Traditional Chinese Medicine Extracts Research Articles

The Growth Inhibition of Targeted Pluronic/Formononetin Nanocomposite on Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro

Natural flavonoid formononetin (FN) has anticancer effects, but the hydrophobic structure, characteristics of the short half-life in vivo, limiting its clinical wide-ranging application. In this study, FN loaded Pluronic (PF)@folic acid (FA) micelles (FN-PF@FA), were prepared to improve the solubility, bioavailability and targeting. FA coupling PF was prepared by carbodiimide crosslinker chemical method, FN-PF@FA micelles were prepared by modified film hydration method, and compared the antitumor activity of FN loaded micelles with free FN In Vitro. The spherical smooth surface of FN-PF@FA micelles had smaller particle size (112.3±5.3 nm), high encapsulation efficiency (86.14±2.68%), high negative zeta potential (-25.8±0.57 mV), low critical concentration CMC (0.03 mg/mL), and better sustained release profile. In addition, FN-PF@FA micelles have a positive targeting effect on oral squamous cell carcinoma cells (SCC3). In 48 hours, the growth inhibition of 50% (GI50) was 28.6±1.2 μg/mL for FN and 17.4±0.78 μg/mL for FN-PF, the dose dropped by nearly 38.46%. In addition, the GI50 value of FN-PF@FA was 9.5±0.3 μg/mL, 66.43% lower than FN and 44.83% lower than FN-PF. Furthermore, the laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed that the conjugation of FA significantly improves the active targeting ability of micelles. FN-PF@FA micelles have the potential to target the release of anticancer drugs with higher bioavailability, further provides a new avenue for the application of traditional Chinese medicine extract in oral malignant tumor.

Solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatographic determination of steroids adulterated in traditional Chinese medicines

A systematic evaluation and comparison of the recoveries of eight steroids from spiked traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) extract using silica gel solid-phase extraction (SPE) are reported. The eight steroids, betamethasone, cortisone acetate, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone acetate, methylprednisolone, prednisolone, prednisone and triamcinolone, adulterated in TCM were assayed simultaneously by high performance liquid chromatography on a reverse phase column. This chromatographic method was carried out using isocratic elution with acetonitrile and water (3:7). Fludrocortisone acetate was used as an internal standard and detection was at 240 nm. Calibration curves of the eight adulterants were constructed in the range 6-96 μg/mL. Their correlation coefficients ranged from 0.9983 to 0.9996. The relative standard deviations of the eight steroids for intraday and interday analyses were 0.7-4.1% and 1.0-4.4%, respectively. Optimized experimental conditions including solvent composition, TCM extract concentration and different brands of SPE cartridge were also investigated.

Research progress on hepatotoxicity of traditional Chinese medicine based on metabonomics

With the continuous development of Chinese medicine, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has been widely used in the treatment of diseases and health care. At the same time, the toxic and side effects of TCM have been gradually concerned. The liver, as an important place for drug metabolism, is a major target organ for drug toxicity. Clinical reports on liver injury caused by TCM are common, and the problem of liver toxicity of TCM has become an important reason to limit the internationalization of TCM. Metabono-mics is a newly booming subject to study the metabolic pathway of biological system. It shows integrity and systematicness in the study of hepatotoxicity of TCM, which provides a new technical method for finding the early biomarkers of liver injury of TCM and exploring the mechanism of hepatotoxicity of TCM. In this paper, the methods of metabonomics in the study of hepatotoxicity of TCM, as well as the research progress of hepatotoxicity monomer, extract and attenuation of hepatotoxic TCM based on metabonomics were reviewed in order to provide reference for the further study of hepatotoxicity of TCM.

