title: Rapid chemical profiling of saponins in the flower buds of Panax notoginseng by integrating MCI gel column chromatography and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis.
abstract: The flower buds of Panax notoginseng (Notoginseng flower, FBP) are used as the traditional Chinese medicine San-Qi-Hua. In this study, we conducted column chromatography fractionation and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis to comprehensively profile bioactive notoginseng saponins (ginsenosides) in FBP. MCI gel column chromatography allowed separation and enrichment of minor saponins. Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry of [M-H](-) and [M+Na](+) precursor ions of the saponins provided reliable structural information for the sapogenin, and sequence of sugar chains. Confirmed by high-accuracy Q-TOF analysis, 170 notoginseng saponins were characterized from FBP, and 91 of them were reported from Panax species for the first time. The new ginsenosides contain acyl groups on α-chain, malonyl group at 20-OH, or di-malonyl groups. This study also indicated that the flower buds of P. notoginseng contained more protopanaxadiol-type but less protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides than the roots.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Zhi
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: De-An
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry*; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry*; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D053723:Panax notoginseng / Q000737:chemistry*; D012503:Saponins / Q000032:analysis*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D036145:Ginsenosides; D012503:Saponins