• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.252-261
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• 2019

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a group of secondary metabolites that are produced by plants all over the world as a defense mechanism against herbivores. To date, over 660 PAs have been identified from more than 6,000 plant species that have been reported to be widely present in plants belonging to Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, and Fabaceae. This study describes an analytical method based on UPLC-MS/MS for the quantitation of 7 pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Lycopsamine, Echimidine, Retrorsine, Retrorsine N-oxide, Senecionine, Heliotrine, and Trichodesmine) in honey, and was applied to 84 honey samples for validation. Quantitation was performed based on a matrix-matched calibration to compensate for the matrix effect on the electrospray ionization. Good linear calibrations were obtained for all 7 PAs in the spiked honey samples (2.575-202.14 ㎍/kg; R² ≥ 0.998). The extraction recoveries for most of the PAs in the honey samples were in the range of 81 %-108 %. The analysis showed that 6 of the 84 honey samples were contaminated by the PAs with the mean total sum of PAs being 47.19 ㎍/kg, and the concentrations of the PAs were observed to be in the range of 1.76-202.1 ㎍/kg. The retronecine type compounds (Echimidine, Lycopsamine) were the most frequently found PAs in honey. These data provide useful information for the assessment of human risk posed by the consumption of honey contaminated PAs.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.382-394
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• 2016

Background: Ginsenosides are the characteristic and principal components which manifest a variety of the biological and pharmacological activities of the roots and rhizomes of Panax ginseng (GRR). This study was carried out to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the ginsenosides in the cultivated and forest GRR. Methods: A rapid and sensitive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detector and quadrupole/time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS/MS) was applied to the qualitative analysis of ginsenosides and a 4000 QTRAP triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer (HPLC-ESI-MS) was applied to quantitative analysis of 19 ginsenosides. Results: In the qualitative analysis, all ingredients were separated in 10 min. A total of 131 ginsenosides were detected in cultivated and forest GRR. The method for the quantitative determination was validated for linearity, precision, and limits of detection and quantification. 19 representative ginsenosides were quantitated. The total content of all 19 ginsenosides in the forest GRR were much higher than those in the cultivated GRR, and were increased with the growing ages. Conclusion: This newly developed analysis method could be applied to the quality assessment of GRR as well as the distinction between cultivated and forest GRR.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.344-350
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• 2016

Background: Mountain-cultivated ginseng (MCG) and cultivated ginseng (CG) both belong to Panax ginseng and have similar ingredients. However, their pharmacological activities are different due to their significantly different growth environments. Methods: An ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)-based approach was developed to distinguish MCG and CG. Multivariate statistical methods, such as principal component analysis and supervised orthogonal partial-least-squares discrimination analysis were used to select the influential components. Results: Under optimized UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS conditions, 40 ginsenosides in both MCG and CG were unambiguously identified and tentatively assigned. The results showed that the characteristic components of CG and MCG included ginsenoside Ra3/isomer, gypenoside XVII, quinquenoside R1, ginsenoside Ra7, notoginsenoside Fe, ginsenoside Ra2, ginsenoside Rs6/Rs7, malonyl ginsenoside Rc, malonyl ginsenoside Rb1, malonyl ginsenoside Rb2, palmitoleic acid, and ethyl linoleate. The malony ginsenosides are abundant in CG, but higher levels of the minor ginsenosides were detected in MCG. Conclusion: This is the first time that the differences between CG and MCG have been observed systematically at the chemical level. Our results suggested that using the identified characteristic components as chemical markers to identify different ginseng products is effective and viable.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.470-478
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• 2015