Polyphyllin VII induces fibroblasts apoptosis via the ERK/JNK pathway

Hypertrophic scar (HS) is a pathological scar that often occurs in burn patients. Its histology is characterized by the excessive proliferation of fibroblasts (FB) and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Inhibition of proliferation and activation of FB is essential for the treatment of HS. The crude extracts of traditional Chinese medicines have beneficial therapeutic effects on HS besides possessing fewer side effects and being easily available. Polyphyllin VII (PP7) is an isoprene saponin isolated from Rhizoma paridis. It has a pro-apoptotic effect on cancer cells. In the present study, we demonstrate that PP7 exerts a significant inhibitory effect on hypertrophic scar fibroblasts (HSFs) in vitro. We also demonstrate that PP7 considerably induces the apoptosis of HSFs and inhibits their activity. Our data show that the PP7-induced HSFs cell apoptosis was mainly due to the enhanced expression of apoptotic genes (Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9) and decreased expression of Bcl-2. Moreover, PP7 treatment also enhances the expression of JNK, but that of extracellular protein kinases (ERK) was reduced, and induces apoptosis through ERK/JNK pathways. Thus, PP7 can be used as a drug to prevent the formation of HS.

Dihydroartemisinin Prevents Progression and Metastasis of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Inhibiting Polarization of Macrophages in Tumor Microenvironment.

BackgroundPolarized M2 macrophages are an important type of tumor-associated macrophage (TAM), with roles in the growth, invasion, and migration of cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a traditional Chinese medicine extract, has been shown to inhibit the progression and metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); however, the effect of DHA on cancer prevention, and the associated mechanism, has not been investigated in the tumor microenvironment.Materials and MethodsFirst, human Thp-1 monocytes were induced and differentiated into M2 macrophages using phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-4 (IL-4). Induction success was confirmed by cell morphology evaluation, flow cytometry, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Then, DHA was applied to interfere with M2 macrophage polarization, and conditioned medium (CM), including conditioned medium from M2 macrophages (M2-CM) and conditioned medium from M2 macrophages with DHA (M2-DHA-CM), was obtained. CM was applied to Fadu or Cal-27 cells, and its effects on cancer invasion, migration, and angiogenesis were evaluated using transwell, wound-healing, and tube formation assays, respectively. Finally, Western blotting was used to evaluate the relationship between signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway activation and M2 macrophage polarization.ResultsHuman Thp-1 monocytes were successfully polarized into M2-like TAMs using PMA, IL-6, and IL-4. We found that M2-like TAMs promoted the invasion, migration, and angiogenesis of HNSCC cells; however, DHA significantly inhibited IL-4/IL-6-induced M2 macrophage polarization. Additionally, as DHA induced a decrease in the number of M2-like TAMs, M2-DHA-CM inhibited the induction of invasion, migration, and angiogenesis of Fadu and Cal-27 cells. Finally, DHA inhibited M2 macrophage polarization by blocking STAT3 pathway activation in macrophages.ConclusionDHA inhibits the invasion, migration, and angiogenesis of HNSCC by preventing M2 macrophage polarization via blocking STAT3 phosphorylation.

Alkyl Thiourea Functionalised Silica for the Effective Removal of Heavy Metals from Acanthopanax senticosus Extract.

Acanthopanax senticosus extract with excessive standard of Pb, Cd, Hg, and Cu was used as the research object, and the alkyl thiourea functionalised silica was used as a new heavy metal removal scavenger. The heavy metal removal process was optimised by orthogonal experiment with dynamic and static adsorption modes. Meanwhile, the content of Acanthopanax B and Acanthopanax E, the solid content, and the HPLC fingerprint similarity were used as quality monitoring indicators of Acanthopanax senticosus heavy metal removal before and after. Then, the technical adaptability of heavy metal removal by alkyl thiourea functionalised silica was evaluated. Under the optimal dynamic adsorption conditions, the average removal rates of Pb, Cd, Hg, and Cu were 91.64%, 93.04%, 81.77%, and 83.11%, respectively. Under the optimal static adsorption conditions, the average removal rates of Pb, Cd, Hg, and Cu were 82.22%, 89.95%, 81.26%, and 82.97%, respectively. During Acanthopanax senticosus extract heavy metal removal before and after, the change percentage of Acanthopanax B and Acanthopanax E was less than 2.00%, the solid content loss rate was only 0.18%, and the fingerprint similarity was over 99.9%. The method can be used to satisfy the high efficiency of selective removal of harmful elements in Acanthopanax senticosus extract and the effective composition of almost no effect; the method is simple and easy, so it can be recommended for pretreatment of heavy metals in Traditional Chinese Medicine extracts, and this way provides a new thought and research technique to decrease the contents of heavy metals.

