The analytical performances of three atmospheric-pressure sources, electrospray (ESI), atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI), and atmospheric-pressure photoionization (APPI), were evaluated for the analysis of pentacyclic triterpenes in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Among these sources, APPI and APCI are particularly well adapted to sensitive analyses of pentacyclic triterpenes by LC-MS. Detection parameters were optimized for both the sources, and the effects of three dopants (toluene, acetone and anisole) on the detection (sensitivity and ion fingerprints in MS spectra) were studied in detail for APPI-MS.The limits of quantification were measured under selected ion monitoring conditions, in the range of 0.005-0.015 mg l(-1) and 0.002-0.84 mg l(-1) in APPI and APCI, respectively, depending on the studied pentacyclic triterpene. Overall, APPI was found more sensitive than APCI in positive ion mode, whereas APCI shows the greatest sensitivity for acidic triterpenes in negative ion mode.Following this study, the developed LC-MS method was used for the characterization of pentacyclic triterpenes in three plant extracts. High amounts of betulinic acid, betulinic aldehyde and betulinic aldehyde acetate were observed in plane bark. The main component of birch bark is betulin and extracts of okoume resin exhibit high amounts of alpha- and beta-amyrin.

The aim of this work was to contribute to the knowledge on the chemical composition and bioactive properties of two species of the Ocimum genus, namely O. basilicum cultivar ’Cinammon’ and O. × citriodorum. For this purpose, samples of these plants grown in Portugal were evaluated for their composition in phenolic and volatile compounds, and the infusion and hydroethanolic extracts were assessed for their in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory activities. In total, the two basil samples showed the presence of seven caffeic acid and derivatives (dimers, trimers, and tetramers) and five flavonoids, mainly glycoside derivatives of quercetin. Despite some qualitative and quantitative differences, in both samples rosmarinic acid was the major phenolic compound, and linalool the predominant volatile compound. In general, the tested extracts provided relevant bioactive properties since both basil species showed higher antioxidant activity in Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARs) and Oxidative Hemolysis Inhibition (OxHLIA) assays when compared with the positive control Trolox. Despite O. × citriodorum extracts showing slightly better activity against some strains, both types of extracts evidenced similar antimicrobial activity, being more active against Gram-positive bacteria. The extracts also revealed interesting cytotoxicity, particularly the O. × citriodorum hydroethanolic extract which was also the only one exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity.

Myocardial infarction (MI) and subsequent progressive heart failure pathology is the major cause of death worldwide; however, the mechanism of this pathology remains unclear. The present work aimed at testing the hypothesis whether the inflammatory response is superimposed with the formation of bioactive lipid resolving molecules at the site of the injured myocardium in acute heart failure pathology post-MI. In this view, we used a robust permanent coronary ligation model to induce MI, leading to decreased contractility index with marked wall thinning and necrosis of the infarcted left ventricle. Then, we applied mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) in positive and negative ionization modes to characterize the spatial distribution of left ventricle lipids in the infarcted myocardium post-MI. After micro-extraction, liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was used to confirm the structures of the imaged lipids. Statistical tools such as principal component analysis were used to establish a comprehensive visualization of lipid profile changes in MI and no-MI hearts. Resolving bioactive molecules such as resolvin (Rv) D1, RvD5, RvE3, 17-HDHA, LXA, and 18-HEPE were detected in negative ion mode MSI, whereas phosphatidyl cholines (PC) and oxidized derivatives thereof were detected in positive ion mode. MSI-based analysis demonstrated a significant increase in resolvin bioactive lipids with comprehensive lipid remodeling at the site of infarction. These results clearly indicate that infarcted myocardium is the primary location of inflammation-resolution pathomechanics which is critical for resolution of inflammation and heart failure pathophysiology. Graphical abstract Applied scheme to determine comprehensive lipidomics in failing and non-failing heart.