Quantitative analysis of six sesquiterpene glycosides from Dendrobium nobile Lindl. under different growth conditions byhigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry in MRM mode.

Abstract

The sesquiterpene glycosides (SGs) from Dendrobium nobile Lindl. have immunomodulatory effects. However, there are no studies on the growth conditions affecting its contents and quantitative analysis methods. In the present study, a quantitative analysis method for six SGs from D. nobile was established. We explored which growth conditions could affect the contents of SGs, providing a basis for the cultivation and clinical application of D. nobile. Firstly, based on the optimization of mass spectrometry parameters and extraction conditions for six SGs in D. nobile, a method for the determination of the contents of six SGs was established using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Then, the methodology of the established method was validated. Secondly, the established method was applied to determine the contents of six SGs from 78 samples of D.nobile grown under different growth conditions. Finally, chemometrics analysis was employed to analyze the results and select optimal growth conditions for D. nobile. The results indicated significant variations in the contents of SGs from D. nobile grown under different growth conditions. The primary factors influencing SG contents included age, geographical origin, altitude, and epiphytic pattern. Therefore, the established method for determining SG contents from D. nobile is stable. In particular, the SG contents were relatively high in samples of 3-year-old D. nobile grown at an altitude of approximately 500 m on Danxia rocks in Chishui, Guizhou.