Quality Formation Mechanism of Stiff Silkworm, Bombyx batryticatus Using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS-Based Metabolomics.

Dongxu Xing,Qiong Yang,Qingyou Xia,Qingrong Li,Guanwang Shen,Yang Xiao

doi:10.3390/molecules24203780

Abstract

Bombyx batryticatus is a well-known animal in traditional Chinese medicine. The aim of the research was to reveal the quality formation mechanism of B. batryticatus and to screen out the characteristic component used for the quality control. The anticonvulsant effects of B. batryticatus with a stiff time of one, five, and nine days (D1, D5 and D9, respectively) and healthy silkworm of the same developmental stage (SW) were determined by animal experiment. The dynamic changes in chemical composition were analyzed using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS-based metabolomics. D5 and D9 B. batryticatus exhibited significant anticonvulsant effects (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Accordingly, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) indicated that the chemical composition of D5 and D9 B. batryticatus changed significantly. The different metabolites mainly consisted of primary metabolites such as lipids and amino acids and secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, beauvericin, and glycolipids. Interestingly, the relative abundance of quercetin-7-O-β-d-4-O-methylglucoside, the characteristic component of B. batryticatus, increased with stiff time and was promised to be used as an index component of quality control. The results expand our understanding of the quality formation mechanism of B. batryticatus. In addition, it highlights the potential of UPLC-Q-TOF-MS-based metabolomics for the quality control purpose of TCMs.

Highlights

Bombyx batryticatus is a well-known animal in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is the dried larva of Bombyx mori infected by Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill [1]
The results showed that the efficacy of B. batryticatus was closely compared
The results indicated that clonic seizure latency (p < 0.01) and tonic seizure latency (p < 0.05), and improved mortality the longer stiff time and the higher degree of stiffness, the better medicinal quality of B. batryticatus

Summary

Introduction

Bombyx batryticatus is a well-known animal in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is the dried larva of Bombyx mori infected by Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill [1]. In traditional medical applications in China, South Korea, and Japan, B. batryticatus has the functions of relieving spasm by calming endogenous wind, dispelling pathogenic wind for relieving pain, dissipating phlegm, and resolving masses. Modern pharmacological investigations have proved that water or alcohol extracts of B. batryticatus have anticonvulsant, antiepileptic, anticoagulant, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and antitumor activities [6,7,8,9]. The demand for B. batryticatus is expected to increase annually with developments in pharmacological research and its application in medicine, food, and cosmetics.

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