Quantification and holistic quality evaluation of Wulingzhi extract by UHPLC–Q‐Orbitrap–HRMS coupled with chemometric approaches

Abstract

The excreta of Trogopterus xanthipes (“Wulingzhi” in Chinese, WLZ) is a well‐known traditional Chinese medicine. It has been used for centuries to treat amenorrhea, menstruation and postpartum abdominal pain. However, a systematic quality study on WLZ chemical markers has yet to be conducted. This study aimed to establish an ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with a hybrid quadruple extraction Orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–Q‐Orbitrap–HRMS) method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of 20 compounds in 53 batches of WLZ; the method rapidly and sensitively determined the 20 plant‐ or animal‐derived compounds. Firstly, the proposed approach was validated to satisfy the method’s linearity, detection limits, precision, repeatability, stability and accuracy. Subsequently, multivariate analysis was used to identify correlations between the samples and feed, processing and regions. Finally, this method was used to further identify chemical markers for quality control in combination with chemometrics. This is the first report on pinusolide, betaine, hippuric acid, 4‐oxorentinoic acid, 15‐methoxypinusolidic acid and 4‐oxoisotrentinoin in WLZ; the quality of WLZ became homogeneous after processing with vinegar (V‐WLZ). Moreover, we screened for potential component markers, including uridine, allantoin, amentoflavone, hippuric acid, 3,4‐dihydroxybenzoic acid, pinusolide, quercetin and kaempferol. These results were practical and efficient for the chemical clarification of WLZ and V‐WLZ.

Arginine Biosynthesis Mediates Wulingzhi Extract Resistance to Busulfan-Induced Male Reproductive Toxicity

“…Here, we used an UPLC–Orbitrap–MS/MS method to evaluate the component changes in WLZ extracts at different temperatures (heated or room temperature) and with different solvents (water or ethanol). As expected, the different processing methods resulted in considerable variation in the WLZ extract composition, which is not unique in different preparation forms of the same drug [ 36 , 37 ]. Previous studies on the pharmacologically active components of Chinese medicine preparation mainly targeted analyses for the quantitation of a few marker components [ 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”

“…As expected, the different processing methods resulted in considerable variation in the WLZ extract composition, which is not unique in different preparation forms of the same drug [36,37]. Previous studies on the pharmacologically active components of Chinese medicine preparation mainly targeted analyses for the quantitation of a few marker components [37][38][39]. However, most of the preparations are mixtures containing hundreds of compounds or even more [40], and some markers may not even be the bioactive components of the medicine formula.…”