Practical Protocol for Comprehensively Evaluating Sulfur-Fumigation of Baizhi Based on Metabolomics, Pharmacology, and Cytotoxicity

Abstract

Sulfur Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Baizhi) is a common medicinal herb in Asian countries. A practical protocol combining metabolomics, pharmacology, and cytotoxicity was developed to comprehensively evaluate the influence of sulfur-fumigation on the quality of Baizhi. Furocoumarins could be transformed into sulfur-containing compounds during the sulfuring process, among which 1 and 3 were purified with relatively high abundance and identified as 3,4-dihydrobyakangelicin-4-sulfonic acid and (4R,12S)-3,4-dihydrooxypeucedanin hydrate-4-sulfonic acid (OXH-S), respectively. OXH-S was found to be an addition product of sulfite and oxypeucedanin hydrate (OXH-N). Then, the cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activity of OXH-N, OXH-S, and water extracts of sulfured (extraction-S), and unsulfured Baizhi (extraction-N) were evaluated. OXH-S and extraction-S were less toxic than OXH-N and extraction-N, respectively. A comparison of OXH-N with OXH-S and extraction-N with extraction-S showed no significant differences in anti-inflammatory activity. These results suggest that sulfur fumigation can reduce toxicity and does not influence the anti-inflammatory activity of Baizhi, even after chemical composition changes. The proposed protocol based on marker screening, pharmacology, and safety evaluation provides a scientific basis for the standardization and regulation of sulfured Baizhi and other medical materials.

Untargeted metabolomics combined with vitro antioxidant to comprehensively evaluate the effect of sodium sulfite immersion on the holistic quality of mung bean sprouts

“…Meanwhile, compound 34 produced [M + H] + ion at m/z 435.0607, which further yielded the fragment ions at m/z 427.3775 [M − SO 3 + H] + and 409.1041 [M − SO 3 − H 2 O + H] + , indicating the occurrence of sulfurous acid addition. Studies have found that HSO 3 2− could bind to the double bond position in the compound (Deng et al., 2022). Thus, the exact reaction site was the double bond in neoruscogenin, which suggested that the sulfate reaction occurred at the double bond instead of the alcoholic hydroxyl group.…”

“…Thus, based on their fragmentation patterns, they were identified as the sulfate esterification product of genistein and daidzein; the exact reaction site was the hydroxyl in genistein and daidzein, respectively. The contents of their sulfate derivatives increased with the sodium sulfite concentration and immersion time increasing, as shown in (Deng et al, 2022). Thus, the exact reaction site was the double bond in neoruscogenin, which suggested that the sulfate reaction occurred at the double bond instead of the alcoholic hydroxyl group.…”

Codonopsis radix: a review of resource utilisation, postharvest processing, quality assessment, and its polysaccharide composition

“…Sulfite has strong reducing power, can kill larvae, adults and eggs, and inhibit microbial reproduction; at the same time, sulfite can inhibit the activity of oxidase, slow down the browning of Chinese medicinal materials, and help improve the appearance of Chinese medicinal materials ( Zhan et al, 2018 ). Sulfur fumigation, a long-standing traditional Chinese medicine processing technique, finds extensive application in the treatment of diverse medicinal substances due to its uncomplicated procedure and economical nature ( Deng et al, 2022 ). There are related studies and records of sulfur fumigation in medicinal materials such as Angelicae dahuricae radix [Umbelliferae; Angelica dahurica (Fisch.ex Hoffm.…”