Metabolic Profiling of the Mexican Anxiolytic and Sedative PlantGalphimia glaucaUsing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Multivariate Data Analysis

Abstract

Galphimia glauca is popularly employed in Mexico for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. Pharmacological and phytochemical studies have resulted in the identification of the anxiolytic and sedative principle consisting of a mixture of nor-secofriedelanes, named the galphimine series (1 - 9). These active constituents were found in plants collected in the vicinity of a restricted region in Central Mexico, where this species is abundant. A metabolic profiling carried out by means of 1H-NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis was applied to crude extracts from wild plant populations, collected from six different locations as a quality control assessment, in order to differentiate their chemical profile. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the 1H-NMR spectra revealed clear variations among the populations, with two populations out of the six studied manifesting differences, when the principal components PC-1 and PC-2 were analyzed. These two PCs permitted the differentiation of the various sample populations, depending on the presence of galphimines. This information consistently correlated with the corresponding HPLC analysis. The neuropharmacological effects of the crude extracts were evaluated by using ICR mice in the elevated plus maze, as well as the sodium pentobarbital-induced hypnosis models. Both assays demonstrated anxiolytic and sedative responses only among those sample populations which had previously been differentiated by PC-1. Partial least square regression-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) also confirmed a strong correlation between the observed effects and the metabolic profiles of the plants. The overall results of this study confirm the benefits of using metabolic profiling for the in silico analysis of active principles in medicinal plants.

DNA barcoding of the Mexican sedative and anxiolytic plant Galphimia glauca

“…Our two previous metabolic profiling studies of Galphimiaglauca using 1 H-NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis, clearly showed differences in metabolic profiles of Galphimiaglauca populations in levels of sedative, anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory activities that were clearly related to the region of collection (Cardoso-Taketa et al, 2008; Sharma et al, 2012). Two of the populations (GM and QJ) were particularly high in galphimines (active populations), whereas all of the other populations (MM, MT, MC, JG and CT) did not seem to have detectable levels of these secondary metabolites.…”

“…The presence of galphimines in the GM and QJ populations and the absence in the MM, MT, MC, JG and CT samples, has also been confirmed via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Partial least square regression discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) confirmed a positive correlation between the presence of galphimines and the sedative and anxiolytic responses displayed by those extracts (Cardoso-Taketa et al, 2008; Sharma et al, 2012). The differences seemed to indicate that the chemical profiles exhibited among the Galphimiaglauca populations collected in the different regions of Mexico, could be related to geographical, climatic, or soil conditions.…”

Emerging Applications of Metabolomics in Studying Chemopreventive Phytochemicals

“…For example, Galphimia glauca, a Mexican herb, has been used for treating central nervous disorders. Mouse bioassay experiment revealed that G. glauca samples collected from six locations possess different anxiolytic and sedative activity (61).…”

Metabolomics: what's new?

“…But for all methods, one should also consider the time needed for extraction and sample preparation, which in the case of GC is far more complicated, as a chemical derivatization step is required, whereas in the case of NMR the extraction can be done with the deuterated NMR solvent. [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] …”

“…These tools can be applied in a broad variety of applications: quality control of medicinal plants (Ephedra spp., [24] Ginkgo biloba [25] ), plant resistance against pests and diseases (Senecio spp., [26] Brassica rapa, [27] Catharanthus roseus, [28] tobacco [29] ), identifi cation of active compounds in medicinal plants (Galphimia glauca [30] ), and chemotaxonomy (Ilex spp., [31] cannabis, [32] Strychnos spp. [33] ).…”