Comprehensive identification of active triterpenoid metabolites in frankincense using a coupling strategy

  • J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2014 Jul 15:963:90-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2014.05.054.
Yuanyan Liu  1 ,  Zhenli Liu  2 ,  Cheng Lu  3 ,  Jianbei Li  4 ,  Zhangchi Ning  5 ,  Zhiqian Song  6 ,  Chun Wang  6 ,  Zhiyong Du  6 ,  Xinmiao Lu  7 ,  Siyu Zhao  7 ,  Aiping Lu  8
Affiliations
  • 1. School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 2. Institution of Basic Theory, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 3. Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
  • 4. Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
  • 5. School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China; Institution of Basic Theory, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
  • 6. Institution of Basic Theory, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
  • 7. School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
  • 8. Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone & Joint Diseases, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 24946158 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2014.05.054
Abstract

Frankincense resins are extensively used as natural remedies in regions ranging from North Africa to China. Triterpenoid metabolites from frankincense exhibit notable anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties. In the present paper, without the use of an isolation process, the fragmentation rules and NMR spectral characteristics of triterpenoid metabolites in frankincense are summarized through a coupling method using high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS(n)) combined with HPLC-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. Based on this groundwork, a coupling strategy for the comprehensive metabolic profiling of active triterpenoid metabolites from enriched fractions of frankincense was developed. The proposed strategy may serve as a method for the holistic screening of bioactive metabolites in complex TCM samples.

Keywords
Frankincense resins; Mass spectrometry; Metabolic profiling; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Triterpenoid metabolites.
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