A Rapid and Sensitive Assay for Determining the Main Components in Processed Fructus Corni by UPLC–Q-TOF-MS

Abstract

Fructus Corni is the dried sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc., and has been widely used as an important traditional Chinese medicine, which is used to nourish liver and kidney conditions and to astringe semen as well as to solidify collapse. Precise structural identification of the main compounds in processed Fructus Corni has been established using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with quadrupole-timeof-flight-mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS), and BEH C 18 column for direct analysis of total water extracts. Mass spectrometry was performed in reflective time-of-flight using electron spraying ionization in negative mode. The MS data for candidates, containing accurate mass for both precursors and their fragment ions, were acquired selectively. Based on the MS data, the mass spectrometric fingerprint (MSFP) for candidates, consisting of chemical formula and dissociation pattern, was determined. By this method, eight iridoid glycosides and seven other compounds were identified or tentatively identified. Therefore, MS combined with selective enrichment provided a powerful means for analyzing main compounds in processed Fructus Corni. LC-Q-TOF-MS based chemical profiling is a rapid and powerful approach for holistic quality evaluation of processed Fructus Corni, and should also be useful for the global quality investigation of decoctions derived from other herbal medicines.

Metabolite fingerprinting, pathway analyses, and bioactivity correlations for plant species belonging to the Cornaceae, Fabaceae, and Rosaceae families

“…The loading plot indicated that flavonols (kaempferol derivatives, quercetin derivatives, myricetin, and myricetin derivatives) and ellagitannins (tellimagrandin II and ellagic acid) were specifically related to the Cornaceae family. In agreement with our results, similar classes of metabolites have been reported in the leaves and fruits of Cornus mas and the sarcocarp of C. officinalis (Cao et al 2011;Badalica-Petrescu et al 2014). Moreover, the ellagic and iridoid compounds have been detected in the roots of C. capitata (Tanaka et al 2001).…”

Metabolome Classification of Brassica napus L. Organs via UPLC–QTOF–PDA–MS and Their Anti‐oxidant Potential

“…Compared with conventional (HPLC), ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) achieves rapid metabolite analysis and can obtain better peak separation than usually is possible with standard LC methods. Several studies have applied this new technology to look at metabolite profiles in closely allied plant taxa, different cultivars of individual taxa, or plants at different stages of development (Okada et al, 2009;Cao et al, 2011;Farag and Wessjohann, 2012). A complete screening of polyphenols in B. napus L. organs is still lacking despite the fact that it may represent an important dietary source for this class of compounds and would add economic value for by-product wastes following oil processing.…”

Rapid simultaneous identification and determination of the multiple compounds in crudeFructus Corniand its processed products by HPLC–MS/MS with multiple reaction monitoring mode

“…It is found in large amounts in processed rather than crude Fructus Corni, from which it is extracted in hot aqueous infusions (Fu et al, 2008). Pharmacological studies on the components showed that 5-HMF had good biological activities such as anti-inflammatory activity and bacteriostatic action (Cao et al, 2011).…”