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Aurantii fructus (AF) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used to improve gastrointestinal motility disorders for over a thousand years, but there is no exhaustive identification of the basic chemical components and comprehensive quality control of this herb. In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were employed to identify the basic chemical compounds, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed to determine the major biochemical markers from AF extract. There were 104 compounds belonging to eight structure types, including 13 amino acids or peptides, seven alkaloids, 18 flavanones, 14 flavones, 15 polymethoxyflavonoids, six triterpenoids, nine coumarins, and 18 volatile oils, as well as four other compounds that were systematically identified as the basic components from AF, and among them, 41 compounds were reported for the first time. Twelve bioactive ingredients were chosen as the benchmark markers to evaluate the quality of AF. The analysis was completed with a gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min within 55 min. This efficient method was validated showing good linearity, precision, stability, repeatability and recovery. Furthermore, the method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of 12 chemical markers in different samples of AF. This study could be applied to the identification of multiple bioactive substances and improve the quality control of AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclocarya paliurus is an edible and medicinal plant containing various bioactive components with significant health benefits. A combinative method using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint and quantitative analysis was developed and successfully applied for characterization and quality evaluation of C. paliurus leaves collected from 18 geographical locations of China. For the fingerprint analysis, 21 common peaks were observed among the 18 samples, and these peaks were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS), while a simultaneous quantification of 16 markers was conducted to interpret the variations of contents of these bioactive compounds among the C. paliurus leaves from different geographical locations. Quantification results showed that the contents of these sixteen investigated compounds varied greatly among the leaves from different locations. The developed new method would be a valuable reference for further study and development of this bioactive plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to determine the composition, antiradical and antimicrobial activity of fruits, leaves and roots of an underestimated species of barberry—Berberis iliensis—growing in Kazakhstan. Particular attention was paid to the determination of the composition of its extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS) analysis. As a result of the chromatographic and spectrometric study 33 secondary metabolites from the groups of phenolic acids and their esters, flavonoids, alkaloids and organic acids were identified and 15 of them—quantified. The isomers of caffeoyl-glucaric acid, caffeic acid derivatives, isoquercetin, berberine and jatrorrhizine were the most abundant components of the tested extracts. The antiradical activity tests were performed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Folin-Ciocalteu assays on four types of extracts (water, ethanol, ethanol-water 7:3 v/v, ethanol-water 1:1 v/v) from the three organs of the plant. The highest antiradical potential (IC50 = 80 ± 6.36 µg/mL) and phenolic content (440 ± 17.1 mg gallic acid equivalents/L) was calculated for ethanol- water (1:1 v/v) extracts from the leaves and could be influenced by the abundant presence of simple phenolic acids, flavonoids and glucaric acid esters. Among reference microorganisms, M. luteus, S. epidermidis, some S. aureus and B. cereus belonging to Gram-positive bacteria and yeasts from Candida species were the most sensitive to roots extract that was found the most active among the studied samples. The results of the study classify Berberis iliensis as a strong antioxidant agent and as a plant with an antimicrobial potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitter orange, Citrus aurantium L. var. amara (CAVA), is an important crop and its flowers and fruits are widely used in China as a food spice, as well as in traditional Chinese medicine, due to its health-promoting properties. The secondary metabolites that are present in plant-derived foods or medicines are, in part, responsible for the health benefits and desirable flavor profiles. Nevertheless, detailed information about the bioactive ingredients in CAVA is scarce. Therefore, this study was aimed at exploring the phytochemicals of CAVA by high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Here, a systematic screening method combined with HPLC-Q-TOF-MS was presented. This technique was used to systematically screen metabolites, primarily from the complex matrix of CAVA, and to identify these compounds by their exact masses, characteristic fragment ions, and fragmentation behaviors. A total of 295 metabolites were screened by the screening method and 89 phytochemicals were identified in the flowers, fruits, roots, leaves, and branches of CAVA. For the first time, 69 phytochemicals (flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, etc.) were reported from CAVA. The results highlight the importance of CAVA as a source of secondary metabolites in the food, medicine, and nutraceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aurantii fructus (AF) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used to improve gastrointestinal motility disorders for over a thousand years, but there is no exhaustive identification of the basic chemical components and comprehensive quality control of this herb. In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were employed to identify the basic chemical compounds, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed to determine the major biochemical markers from AF extract. There were 104 compounds belonging to eight structure types, including 13 amino acids or peptides, seven alkaloids, 18 flavanones, 14 flavones, 15 polymethoxyflavonoids, six triterpenoids, nine coumarins, and 18 volatile oils, as well as four other compounds that were systematically identified as the basic components from AF, and among them, 41 compounds were reported for the first time. Twelve bioactive ingredients were chosen as the benchmark markers to evaluate the quality of AF. The analysis was completed with a gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min within 55 min. This efficient method was validated showing good linearity, precision, stability, repeatability and recovery. Furthermore, the method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of 12 chemical markers in different samples of AF. This study could be applied to the identification of multiple bioactive substances and improve the quality control of AF.

Cyclocarya paliurus is an edible and medicinal plant containing various bioactive components with significant health benefits. A combinative method using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint and quantitative analysis was developed and successfully applied for characterization and quality evaluation of C. paliurus leaves collected from 18 geographical locations of China. For the fingerprint analysis, 21 common peaks were observed among the 18 samples, and these peaks were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS), while a simultaneous quantification of 16 markers was conducted to interpret the variations of contents of these bioactive compounds among the C. paliurus leaves from different geographical locations. Quantification results showed that the contents of these sixteen investigated compounds varied greatly among the leaves from different locations. The developed new method would be a valuable reference for further study and development of this bioactive plant., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.