening for exogenous androgen anabolic steroids in human hair by liquid chromatography/orbitrap-high resolution mass spectrometry

A method for the screening of various anabolic steroids and their esters in human hair, based on liquid-chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry using an Exactive benchtop Orbitrap mass spectrometer, has been set up and validated. This method involved methanolic incubation of 30 mg of hair and analysis of the relevant extract in HPLC using a C18 column. The mass detector, with nominal resolving power of 100,000, operated in full scan mode in APCI under positive ionization mode. Analytes were identified by exact mass, correspondence of isotopic cluster and retention times.     

高效液相色谱-四极杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱法快速分析三子散的入血成分及代谢产物

蒙药三子散由诃子、川楝子、栀子3味药材等比例组成,其临床用药主要采用口服给药方式,药物在体内的吸收、分布、代谢、排泄过程与药物发挥药理作用和疗效的产生密切相关,因此考察灌胃给药后的入血成分有助于阐明三子散的药效物质基础。研究采用血清药物化学研究思路,将Wistar大鼠分成空白组和给药组,给药组给予三子散水提物,腹主动脉取血,离心制备血清样品,采用高效液相色谱-四极杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱(HPLC-Q/Orbitrap HRMS),在SHIMADZU GIST C₁₈色谱柱(150 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm)上进行色谱分离;以甲醇和0.1%(v/v)甲酸水溶液为流动相进行梯度洗脱,柱温30 ℃,流速0.5 mL/min,进样量10 μL,采用加热电喷雾电离(HESI)源,正、负离子同时扫描。通过比对三子散含药血清和空白血清的图谱差异,查阅数据库、各类成分体内代谢途径、三子散成分的相关文献,采用Xcalibur 3.0软件进行峰提取、峰匹配等质谱数据处理,结合Compound Discover 3.0软件对化合物代谢途径的预测分析和裂解规律的推断,解析三子散水提液经大鼠灌胃后血清中的原型成分和代谢产物。结果表明,在给药大鼠血清样品中鉴定出55种入血成分,其中41种原型成分,14种代谢产物。入血的原型成分主要为鞣质类、环烯醚萜类和小分子酚酸类。该研究较为全面地阐释了三子散水提液在大鼠血中的移行成分,有助于揭示三子散的药效物质基础,为该药的临床应用提供参考。     

Comparison of triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and Orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry in ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography for the determination of veterinary drugs in sewage: benefits and drawbacks

This paper presents a comparison of triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and Orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) combined to ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography for the determination of glucocorticoids and polyether ionophores in sewage, in order to show the major benefits and drawbacks for each mass spectrometry analyser. Overall, HRMS measurements have enhanced performance in terms of confirmatory capabilities than MS/MS measurements. Moreover, similar limits of quantification, limits of detection, linear range and repeatability for glucocorticoids with both the MS/MS and HRMS methods were compared, but in the case of polyether ionophores, slightly better limits of detection and limits of quantification were obtained with the HRMS method because of the high sensitivity obtained when diagnostic ions are used for quantification instead of selected reaction monitoring transitions for these compounds. The two methods have been applied to the analysis of several influent and effluent sewage samples from sewage treatment plants located in the Tarragona region (Catalonia, Spain), showing an excellent correlation between the two methods. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

N_2-DART-Orbitrap中的特征气相离子反应及在西药快速检测中的应用

采用实时直接分析(DART)离子源串联高分辨质谱Orbitrap技术(DART-Orbitrap MS),对8种市售常见西药进行有效成分分析,建立了一种快速、简便、准确测定西药中有效成分的方法.对DART离子源的离子化温度、扫描模式、操作气体种类、辅助溶剂种类及其酸碱性等实验条件进行了优化,得到最佳实验条件.实验结果表明,正谱条件下,采用N_2气作为操作气体时,待测组分准分子离子峰[M+H]+同样具有较高的灵敏度和谱图辨识度.因此,N2气可以替代昂贵的He气作为DART离子源的操作气体用于8种药物有效成分的现场实时检测.该方法具备成本低、快速和操作简便的特点.通过分析待测组分的特征碎片离子,发现了N2-DART离子源中的特征离子反应,包括氧化反应和重排反应.根据获得的特征碎片离子对N_2-DART-MS中发生的反应机理进行推导,并结合理论计算对其进行验证.N_2-DART-MS技术有望应用于复杂基质混合物的现场快速检测中.     

Precise and global identification of phospholipid molecular species by an Orbitrap mass spectrometer and automated search engine Lipid Search

In the present research, we have established a new lipidomics approach for the comprehensive and precise identification of molecular species in a crude lipid mixture using a LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometer (MS) and reverse-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) combination with our newly developed lipid search engine “Lipid Search”. LTQ Orbitrap provides high mass accuracy MS spectra by Fourier-transform (FT) mass spectrometer mode and can perform rapid MSⁿ by ion trap (IT) mass spectrometer mode. In this study, the negative ion mode was selected to detect fragment ions from phospholipids, such as fatty acid anions, by MS2 or MS3. We selected the specific detection approach by neutral loss survey-dependent MS3, for the identification of molecular species of phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylserine. Identification of molecular species was performed by using both the high mass accuracy of the mass spectrometric data obtained from FT mode and structural data obtained from fragments in IT mode. Some alkylacyl and alkenylacyl species have the same m/z value as molecular-related ions and fragment ions, thus, direct acid hydrolysis analysis was performed to identify alkylacyl and alkenylacyl species, and then the RPLC–LTQ Orbitrap method was applied. As a result, 290 species from mouse liver and 248 species from mouse brain were identified within six different classes of phospholipid, only those in manually detected and confirmed. Most of all manually detected mass peaks were also automatically detected by “Lipid Search”. Adding to differences in molecular species in different classes of phospholipids, many characteristic differences in molecular species were detected in mouse liver and brain. More variable number of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid-containing molecular species were detected in mouse brain than liver.