Fingerprint analysis of Zanthoxylum armatum DC. by HPLC

Alkylamide Profiling of Pericarps Coupled with Chemometric Analysis to Distinguish Prickly Ash Pericarps

“…Thus, the contents and component variations of alkylamides in prickly ash pericarps were influenced by prickly ash species and the environmental conditions of the plantations. Prickly ash pericarps generally always had Compound H, and this compound contributed the most to the numb flavor [ 10 , 13 , 19 , 20 ]. The presence of Compound H in the pericarps of the Others group was significantly low (the mean values for ZA, ZB1, and ZB2 were all 0.0033 mg/g, while the mean value of Others was 0.0031 mg/g), indicating that the pericarps of these species were not appealing materials to extract Compound H. Hence, ZA and ZB species, which contain more Compound H compared to Others, are widely cultivated and used as spices in China.…”

“…The trees are distributed across a variety of regions due to their high adaptation to diverse environmental conditions [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. The resources of prickly ash are very rich in China because of regional introduction, breeding and individual variation, and varying environmental conditions [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The overlapping distribution of some prickly ash species, inconsistent nomenclature of species cultivated in different areas, and similarity in morphology of some pericarps cause difficulty in distinguishing pericarp species [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

“…The resources of prickly ash are very rich in China because of regional introduction, breeding and individual variation, and varying environmental conditions [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The overlapping distribution of some prickly ash species, inconsistent nomenclature of species cultivated in different areas, and similarity in morphology of some pericarps cause difficulty in distinguishing pericarp species [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Furthermore, it is more difficult to distinguish pericarps when they are sold as powders.…”

“…These methods have been applied to differentiate samples based on their chemical profile variations [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Some remarkable differences in chemical compositions (aroma constituents, alkylamides, and volatile oil content) occur in different prickly ash pericarps due to variations in location, climate, and soil conditions [ 5 , 9 , 10 , 13 ]. The presence of alkylamides in pericarps contributes to the perception of numb taste when the pericarps are used as spices [ 19 ].…”

“…The presence of alkylamides in pericarps contributes to the perception of numb taste when the pericarps are used as spices [ 19 ]. Alkylamides are long-chain unsaturated fatty structures, and hydroxyl-α-sanshool (Compound H), hydroxyl-β-sanshool (Compound I), and hydroxyl-γ-sanshool are dominant in prickly ash pericarps [ 10 , 13 , 20 , 21 ]. These alkylamides exhibit some bioactivities, such as attenuating learning and memory impairments [ 22 ] and protecting corticosterone-treated PC12 cells [ 23 ], and have anti-inflammatory properties [ 24 ].…”