This study was investigated the anthocyanin composition of 'Gaeryangmeoru', 'Kyoho', and 'Hongisul' grapes cultivated in Korea using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to a mass spectrometer (MS) equipped with an ESI (electrospray ionization) source. 'Gaeryangmeoru' is a dark-blue grape used for winemaking that can reach its coloring in unfavorable weather. The 'Kyoho' and 'Hongisul' varieties are hybrid grapes that feature black and pink skin, respectively. The anthocyanins extracted from the peels of grapes were analyzed using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Twenty-five anthocyanins were identified in the 'Gaeryangmeoru' and 'Kyoho' varieties, and 21 were identified in the 'Hongisul' variety. Eight, 14 and five predominant anthocyanins were identified in 'Gaeryangmeoru', 'Kyoho' and 'Hongisul' grape respectively. In all three varieties, mono-glucosides were 2.3-5.9 times more abundant than di-glucoside. Malvidin was the predominant anthocyanidin in 'Gaeryangmeoru' (44.1%) and 'Kyoho' (56.5%), but cyanidin (96.8%) was in 'Hongisul'. The acylated anthocyanins in 'Gaeryangmeoru' (2.0%) were rare, whereas acylated anthocyanins with p-coumaric acid were predominant in 'Kyoho' (40.9%) and 'Hongisul' (70.7%). In particular, cyanidin feruloyl glucoside was found only in the 'Hongisul' cultivar and considered to be useful as a criterion for identification of the variety. As a result, the grape varieties were demonstrated to have variety-specific anthocyanin characteristics, enabling classification based on anthocyanin composition in terms of anthocyanidins, glucosylation and acylation. The taxonomical application of anthocyanin composition confirmed the possibility that 'Gaeryangmeoru' originated from Vitis amurensis or its hybrids, and the 'Hongisul' grape was distinguished from other grapes by cyanidin feruloyl glucoside.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2011

Monitoring or follow-up surveying pesticide residues in agricultural commodities is the key to meet the international regulations and to enhance international competitiveness of Korean agricultural commodities. Six neonicotinoid insecticides, acctamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam were monitored in 95 paprika samples collected from Gyeongnam area. Thc pesticide residues were extracted by EN 15662 buffer based on the QuEChERS method, clean-upped with dispersive solid-phase extraction method to remove interfering pigments, and analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS. The neonicotinoid pesticides were detected in 90.5% of the paprika samples. Two or more pesticides were detected in 82.3% of samples. Although detection frequencies were high, all samples complied with the maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by both the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) and Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2014

Discriminating between two herbal medicines (Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius), with similar chemical and physical properties but different therapeutic effects, is a very serious and difficult problem. Differentiation between two processed ginseng genera is even more difficult because the characteristics of their appearance are very similar. An ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF MS)-based metabolomic technique was applied for the metabolite profiling of 40 processed P. ginseng and processed P. quinquefolius. Currently known biomarkers such as ginsenoside Rf and F11 have been used for the analysis using the UPLC-photodiode array detector. However, this method was not able to fully discriminate between the two processed ginseng genera. Thus, an optimized UPLC-QTOF-based metabolic profiling method was adapted for the analysis and evaluation of two processed ginseng genera. As a result, all known biomarkers were identified by the proposed metabolomics, and additional potential biomarkers were extracted from the huge amounts of global analysis data. Therefore, it is expected that such metabolomics techniques would be widely applied to the ginseng research field.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.194-204
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• 2017

Direct injection (DI) and solid phase extraction (SPE) methods for the simultaneous determination of pendimethalin (PDM) and dinoseb (DNS) in environmental water have been optimized using the ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. The limits of quantification (LOQs) of PDM and DNS were $0.01{\mu}g/L$ using the DI method and $0.0001-0.0002{\mu}g/L$ using the SPE method. The precision by SPE UPLC-MS/MS was less than 11 % for intra-day and inter-day analyses. When the proposed SPE method was used to analyze two analytes in environmental water, PDM was detected in a concentration range of $0.0002-0.011{\mu}g/L$ in 31 samples of the 114 surface water samples, and DNS was detected in a concentration range of $0.0005-0.045{\mu}g/L$ in 17 samples of the 114 surface water samples analyzed. When the DI method was used to analyze target compounds in the same samples, the detected concentrations of the two analytes were within 21% in samples with concentrations above $0.01{\mu}g/L$. The DI UPLC-MS/MS method can thus be used for the routine monitoring of PDM and DNS in environmental water, and the SPE LC-MS/MS method can be used for the determination of the ultra-trace PDM and DNS residues in environmental water.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.5-5
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• 2010

