High Resolution UHPLC-MS Metabolomics and Sedative-Anxiolytic Effects of Latua pubiflora: A Mystic Plant used by Mapuche Amerindians

Abstract

Latua pubiflora (Griseb) Phil. Is a native shrub of the Solanaceae family that grows freely in southern Chile and is employed among Mapuche aboriginals to induce sedative effects and hallucinations in religious or medicine rituals since prehispanic times. In this work, the pentobarbital-induced sleeping test and the elevated plus maze test were employed to test the behavioral effects of extracts of this plant in mice. The psychopharmacological evaluation of L. pubiflora extracts in mice determined that both alkaloid-enriched as well as the non-alkaloid extracts produced an increase of sleeping time and alteration of motor activity in mice at 150 mg/Kg. The alkaloid extract exhibited anxiolytic effects in the elevated plus maze test, which was counteracted by flumazenil. In addition, the alkaloid extract from L. pubiflora decreased [3H]-flunitrazepam binding on rat cortical membranes. In this study we have identified 18 tropane alkaloids (peaks 1–4, 8–13, 15–18, 21, 23, 24, and 28), 8 phenolic acids and related compounds (peaks 5–7, 14, 19, 20, 22, and 29) and 7 flavonoids (peaks 25–27 and 30–33) in extracts of L. pubiflora by UHPLC-PDA-MS which are responsible for the biological activity. This study assessed for the first time the sedative-anxiolytic effects of L. pubiflora in rats besides the high resolution metabolomics analysis including the finding of pharmacologically important tropane alkaloids and glycosylated flavonoids.

Chilean Rhubarb, Gunnera tinctoria (Molina) Mirb. (Gunneraceae): UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS Profiling of Aqueous Extract and its Anti-Helicobacter pylori Activity

“…Peak 21 ( m/z : 477.10385, [M-H] − ) was consistent with the molecular formula C 22 H 22 O 12 , corresponding to isorhamnetin-3- O -glucoside ( Gutzeit et al, 2007 ). Peak 22 with a parent ion at m/z : 593.15010 was identified as kaempferol-3- O -rutinose (C 27 H 29 O 15 ) ( Sánchez-Montoya et al, 2017 ) and peak 22 as quercetin.…”

Metabolomic Biomarkers in Anxiety Disorders

“…Metabolomics was also applied in the field of drug discovery, including natural product research. Several studies used metabolomics analyses to characterize the composition of anxiolytic drugs/natural products [112], which will not be described in more detail as it does not fall within the scope of this review. However, in some studies, changes in brain or plasma metabolites due to drug administration were also assessed, as summarized in Table 2.…”