Extract of Naotaifang, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, protects neuron ferroptosis induced by acute cerebral ischemia in rats

ObjectiveOur previous research showed that Naotaifang (a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine) extract (NTE) has clinically beneficial effects on neurological improvement of patients with acute cerebral ischemia. In this study, we investigated whether NTE protected acute brain injury in rats and whether its effects on ferroptosis could be linked to the dysfunction of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and iron metabolism. MethodsWe established an acute brain injury model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats, in which we could observe the accumulation of iron in neurons, as detected by Perl’s staining. Using assay kits, we measured expression levels of ferroptosis biomarkers, such as iron, glutathione (GSH), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malonaldehyde (MDA); further the expression levels of transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1), divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and GPX4 were determined using immunohistochemical analysis, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assays. ResultsWe found that treatment with NTE reduced the expression levels of TFR1 and DMT1, reduced ROS, MDA and iron accumulation and reduced neurobehavioral scores, relative to untreated MCAO rats. Treatment with NTE increased the expression levels of SLC7A11, GPX4 and GSH, and the number of Nissl bodies in the MCAO rats. ConclusionTaken together, our data suggest that acute cerebral ischemia induces neuronal ferroptosis and the effects of treating MCAO rats with NTE involved inhibition of ferroptosis through the TFR1/DMT1 and SCL7A11/GPX4 pathways.

Effect and mechanism of CyPA in radiosensitization of lung adenocarcinoma using CRISPR/Cas9 technology

Abstract Objective To explore the role of cyclophilin A (CyPA) in sensitization of lung adenocarcinoma to radiotherapy using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Methods A CyPA knockout human lung adenocarcinoma cell line H1975 was established by CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Groups included a control group (wildtype), CyPA knockout group, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) extract with Fuzhengzengxiao decoction group, and TCM extract with Fuzhengzengxiao decoction + CyPA knockout group. Each group was exposed to radiation at doses of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 Gy. After 24 h, MTT assays were used to determine the survival rate of lung cancer cells and calculate radiosensitivity. The qPCR was used to measure mRNA expression of DDIT3, CDKN1A, and CDC25A associated with DNA damage repair. Results Without irradiation, Fuzhengzengxiao decoction reduced the survival rate of lung adenocarcinoma cells (P Conclusion Fuzhengzengxiao decoction significantly decreases the survival rate of lung cancer cells, and its mechanism may be related to radiosensitization by decreasing expression of CyPA and inducing G1/S cell cycle arrest.

Spray drying process of extract of Wenjing Zhitong Prescription based on mixture design experiment

To improve the spray drying effect of extract of Wenjing Zhitong Prescription, this study takes the yield, hygroscopic property and the fluidity of dry powder as indexes to screen out auxiliary materials, and the proportion of the auxiliary materials was optimized based on the mixing design experiment; based on that, HPLC method was established for the determination of glycyrrhizin and 6-gingerol in spray powder, the yield of spray powder and the retention rate of the two index components were taken as indexes to further optimize the spray drying parameters. The finally selected auxiliary materials were light magnesium oxide, maltodextrin and silica, and regression equations of dry powder yield, moisture absorption rate, angle of rest with proportion of auxiliary materials were established, and the optimized proportion of auxiliary materials was dry paste-light magnesium oxide-maltodextrin-silica=0.5∶0.305∶0.145∶0.05; according to the optimized drying process parameters of Wenjing Zhitong Prescription, initial temperature was 60 ℃, air inlet temperature was 130 ℃, air flow rate was 35 m~3·h~(-1), atomizing pressure was 40 mm, and liquid inlet speed was 4.5 mL·min~(-1). Under these conditions, the dry powder yield was 90.28%, the retention rate of glycyrrhizin was 74.51%, and the retention rate of 6-gingerol was 72.10%. In this study, optimized auxiliary materials can improve the yield of spray drying and the property of spray powder, and the optimized processing conditions were good for retaining the unstable gingerol components, which can lay a foundation for the further preparation research of meridian warming and pain relieving prescriptions, and provide reference for extract of other traditional Chinese medicine extracts that are difficult to spray drying.

