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A liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF/MS) based plant metabolomics approach was established to investigate the metabolic profiles of the Cinnamomum camphora leaves of four different areas. The LC-QTOF/MS data were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squared discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) to find the potential characteristic components of C. camphora leaves from the four areas in a quick way. C. camphora leaves from different areas could be separated into four different groups chemically according to the PCA scores. The chemical constituents in C. camphora leaves from four areas were obviously different. The potential markers were identified by comparison with the reference compounds or were tentatively assigned by matching the retention time, empirical molecular formula and fragment ions with those of the published compounds of C. camphora leaves. The proposed analytical method is fast, accurate and reliable for differentiating C. camphora leaves from different areas. Moreover, this study supplied a new method for the quality evaluation of other medicinal materials., Author(s): Jinqiang Yang [sup.1], Qin Lin [sup.1], Luyi Fan [sup.1], Nianyun Yang [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.410745.3, 0000 0004 1765 1045, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, , 210023, Nanjing, China [...]

A liquid chromatography–triple-quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC–QTrap-MS) analysis has been developed for the identification and quantification of 10 nucleosides and nucleobases in extracts of Antrodia camphorata. The method was successfully used to qualitatively identify for six nucleosides namely, cytidine, uridine, inosine, guanosine, thymidine, adenosine and four nucleobases namely, uracil, guanine, xanthine, adenine in A. camphorata. Under optimized chromatographic conditions, good separation for 10 target compounds were obtained on an Agilent HC-C18(2) column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm) eluted by a mobile phase of 5 mM ammonium acetate solution–methanol at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Data acquisition was carried out in multiple reaction monitoring transition mode. Additional identification and confirmation of target compounds were performed using the enhanced product ion modus of the linear ion trap. It was the first report about simultaneous analysis of nucleosides and nucleobases in A. camphorata using this method. These results demonstrated that the QTRAP LC–MS/MS was a useful tool for quality evaluation of some medicinal plant products by using nucleosides and nucleobases as chemical markers. This method might also be utilized for the investigation of edible plant materials and agricultural products containing nucleosides and nucleobases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Proteomic analysis of reserpine-induced depression and the effects of berberine on this were investigated to delineate the possible underlying mechanism. Reserpine was used for the model of behavioral depression. Model mice were treated with berberine. Mice brain proteomic analysis was carried out by label-free nano LC-ESI-OrbiTrap MS/MS technology. The data were processed by Maxquant software. The differentially-expressed proteins were evaluated on GO and KEGG analysis, and key protein expression was validated by Western blot analysis. A total of 278 differentially-expressed proteins were identified. Reserpine could cause cerebral injury and depressive disorder in mice, the mechanism of which is related to steroid hormone biosynthesis, chemical carcinogenesis, nucleotide excision repair and the retinoic acid-inducible gene I-like (RIG-I-like) receptor signaling. Berberine treatments involve 3 distinct proteins in the RIG-I-like receptor signaling. RIG-I was validated, which was over-expressed in the model group and negative in the normal and administration groups. RIG-I mediated neuroinflammation could participate in the process of depression and RIG-I may become a target for berberine against depression.

This article was aimed to analyze the bioactive ethyl acetate fraction from the extract of Crocus sativus petal by LC-MS and to study its antidepressant effect. Antidepressant test was performed employing rat C6 glioma cells model. The major compounds from ethyl acetate fraction were cinnamic acid derivatives, which primarily included methylcinnamaldehydes, carboxycinnamylic acid carboxyphenethyl ester, carboxyvinylcinnamyl alcohol propinate, 3-acetoxy-4-propoxycinnamylic acid, carboxycinnamylic acid glycol ester, vinnylcinnamylic acid hexylene glycol ester and cinnamylic acid. In C6 glioma cells test, the ethyl acetate extract of C. sativus petal significantly upregulated nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. C. sativus petal has antidepressant effect, and cinnamic acid derivatives shoud be the main antidepressant constituents. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NGF and BDNF reuptake.