Rapid probe and isolation of bioactive compounds from Dioscorea panthaica using human serum albumin functionalized magnetic nano-particles (HSA-MNPs)-based ligand fishing coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.
The chemical diversity of secondary metabolites in medicinal plant makes it a huge challenge to isolate the bioactive compounds from herbal extracts, so quick recognition of the bioactive ones is of vital importance for improving the efficiency of isolation. In this study, a ligand fishing experiment based on human serum albumin functionalized magnetic nano-particles (HSA-MNPs) was performed to probe the bioactive components in a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, Dioscorea panthaica. The minor compounds fished out by HSA-MNPs were identified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and then separated from the extract of the whole plant by one or two steps of column chromatography under the guidance of ESI-MS. Four biologically active compounds, progenin II, progenin III, dioscin and gracillin, were isolated much faster than in the normal lengthy phytochemical procedure. The present study demonstrates that biological macromolecule (protein, enzyme, receptor, et al.) functionalized MNPs may serve as baits to recognize bioactive small molecules in complex herbal extracts. It is expected that a macromolecule functionalized MNPs-based ligand fishing experiment coupled with ESI-MS may accelerate the process of identification and isolation of bioactive components from medicinal plants, and thus benefit the speed of drug discovery.
National Engineering Research Center for Natural Medicines, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, PR China.
Lin-Sen
LS
Qing
Xiao-Qing
XQ
Shan
Xue-Min
XM
Xu
Ying
Y
Xue
Wen-Long
WL
Deng
Bo-Gang
BG
Li
Xiao-Ling
XL
Wang
Xun
X
Liao
D027742:Dioscorea / Q000737:chemistry*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D013150:Spirostans / Q000737:chemistry*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D015335:Molecular Probes; D012709:Serum Albumin; D013150:Spirostans