Comprehensive chemical profiling and quantitative analysis of ethnicYi medicine Miao-Fu-Zhi-Tong granules using UHPLC-MS/MS

Xiaoying Lei; Chen Zhang; Suqing Zhao; Shuohan Cheng; Wenbin Zhou; Jiapeng Xu; Ping Zhan; Abliz Zeper

doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60422-4

Comprehensive chemical profiling and quantitative analysis of ethnicYi medicine Miao-Fu-Zhi-Tong granules using UHPLC-MS/MS

Chin J Nat Med. 2023 Mar;21(3):214-225. doi: 10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60422-4.

Authors

Xiaoying Lei¹, Chen Zhang², Suqing Zhao¹, Shuohan Cheng¹, Wenbin Zhou³, Jiapeng Xu⁴, Ping Zhan⁴, Abliz Zeper⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China.
² Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China.
³ School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China.
⁴ Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture (Traditional Yi Medicine Hospital of Yunnan Province), Chuxiong 675000, China.
⁵ School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: zeper@muc.edu.cn.

PMID: 37003643
DOI: 10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60422-4

Abstract

Developing analytical methods for the chemical components of natural medicines remains a challenge due to its diversity and complexity. Miao-Fu-Zhi-Tong (MFZT) granules, an ethnic Yi herbal prescription, comprises 10 herbs and has been clinically applied for gouty arthritis (GA) therapy. Herein, a series of chemical profiling strategies including in-house library matching, molecular networking and MS/MS fragmentation behavior validation based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) were developed for qualitative analysis of MFZT granules. A total of 207 compounds were identified or characterized in which several rare guanidines were discovered and profiled into alkyl substituted or cyclic subtypes. Moreover, network pharmacology analysis indicated that MFZT's anti-gout mechanism was mostly associated with the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling, nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like signaling and rheumatoid arthritis pathways, along with the synergistic effect of 84 potential active compounds. In addition, a quantitative analytical method was developed to simultaneously determine the 29 potential effective components. Among them, berberine, pellodendrine, 3-feruloylquinic acid, neoastilbin, isoacteoside and chlorogenic acid derivatives at higher concentrations were considered as the chemical markers for quality control. These findings provide a holistic chemical basis for MFZT granules and will support the development of effective analytical methods for the herbal formulas of natural medicines.

Keywords: Chemical profiling; Miao-Fu-Zhi-Tong granules; Natural medicines; Network pharmacology; Quantitative analysis.

MeSH terms

Arthritis, Gouty*
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods
Drugs, Chinese Herbal* / chemistry
Humans
Quality Control
Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods

Substances

Drugs, Chinese Herbal