Application of 1 H NMR-based metabolomics for discrimination of different parts and development of a new processing workflow for Cistanche deserticola

Abstract

Cistanche deserticola (CD) is one of the two authoritative source plants of Cistanches Herba, a well-known medicinal plant. Herein, 1H NMR spectroscopy was employed to characterize the chemical profile and to distinguish the different parts, as well as to propose a new processing workflow for CD. Signal assignment was achieved by multiple one and two dimensional NMR spectroscopic techniques in combination with available databases and authentic compounds. The upper parts of the plant were distinguished from the lower parts by combining 1H NMR spectroscopic dataset with multivariate statistical analysis. A new processing method that hyphenated steaming with freeze-drying, was demonstrated to be superior to either steaming coupled with oven-drying or direct freeze-drying via holistic 1H NMR-based metabolomic characterization. Phenylethanoid glycosides, mainly echinacoside and acteoside, were screened out and confirmed as the chemical markers responsible for exhibiting the superiority of the new processing workflow, whereas serial primary metabolites, especially carbohydrates and tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites, were found as the primary molecules governing the discrimination between the upper and lower parts of the plant. Collectively, 1H NMR spectroscopy was demonstrated as a versatile analytical tool to characterize the chemical profile and to guide the in-depth exploitation of CD by providing comprehensive qualitative and quantitative information.

Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed the distribution of saponins in Panax notoginseng

“…There are fewer studies to clarify the chemical characteristics in different parts and growth stages of P. notoginseng plants. Metabolomics is a scientific study that reveals metabolite differences for authentication of species 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 differentiation of cultivation regions 18 , 19 , age discrimination 20 , 21 , and discrimination of raw and processed samples 22 . Thus, the chemical characteristics of saponins in the aerial and underground parts of 2- and 3-year-old P. notoginseng plants could be analyzed.…”

Detection of Cistanches Herba (Rou Cong Rong) Medicinal Products Using Species-Specific Nucleotide Signatures

“…Wang et al reported that ITS2 could not be amplified from Angelicae Sinensis Radix extract or decoctions boiled for more than 120 min (Wang et al, 2016a ). According to traditional technologies and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission ( 2015 ), Cistanches Herba is always highly processed to increase its medicinal efficacy; these processes, include oven drying, salting and steaming with wine (Zou et al, 2017 ), which lead to DNA degradation. In addition, various excipients are added during processing, such as honey, starch, and dextrin.…”

Cistanches Herba, from an endangered species to a big brand of Chinese medicine

“…Obviously, in comparison of phytochemical purifications, more components are usually identified by applying the proposed mass fragmentation pathways to LC–MS/MS datasets. Some other instrumentation, such as NMR spectroscopy, 87–89 and infrared spectroscopy, 90–95 serve as the complementary roles. Our group reviewed the research progress regarding chemical analysis of CH a couple of years ago 9 ; consequently, we herein underline merely the investigations featured with confirmative and/or large‐scale chemical analysis, most of which occurred in the latest 10 years.…”