Identification and quantification of the antioxidants in Ginkgo biloba leaf.

The antioxidant activity of Ginkgo biloba leaf (GBL) extract is closely related to its efficacy against various diseases; however, the antioxidant activities of the specific constituents of GBL remain unclear. In this study, 194 GBL constituents were identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, including 97 flavonoids, 37 terpenoids, 29 lignans, 19 carboxylic acids, 5 alkylphenolic acids, 5 alkylphenols, and 2 other compounds. The cleavage rules of the main constituents of GBL were dissected in detail. The 36 GBL constituents with high antioxidant activity were subsequently discovered using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, including 30 flavonoids and six carboxylic acids. Finally, an HPLC analysis method was established to determine the content of the nine major antioxidants in the three batches of GBL. Among them, kaempferol 3-O-ß-D-(6″-p-coumaroyl) glucopyranosyl-(1-2)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, and rutin exhibited high antioxidant activity and were found in significant amounts in GBL, with concentrations greater than 0.7 mg/g. These results provide an important reference for the development of pharmaceuticals and health products containing GBL.

Identification of Xuanfei Baidu granule constituents by liquid chromatography-quadruple-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry and its anti-inflammatory active constituents using a lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cell model.

The Xuanfei Baidu (XFBD) prescription, a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, has demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory activities; however, the number of its reported constituents is limited, and its anti-inflammatory constituents are unclear. In this study, the constituents of XFBD granule, a granule dosage of XFBD prescription, were thoroughly examined in vitro and in vivo using liquid chromatography-quadruple-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry, and the anti-inflammatory constituents were screened. A total of 214 constituents were identified from the XFBD granule, 62 of which were confirmed via comparison with reference standards. After intragastric administration of XFBD granule, 63 and 28 constituents were absorbed into the rat sera and lungs in prototype form, respectively. XFBD granule and XFBD-containing serum were found to significantly reduce nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells. Five anti-inflammatory constituents (verbasoside, scutellarin, luteolin, apigenin, and pogostone) were found to reduce the concentration of NO and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the combination of these five constituents could significantly reduce NO secretion even when the concentration of each constituent was two to three orders of magnitude lower than their individual minimum effective concentrations. Overall, this study provides a valuable reference for the discovery of effective constituents from the XFBD granule.