Abstract
Gymnadenia conopsea R. Br. is a traditional Tibetan medicinal plant that grows at altitudes above 3000 m, which is used to treat neurasthenia, asthma, coughs, and chronic hepatitis. However, a comprehensive configuration of the chemical profile of this plant has not been reported because of the complexity of its chemical constituents. In this study, a rapid and precise method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with an Orbitrap mass spectrometer (UPLC–Orbitrap–MS/MS) was established in both positive- and negative-ion modes to rapidly identify various chemical components in the tubers of G. conopsea for the first time. Finally, a total of 91 compounds, including 17 succinic acid ester glycosides, 9 stilbenes, 6 phenanthrenes, 19 alkaloids, 11 terpenoids and steroids, 20 phenolic acid derivatives, and 9 others, were identified in the tubers of G. conopsea based on the accurate mass within 3 ppm error. Furthermore, many alkaloids, phenolic acid derivates, and terpenes were reported from G. conopsea for the first time. This rapid method provides an important scientific basis for further study on the cultivation, clinical application, and functional food of G. conopsea.
Highlights
A total of 91 components belonging to seven categories in the tubers of G. conopsea were identified in a short time, which will provide a basis for further study of the relationship between the constituents and pharmacology
A comparative study based on the chromatographic separation and detection sensitivity revealed that the best performance was achieved with methanol as the organic part of the mobile phase
Due to the compounds containing carboxyl and phenolic hydroxyl, the moiety was tailed on the C18 column, which could be improved by adding a small amount of organic acid
Summary
Br. is a perennial herb belonging to the Orcidaceae family and is widely distributed in Tibet, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan in China [1]. The tubers of this plant are similar to the palm of the human hand, so was given the Chinese name “shou zhang shen”. Traditional separation and identification methods require a large amount of materials and take a long time, and only the main components can be obtained, which do not fully explain the chemical profile of this plant. A method based on UPLC–Orbitrap–MS/MS was established for rapid and sensitive characterization of various chemical components in the tubers of G. conopsea for the first time. A total of 91 components belonging to seven categories in the tubers of G. conopsea were identified in a short time, which will provide a basis for further study of the relationship between the constituents and pharmacology
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