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Highlights • A hierarchical extraction method was established for determination flavonoids and triterpenes in T. kirilowii. • An UHPLC-MS/MS method was established for quantification multiple compounds. • Reveal the distribution of resource components in different parts of T. kirilowii. • The results could be useful for the rational utilization of T. kirilowii. Abstract Trichosanthin (root of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim.) has received much attention, but T. kirilowii has received little systematic analysis. A comprehensive evaluation of flavones and triterpenes in nine different parts of T. kirilowii would, thus, be of value to fully understand the potential medicinal properties of T. kirilowii. A hierarchical extraction—simultaneous determination method was established, which based on different types of components had different response on the MS detector. The hierarchical extraction method extracted 3, 29-dibenzoyl rarounitriol solely, which response lowly on the MS detector in the mixture of one step extract, in order to obtain accurate results in the next UHPLC-MS/MS assay. By this method, ten flavones, three tetracyclic triterpenoids, and one pentacyclic triterpenoid in the extracts of T. kirilowii were determined. The results showed the level of flavonoids in leaves was higher than those in the other samples, tetracyclic triterpenoids mainly existed in root and root bark, and pentacyclic triterpenoid, especially 3, 29-dibenzoyl rarounitriol was concentrated in the seed kernel. According to principal component analysis, the F values of the leaves of all varieties were generally greater than those in other parts. The leaves might provide a supplementary source of flavonoids, and the root and root bark could be a good choice for tetracyclic triterpenoids. The analysis results revealed the distribution of flavones and triterpenes in different parts of T. kirilowii and provided reference for the research and rational utilization of T. kirilowii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A UPLC-MS/MS method was established for determination volatile in herb pair. • Response surface analysis was employed to explain the herb–herb interactions. • The results were positive to Cyperi Rhizoma herb pair based products development. Abstract Cyperi Rhizoma (Xiangfu) combined with either Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Danggui) or Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuanxiong) are herb pairs that are commonly used in clinical settings. To illustrate the herb–herb interactions that occur when extracts from these herbs are obtained together, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and response surface analysis were used. Volatile components, α-cyperone, nootkatone, ligustilide, senkyunolide A and senkyunolide I, were accurately identified with high precision. When Xiangfu was combined with Danggui at a 1:1 ratio, or with Chuanxiong at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio, the dissolution rates of α-cyperone and nootkatone from the herbs were greatly increased, compared to those obtained from Xiangfu extract alone. The dissolution rates of ligustilide, senkyunolide A and senkyunolide I from Danggui or Chuanxiong changed proportionally to changes in the ratios of Xiangfu with either Danggui or Chuanxiong. Response surface analysis results presented polynomial regression equations between the dissolution of tested compounds and the corresponding input variables, including compatibility proportions and solvent dosage. Based on the predicted results from response surface analysis, a combination of Xiangfu with Chuanxiong at a ratio of near 1:1, or with Danggui at 1:2, resulted in the maximum dissolution of five volatile components. Our established method could be applied to herb–herb interaction research, and the results may provide a scientific basis for the development of Cyperi Rhizoma–Chuanxiong Rhizoma, or Cyperi Rhizoma–Angelicae Sinensis Radix-based formulas and products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and generally applicable approach was established to hierarchically identify the bioactive components of a medicinal herb by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (prep-HPLC) and a selective knock-out strategy. In this study, the targeted components of an herbal medicine were separated and knocked out using prep-HPLC. Subsequently, the contributions of the different target components to the overall effect of the medicinal herb were comparatively evaluated and differentiated by a heat map and a 3D score plot. This approach was successfully applied to investigate the bioactive constituents of safflower. The contributions of 11 components to the overall effect of safflower were as follows: anhydrosafflor yellow B ( 10) > 6-hydroxykaempferol 3,6-di- O - β - d -glucoside ( 8 ) > hydroxysafflor yellow A ( 3 ) > kaempferol 3- O - β -rutinoside ( 11 ) > 6-hydroxykaempferol 3- O - β -rutinoside ( 9 ) > 6-hydroxykaempferol 3,6-di- O - β - d -glucoside-7- O - β - d -glucuronide ( 4 ) > 6-hydroxyapigenin 6- O - β - d -glucoside-7- O - β - d -glucuronide ( 6 ) > cytidine ( 1 ) > 6-hydroxykaempferol 3- O - β -rutinoside-6- O - β - d -glucoside ( 7 ) > 6-hydroxykaempferol 3,6,7-tri- O - β - d -glucoside ( 5 ) > adenosine ( 2 ). These results demonstrate that quinochalcone C -glycosides ( 3 and 10 ) and some flavonoid glycosides containing C7-OH (such as 8 , 9 and 11 ) made a greater contribution to the overall effect of safflower than the other components that were knocked out. The results provided an important reference for improving quality control and further development of safflower products. And this approach should also be useful for investigating the bioactive constituents of other medicinal herbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Amino acids, nucleosides, nucleobases, sugars and protein in goji were analyzed. • Nutritional component profiles of goji from different regions were compared. • The regions located in Hetao plain produced goji with similar chemical profile. • Fructose and glucose are the main markers to distinguish goji from different areas. Goji berries are used as functional food for hundreds of years in Asia, Europe, North America and Austria, and are popular for nutritive properties in global. Commercial Goji berries are mainly produced in Ningxia, Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia of China. However, the Goji berries produced in these regions exhibited different appearance and taste. Thus, characterization of the nutritional components in Goji berries produced in these regions could provide the guidance for application of them. In this study, 94 samples were collected, and a total of 20 amino acids, 17 nucleosides and nucleobases, 4 sugars and protein were determined by UHPLC-MS/MS, HPLC-ELSD or UV, and the variation was illustrated through heatmap clustering analysis, PCA and PLS-DA. The results showed that Goji berries from Xinjiang were rich in protein than the samples from other regions; those from Gansu and Ningxia were rich in amino acids, nucleosides and nucleobases; and those from Jiuquan of Gansu and Qinghai were rich in sugars. Heatmap clustering and PCA analysis results showed that all the samples exhibited a significant spatial aggregation, and the producing regions located along the Yellow River (belonging to the Hetao plain) produced Goji berries with the similar chemical profile. Additionally, PLS-DA analysis results showed that fructose and glucose were the predominant markers to distinguish Goji berries from different producing regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]