Research progress on nanotechnology for delivery of active ingredients from traditional Chinese medicines.

There is growing acceptance of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) as potential sources of clinical agents based on the demonstrated efficacies of numerous bioactive compounds first identified in TCM extracts, such as paclitaxel, camptothecin, and artemisinin. However, there are several challenges to achieving the full clinical potential of many TCMs, particularly the generally high hydrophobicity and low bioavailability. Recently, however, numerous studies have attempted to circumvent the limited in vivo activity and systemic toxicity of TCM ingredients by incorporation into nanoparticle-based delivery systems. Many of these formulations demonstrate improved bioavailability, enhanced tissue targeting, and greater in vivo stability compared to the native compound. This review summarizes nanoformulations of the most promising and extensively studied TCM compounds to provide a reference for further research. Combining these natural compounds with nanotechnology-based delivery systems may further improve the clinical utility of these agents, in turn leading to more intensive research on traditional medicinal compounds.

Antiviral properties of traditional chinese medicine against coronavirus: Research clues for coronavirus disease-2019

The objective of this study was to provide research clues for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and coronavirus (CoV) infection using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). A review on research and clinical trials that using TCM extracts and active ingredients against CoV was performed, and a table of TCM agents and their effects on CoV were summarized. Relevant analysis was performed and visual expression of the data included summarizing the types of TCM and treatment methods for COVID-19. TCM fighting against CoV is mainly used in the lung and heart channels, and its medicinal properties are mainly cold and mild, while its taste is mainly bitter and sweet. The majority of research focused on treatments that clear away heat and toxic materials and those that strengthen body resistance and tonify deficiencies. TCM has unique advantages to fight against CoV. The development of new anti-CoV therapy using TCM is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia and various viral infectious diseases.

Study of Anti-proliferative Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Crude Drug Extract on Dog Bladder Cancer Stem Cells

Study of Anti-proliferative Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Crude Drug Extract on Dog Bladder Cancer Stem Cells

Screening for Anti-Influenza Actives of Prefractionated Traditional Chinese Medicines.

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have proven to possess advantages in counteracting virus infections according to clinical practices. It's therefore of great value to discover novel antivirals from TCMs. In this paper, One hundred medicinal plants which have been included in TCM prescriptions for antiviral treatment were selected and prefractionated into 5 fractions each by sequentially using cyclohexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water. 500 TCM-simplified extracts were then subjected to a phenotypic screening using a recombinant IAV expressing Gaussia luciferase. Ten TCM fractions were identified to possess antiviral activities against influenza virus. The IC50's of the hit fractions range from 1.08 to 6.45 μg/mL, while the SIs, from 7.52 to 98.40. Furthermore, all the ten hit fractions inhibited the propagation of progeny influenza virus significantly at 20 μg/mL. The hit TCM fractions deserve further isolation for responsible constituents leading towards anti-influenza drugs. Moreover, a library consisting of 500 simplified TCM extracts was established, facilitating antiviral screening in quick response to emerging and re-emerging viruses such as Ebola virus and current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Protection of Curcumin against Streptozocin-Induced Pancreatic Cell Destruction in T2D Rats.

