Identification of Chemical Components of Qi-Fu-Yin and Its Prototype Components and Metabolites in Rat Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid via UPLC-Q-TOF-MS

Hengyu Li,Hongwei Zhao,Jiafeng Wang,Dongmei Qi,Yong Yang,Xiaorui Cheng,Yanting Song

doi:10.1155/2021/1995766

Abstract

Qi-Fu-Yin, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been used to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD, a neurodegenerative disorder) in clinical setting. In this study, the chemical components of Qi-Fu-Yin and its prototype components and metabolites in rat plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, after oral administration, were preliminarily characterized via ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). A total of 180 compounds, including saponins, flavonoids, organic acids, sucrose esters, oligosaccharide esters, phthalides, phenylethanoid glycosides, alkaloids, xanthones, terpene lactones, ionones, and iridoid glycoside, were tentatively characterized. For the first time, 51 prototypical components and 26 metabolites, including saponins, phthalides, flavonoids, sucrose esters, organic acids, alkaloids, ionones, terpene lactones, iridoid glycoside, and their derivatives, have been tentatively identified in the plasma. Furthermore, 10 prototypical components (including butylidenephthalide, butylphthalide, 20(S)-ginsenoside Rh1, 20(R)-ginsenoside Rh1, and zingibroside R1) and 6 metabolites were preliminarily characterized in cerebrospinal fluid. These results were beneficial to the discovery of the active components of Qi-Fu-Yin anti-AD.

Highlights

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a vital role in the treatment of various complex chronic diseases owing to the synergistic effects of the formulations and has, garnered increasing attention worldwide [1, 2]
It is composed of seven herbs—Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (GRR), Rehmanniae Radix Preparata (RRP), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR), Atractylodis Macrocephala Rhizoma Preparata (ARP), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Preparata cum Melle (GRP), Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), and Polygalae Radix Preparata (PRP)—in a ratio of 6 : 9 : 9 : 5 : 3 : 6 : 5 [3]
154 chemical components were unambiguously identified or tentatively characterized in QiFu-Yin using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) [10]

Summary

Introduction

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a vital role in the treatment of various complex chronic diseases owing to the synergistic effects of the formulations and has, garnered increasing attention worldwide [1, 2]. Qi-Fu-Yin, a TCM prescription, was first recorded in the book Jingyue Encyclopedia written by Jingyue Zhang during the Ming Dynasty. It is composed of seven herbs—Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (GRR), Rehmanniae Radix Preparata (RRP), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR), Atractylodis Macrocephala Rhizoma Preparata (ARP), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Preparata cum Melle (GRP), Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), and Polygalae Radix Preparata (PRP)—in a ratio of 6 : 9 : 9 : 5 : 3 : 6 : 5 [3]. 154 chemical components were unambiguously identified or tentatively characterized in QiFu-Yin using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) [10]. It remains unknown which components are absorbed into the plasma and brain after oral administration of Qi-Fu-Yin, which hinders the elucidation of its potentially bioactive constituents and the underlying action mechanisms

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion