Chemical analysis of raw and processed Fructus arctii by high-performance liquid chromatography/diode array detection-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry

Kunming Qin; Qidi Liu; Hao Cai; Gang Cao; Tulin Lu; Baojia Shen; Yachun Shu; Baochang Cai

Articles

Abstract

Pharmacognosy Magazine,2014,10,40,541-546.

DOI:10.4103/0973-1296.141806

Published:September 2014

Type:Original Article

Authors:

Author(s) affiliations:

Kunming Qin¹, Qidi Liu¹, Hao Cai², Gang Cao³, Tulin Lu², Baojia Shen², Yachun Shu⁴, Baochang Cai⁵
¹ Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Standardization of Chinese Medicine Processing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine; Nanjing Haichang Chinese Medicine Group Co. Ltd., Nanjing, China
² Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Standardization of Chinese Medicine Processing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
³ Research Center of TCM Processing Technology, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
⁴ Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Standardization of Chinese Medicine Processing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine; Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
⁵ Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Standardization of Chinese Medicine Processing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine; Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing Nanjing Haichang Chinese Medicine Group Co. Ltd., Nanjing; Research Center of TCM Processing Technology, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China

Abstract:

Background: In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), raw and processed herbs are used to treat the different diseases. Fructus Arctii, the dried fruits of Arctium lappa l. (Compositae), is widely used in the TCM. Stir-frying is the most common processing method, which might modify the chemical compositions in Fructus Arctii. Materials and Methods: To test this hypothesis, we focused on analysis and identification of the main chemical constituents in raw and processed Fructus Arctii (PFA) by high-performance liquid chromatography/diode array detection-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. Results: The results indicated that there was less arctiin in stir-fried materials than in raw materials. however, there were higher levels of arctigenin in stir-fried materials than in raw materials. Conclusion: We suggest that arctiin reduced significantly following the thermal conversion of arctiin to arctigenin. In conclusion, this finding may shed some light on understanding the differences in the therapeutic values of raw versus PFA in TCM.

Keywords:Chemical constituents, Fructus arctii, High-performance liquid chromatography/diode array detection-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, stir-frying