Identification of the Trace Components in BopuzongJian and Macleaya cordata Extract Using LC-MS Combined with a Screening Method.

Zhuang Dong,Jianguo Zeng,Mengting Liu,Xiaoyong Ou,Shurui Ren,Xuan Yun,Xiaohong Zhong,Zhixing Qing,Mingcan Wang

doi:10.3390/molecules26133851

Abstract

Bopu powder® and Sangrovit® were developed from Macleaya cordata and are widely used in agriculture and animal husbandry, but their impurities have been rarely reported in the literature. Impurity analysis is of great importance to the quality and safety of veterinary drugs. In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with a screening method was used to screen and characterize the impurities in Bopu powder® and Sangrovit®. A total of 58 impurities were screened from Bopu powder® and Sangrovit® using the screening strategies, of which 39 were identified by their accurate m/z value, characteristic MS/MS data, and fragmentation pathways of references. This established method was used for impurity analysis for the first time and proved to be a useful and rapid tool to screen and identify the impurities of Bopu powder® and Sangrovit®, especially for those at trace levels in a complex sample. In addition, this study marks the first comprehensive research into impurities in these two products and has great significance for the systematic detection of impurities in other plant-derived drugs.

Highlights

Bopu powder® and Sangrovit®, whose main chemical compositions are isoquinoline alkaloids, are extracted from the natural plant Macleaya cordata, and they are widely used in the animal breeding industry as a kind of safe, effective, and controllable Chinese veterinary medicine [1,2,3,4,5]
LC–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) applies to the analysis of complex matrix samples with high detection sensitivity, strong separation ability, and flexibility [25], and it has been widely used in many fields, such as medicine and food analysis
58 impurities were screened from the Bopu powder® and Sangrovit® by combining the above three methods, and 39 of them were identified on the basis of their characteristic MS/MS spectra (Figure 3)

Summary

Introduction

Bopu powder® and Sangrovit®, whose main chemical compositions are isoquinoline alkaloids, are extracted from the natural plant Macleaya cordata, and they are widely used in the animal breeding industry as a kind of safe, effective, and controllable Chinese veterinary medicine [1,2,3,4,5]. Compounds with obvious peaks in the TICs can be detected and identified, while it is difficult to identify and characterize components with trace amount [23]. To solve this problem, a screening strategy including the non-target, accurate-target, and extensive-target method combined with LC-MS was employed for systematical screening impurities in the presence of Bopu powder® and Sangrovit®. A total of 58 impurities were screened, and 39 of them were identified from both products (Table 1)

Screening Method

Screening and Identification of Protoberberine-Type Alkaloids

Screening and Identification of Benzophenanthrine-Type Alkaloids

HPLC Conditions

Findings

Q-TOF-MS Conditions

Conclusions