UFLC-PDA-MS/MS Profiling of Seven Uncaria Species Integrated with Melatonin/5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptors Agonistic Assay

摘要

Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis (Gou-Teng), the dried hook-bearing stems of several Uncaria plants (Rubiaceae), is a well-known herbal medicine in China. The clinical application of Gou-Teng is bewildered for the morphological and chemical similarity between different species. In order to discern their chemical and biological difference, an ultra-fast liquid chromatography equipped with ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UFLC-IT/TOF-MS) combining with melatonin (MT _(1) and MT _(2)) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT _(1A) and 5-HT _(2C)) receptors agonistic assay in vitro was conducted on seven Uncaria species. As a result, 57 compounds including 35 indole alkaloids, ten flavonoids, five triterpenoids, five chlorogenic analogues, and two other compounds were characterized based on their MS/MS patterns and UV absorptions. Specifically, cadambine-type and corynanthein-type alkaloids were exclusively present in U. rhynchophylla and U. scandens , whereas corynoxine-type alkaloids were commonly detected in all the seven Uncaria plants. Three Uncaria species, U. rhynchophylla , U. macrophylla , and U. yunnanensis showed obviously agnostic activity on four neurotransmitter receptors (MT _(1), MT _(2), 5-HT _(1A),?and 5-HT _(2C)). This first-time UFLCMS-IT-TOF analyses integrated with biological assay on seven Uncaria plants will provide scientific viewpoints for the clinical application of Gou-Teng. Graphic Abstract Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s13659-020-00230-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.