As a kind of traditional Chinese medicine extract, curcumin has been proven to be effective in inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis in pancreatic islet β cells in the streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus rat model, although the underlying mechanism has not yet been clarified. To examine the effect of curcumin on inflammation and apoptosis in pancreatic islet β cells, we established a type 2 diabetes rat model by feeding the animals a high-fat diet and intraperitoneally injecting streptozotocin. The curcumin was administered by intraperitoneal injection. The rat body weight, fasting blood glucose, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests, and insulin tolerance tests were recorded and analyzed. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used for morphological analysis, and a TUNEL assay was performed to detect the apoptotic cells. The expression levels of proteins related to oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis were detected by Western blotting and ELISA. Curcumin administration significantly decreased fasting blood glucose and promoted recovery of pancreas function in type 2 diabetes rats. In curcumin-treated rats, the pancreatic tissue destruction and apoptosis index were reduced. The expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, caspase-3, Bax, and malondialdehyde were significantly reduced, and Bcl-2, superoxide dismutase 2, and glutathione peroxidase were significantly increased. Curcumin inhibited the expression of phosphorylated JNK and NF-κB proteins to block the RAGE/JNK/NF-κB signaling pathway. In conclusion, these results indicate that curcumin blocks the phosphorylation of JNK and NF-κB protein to inhibit this signaling pathway, thereby further inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis in pancreatic islet β cells. Curcumin has potential value for the treatment of diabetes.

Isoorientin plays an important role in alleviating Cadmium-induced DNA damage and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest

Cadmium is a heavy metal pollutant that has been reported to cause oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy in cells, while the flavone isoorientin is a traditional Chinese medicine extract that has proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Accordingly, in this study we used the rat proximal tubular cell line NRK-52E and primary rat proximal tubular (rPT) cells as models to investigate the effects of isoorientin against Cadmium-induced cell injury and the mechanism of these effects. Comet assay, Western blot, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate cell damage and cell-cycle-related protein expression. Furthermore, real-time cell analysis, cell-counting kit-8, and ELISA were used to investigate the role of isoorientin in Cadmium-induced cell injury. The results revealed that treatment of rat renal tubular epithelial cells with 2.5 μM Cd for 12 h resulted in DNA damage and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, while isoorientin attenuated this Cd-induced damage.

Microbial Extraction of Berberine from Phellodendron for Simultaneous Product Purification and Waste Resource Utilization

Berberine (BBR) is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent extracted from plants. However, traditional extraction of BBR depends on the massive consumption of organic solvent, leading to serious environmental pollutions. Here, the authors established a novel microbial method for BBR extraction from pulverized Phellodendron. A microbial consortium consisting of three Bacillus bacteria was constructed based on cellulase enzyme activities. The three bacteria together showed high cellulase enzyme activities for plant cell wall degradation. Moreover, no BBR degradation was detected during the cultivation of each strain. After the cultivation of this Bacillus consortium and pulverized Phellodendron for 56 h, BBR was successfully extracted into the medium. More importantly, the by-products of extraction such as phellodendrine were efficiently dissimilated by bacteria during the extraction, and the peak area of BBR occupied more than 60% of the total in the end of fermentation. The determination of extraction waste indicated that less than 10% of BBR remained in the extraction residue. Finally, the extraction residue that contains Bacillus consortium was applied as fertilizer used in improving soil bacterial diversity. After the cultivation for 9 days, the amount of Bacillus genus in the soil was almost kept the same with initiation, meaning that Bacillus was colonized in the experimental soil. Overall, this is the first report on microbial extraction of chemicals from the plant, and this work provided a new way for resource re-utilization in the traditional Chinese medicine extraction industry.

Study on mechanism and method of membrane preparation and membrane process optimization based on molecular structure analysis of noneffective common macromolecules

The molecular weight of the effective components of traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) is usually less than 1 000.However, " noneffective common macromolecules"( starch,pectin and other macromolecules commonly present in the water extract of TCM) generally have no physiological activity,which restricts the overall advantages of membrane technology to obtain small molecular pharmacodynamic substances,and such macromolecules are the main influence factor of membrane fouling. Therefore,in order to obtain the total pharmacological efficacy of TCM,based on the molecular structure analysis of noneffective common macromolecules,aimed at the key scientific problems in correlation between the molecular structure of noneffective common macromolecules and the pore structure of membrane material,and by referring to the material science theory and molecular simulation method,the correlations between noneffective common macromolecules' molecular structure-solution environment-membrane antagonism were investigated. Multidisciplinary approaches could be integrated to: ① optimize the spatial form of membrane surface and improve the membrane's antifouling ability; ② accurately control the pore structure and the size distribution of membranes,aimed at the innovative preparation technology of special membrane used for TCM; ③ adjust solution environment based on the analysis of molecular structure,and establish the pretreatment method based on the optimization of solution environment. Furthermore,the technical bottleneck on how to obtain the pharmacodynamic micromolecules effectively might be solved,and the theory and technology about TCM pharmaceutical engineering could be developed based on the concept of multivariate and integration.