Selection of specific medicinal sources as well as bioactive compounds is important for the preparation of medicine and related products with good quality. It is necessary to pay close attention for choosing correct medicinal sources, particularly in case of medicinal plants, because of their diversity, which can affect the quality and efficacy of medicine. Discrimination of plants based on morphological or genetic characteristics has been used as a conventional classification method of pharmaceutical sources so far; however, more need demands more general methods for accurate quality assessment of medicinal plants. In this study, ultra performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS) technique applied to this metabolic profiling is a powerful tool due to its higher sensitivity, resolution, and speed compared to conventional HPLC technique. The metabolite profiling of several medicinal plants including Panax ginseng was carried out using UPLC/Q-TOF MS and total metabolites were then subsequently applied to various statistical tools to compare the patterns. The developed metabolomics tool with UPLC/Q-TOF MS successfully identified and classified the samples tested according to their origins.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 2018

A traditional herbal formula, Gyeji-tang has been used to treat the early colds, headache, chills, and fever in Asian countries. In this study, we were performed simultaneous determination of the 14 bioactive marker compounds, gallic acid, spinosin, paeoniflorin, albiflorin, liquiritin apioside, liquiritin, 6'''-feruloylspinosin, liquilitigenin, coumarin, cinnmamic acid, benzoylpaeoniflorin, cinnamaldehyde, glycyrrhizin, and 6-gingerol in Gyeji-tang using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS). Analytical column was used a Waters Acquity UPLC BEH $C_{18}$ analytical column ($2.1{\times}100mm$, $1.7{\mu}m$) and maintained at $45^{\circ}C$ with a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The mobile phase consists of 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in water and acetonitrile with gradient elution. The MS analysis was conducted using multiple reaction monitoring in the positive and negative modes by a Waters ACQUITY TQD LC-MS/MS system. The calibration curves of 14 bioactive marker compounds showed linearity with correlation coefficients ${\geq}0.9798$. The limits of detection and quantification values were in the range of 0.11-6.66 ng/mL and 0.34-19.99 ng/mL, respectively. As a result of the analysis using the established LC-MS/MS method, the amounts of tested 14 compounds in the lyophilized Gyeji-tang sample were detected up to $85.7{\mu}g/g$. These results may be useful for quality assessment of a traditional herbal formulas.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.270-277
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• 2018

Pyungwi-san has been used to treat the digestive system diseases, physconia, nausea, anorexia, and dyspepsia in Korea. In this study, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method was optimized for simultaneous determination of the 14 marker components, spinosin, liquiritirn apioside, liquiritin, narirutin, 6'''-feruloylspinosin, hesperidin, liquiritigenin, glycyrrhizin, 6-gingerol, atractylenolide III, honokiol, atractylenolide II, magnolol, and atractylenolide I in Pyungwi-san extract. All analytes were separated on a Waters Acquity UPLC BEH $C_{18}$ analytical column ($2.1{\times}100mm$, $1.7{\mu}m$) with maintained at $45^{\circ}C$. The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% (v/v) aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile. The MS conditions were as follows: capillary voltage 3.3 kV, extractor voltage 3.0 V, RF lens voltage 0.3 V, source temperature $120^{\circ}C$, desolvation temperature $300^{\circ}C$, desolvation gas 600 L/h, cone gas 50 L/h and collision gas 0.14 mL/min. The coefficient of determination of 14 analytes was 0.9989-1.0000. The limits of detection and quantification values of the all analytes were 0.04-2.56 and 0.13-7.69 ng/mL, respectively. As a result of the analysis using the established LC-ESI-MS/MS method, the 5 components, spinosin, 6'''-feruloylspinosin, atractylenolide III, II, and I derived from Zizyphi Fructus and Atractylodis Rhizoma, were not detected in this extract. On the other hand, the 9 components except for the 5 components were 4.15-498.87 mg/kg in lyophilized Pyungwi-san extract. Among these components, glycyrrhizin, marker compound of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, was detected the most amount as a 498.87 mg/kg.