Structural Characterization and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of a Novel Polysaccharide from Duhaldea nervosa.

In the present study, a novel water-soluble polysaccharide (DNP-1) was isolated and purified from the root of Duhaldea nervosa via column chromatography. Structural analyses indicated that DNP-1 had a linear backbone consisting of (2→1)-linked ß-D- fructofuranosyl residues, ending with a (2→1) bonded α-D-glucopyranose. DNP-1 was a homogeneous polysaccharide with an average molecular weight of 3.7 kDa. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory activity of DNP-1 was investigated in vitro. The concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including NO, TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-2, and IL-6, in the DNP-1 treatment group was suppressed in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. DNP-1 was able to improve inflammatory injury by inhibiting the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These investigations into this polysaccharide from the root of Duhaldea nervosa provide a scientific basis for the further development of this plant. The results indicate that this Duhaldea nervosa polysaccharide could be used as a potential natural source for the treatment of inflammatory injury.

The Modification Mechanism, Evaluation Method, and Construction Technology of Direct-to-Plant SBS Modifiers in Asphalt Mixture: A Review.

To further promote the development of research on direct-to-plant SBS-modified asphalt, this article analyzes the development of direct-to-plant SBS modifiers. Starting from the material composition and mechanism of action, common direct-to-plant SBS modifiers were analyzed and classified into four categories based on their mechanism of action, including the instant dissolution principle, intramolecular lubrication principle, non-granulation principle, and vulcanization principle. From the evaluation of the modification effect, the method of studying the performance of direct-to-plant SBS-modified asphalt is summarized, including fluorescence microscopy, AFM technology, and molecular dynamics simulation technology. From the perspective of practical application, the construction process of direct-to-plant SBS-modified asphalt was discussed, including the design stage, raw material preparation stage, mix design stage, and on-site construction stage. The results show that common direct-to-plant SBS modifiers are primarily SBS with a small particle size (less than 200 mesh) or specific model, supplemented by additives (EVA, naphthenic oil, sulfur, petroleum resin, etc.), which improve melting efficiency and lubricity or make it undergo vulcanization reaction, change the proportion of asphalt components, and improve stability. In the evaluation of the modification effect of direct-to-plant SBS-modified asphalt, the disparity of the direct-to-plant SBS modifier is determined by observing the particle residue after dry mixing. Macroscopic indexes of modified asphalt and modified asphalt mixture are used to determine the cross-linking effect of direct-to-plant SBS modifier and asphalt, and the modification mechanism and modification effect of wet SBS modifier are evaluated at the microscopic level. The development of direct-to-plant SBS-modified asphalt should combine the characteristics of direct-to-plant SBS modifiers and the attributes of field application, targeted research, and the development of high-performance direct-to-plant SBS modifiers and complete production technologies applicable to different regions, strengthen the improvement of modification effect evaluation, and form a complete theoretical system.

The Application of UHPLC-HRMS for Quality Control of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

UHPLC-HRMS (ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry) is a new technique that unifies the application of UHPLC with HRMS. Because of the high sensitivity and good separation ability of UHPLC and the sensitivity of HRMS, this technique has been widely used for structure identification, quantitative determination, fingerprint analysis, and elucidation of the mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) in recent years. This review mainly outlines the advantages of using UHPLC-HRMS and provides a survey of the research advances on UHPLC-HRMS for the quality control of TCMs.

Chemical characterization of extracts of leaves of Kadsua coccinea (Lem.) A.C. Sm. by UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass spectrometry and assessment of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Kadsua coccinea (K. coccinea) has long been used as a fruit and folk medicine; however, the composition of its leaves and the activities of its constituents have been seldom studied. A total of 98 chemical constituents, including 53 phenolic acids, 41 flavonoids, and 4 lignans, were identified from the plant of kadsua coccinea by UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass spectrometry. All these chemicals were reported for the first time in leaves, and 95 of them have been reported for the first time in the plant of kadsua coccinea. The biological potential of extracts of K. coccinea leaves (EKL) was evaluated by in vitro antioxidant assay and anti-inflammatory assay. EKL are composed of polysaccharides (60%), polyphenols (26%), and proteins (11%). EKL present decent potent •OH and DPPH scavenging abilities and Fe2+ chelating ability. They also inhibit the secretion of NO, reduce the level of Cox2 in proteins, inhibit the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-2 and IL-6, and promote the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. These results displayed significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of EKL, which will be very beneficial for further development and investigation of kadsua coccinea leaves.

Diagnostic Fragment-Ion-Based for Rapid Identification of Chlorogenic Acids Derivatives in Inula cappa Using UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry.

Inula cappa (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) DC has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat malaria, dysentery, and hepatitis. Previous studies have shown that chlorogenic acid is the effective ingredient of plants in this family. And the research of the chlorogenic acid in Inula cappa will help to further improve the effective resource utilization rate of this plant. Therefore, it is necessary to establish an accurate method to characterize the chlorogenic acid components in Inula cappa. In this study, a simple, fast, and sensitive UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry method was established, which can simultaneously analyze known and unknown ingredients in a short time (within 30 minutes) in Inula cappa. According to the diagnosis fragmentation ions, retention time, and bibliography, 68 chlorogenic acid derivatives were identified in Inula cappa. The results of this experiment lay the foundation for the active substances and quality control of Inula cappa and provide a theoretical basis for whether Inula cappa can be an alternative to the endangered wild medicinal materials of the same family.

Rapid Identification and Systematic Mechanism of Flavonoids from Potentilla freyniana Bornm. Based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry and Network Pharmacology.

Potentilla freyniana Bornm. (P. freyniana), belonging to the family Rosaceae, has been used as a folk medicine in China. However, as we know, the constituents and the systematic elucidation of the mechanism were not fully investigated. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a rapid method using LC-MS and network pharmacology for the detection and identification of constituents and the systematic mechanism of P. freyniana. Firstly, the flavonoids were detected and identified based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Quadrupole-Exactive Focus Orbitrap MS (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS). After that, the potential targets of those constituents were obtained by database mining. Then, the core targets were predicted by protein-protein interaction network and network analysis. Finally, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were carried out via DAVID. This finding revealed that P. freyniana possessed 43 flavonoids (40 of them were first reported) with 23 core target genes, which are associated with PI3K-Akt, MAPK, TNF signaling pathway, and pathway in cancer. This study demonstrated the multicompound, multitarget, and multimechanism of P. freyniana, which are very beneficial to develop the further study and utilization of this plant including the material basis and quality control research.

Identification of Metabolites of Aurantio-Obtusin in Rats Using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry with Parallel Reaction Monitoring.

Aurantio-obtusin (AO) is a major anthraquinone compound isolated from Cassiae Semen or Duhaldea nervosa, which possesses diverse pharmacological effects. Previous studies have shown that it has a good effect on lowering blood lipids and treating various diseases. A few studies have also reported about its metabolites. A rapid and reliable method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry and multiple data-processing technologies was established to investigate the metabolites of AO in the plasma and various tissues of rats, including the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidneys, and brain. Finally, a total of 36 metabolites were identified in the plasma of rats, which could be very beneficial for understanding the effective form of AO metabolites leading to new drug discovery. The result demonstrated that this strategy, especially parallel reaction monitoring, has shown a wide range of applications in the identification of metabolites.