Traditional Chinese medicine extraction method by ethanol delivers drug-like molecules

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an important reservoir for bioactive natural products. TCM extraction methods by water decoction and wine tincture are an integral part of TCM and essential for their widely acknowledged efficacy. In this study, we selected 6 common TCMs that are rich in chemistry to investigate whether the TCM extraction methods deliver molecules with drug-like physical chemical properties. Six TCM herbal materials were extracted by water, 95% ethanol, and sequential hexane, dichloromethane and methanol. The extracts were analyzed by HPLC and 1H NMR. Isolation on one of the extracts yielded 32 compounds, their physical chemical properties were analyzed by Instant JChem. Our results showed that ethanol extraction, which mimics TCM wine tincture, delivered compounds with physical chemical properties compliant to Lipinski's rule of 5.

The NCI library of traditional Chinese medicinal plant extracts – Preliminary assessment of the NCI-60 activity and chemical profiling of selected species

Botanical-based natural products are an important resource for medicinal drug discovery and continue to provide diverse pharmacophores with therapeutic potential against cancer and other human diseases. A prototype Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) plant extract library has been established at the US National Cancer Institute, which contains both the organic and aqueous extracts of 132 authenticated medicinal plant species that collectively represent the potential therapeutic contents of most commonly used TCM herbal prescriptions. This library is publicly available in 96- and 384- well plates for high throughput screening across a broad array of biological targets, as well as in larger quantities for isolation of active chemical ingredients. Herein, we present the methodology used to generate the library and the preliminary assessment of the anti-proliferative activity of this crude extract library in NCI-60 human cancer cell lines screen. Particularly, we report the chemical profiling and metabolome comparison analysis of four commonly used TCM plants, namely Brucea javanica, Dioscorea nipponica, Cynanchum atratum, and Salvia miltiorrhiza. Bioassay-guided isolation resulted in the identification of the active compounds, and different extraction methods were compared for their abilities to extract cytotoxic compounds and to concentrate biologically active natural products.

Use of ammonium sulfite as a post-column derivatization reagent for rapid detection and quantification of aldehydes by LC-MS

Derivatization is frequently used in liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to improve the ionization characteristics of analytes, and facilitate their structural elucidation and quantification. However, the off-line derivatization process usually requires more analysis time. Therefore, the present work develops a novel LC/post-column derivatization (PCD)/MS (LC-PCD-MS) method for rapid detection of aldehydes in complex samples. The PCD method is based on a bisulfite addition reaction with aldehydes that can be easily conducted by mixing the LC elute with an (NH4)2SO3 solution via a tee. The resulting derivatives readily produce diagnostic HSO3− ions under collision induced dissociation (CID) in the negative ion mode of MS, even at an extremely low CID energy such as 1 eV, which can significantly improve the detection selectivity of aldehydes and reduce the occurrence of false positives. The limits of detection (LODs) of hexanal and heptanal were 3 nM and 2 nM, respectively. Moreover, good linearity in the concentration range of 0.01–1 μM for hexanal and heptanal was obtained with the determination coefficient (R2) being greater than 0.996 and the intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) were lower than 13.5% and 17.9%, respectively, indicating the acceptable reproducibility of the method. The LC-PCD-MS method was successfully applied for the rapid quantification of aldehydes in human urine and solvent extracts of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Furthermore, a precursor ion scan strategy based on the diagnostic HSO3− ion was also developed and applied for the preliminary screening of aldehydes in complex samples of cinnamon and lemongrass.