title: Hplc-ESI-MS/MS analysis of the water-soluble extract from Ziziphi spinosae semen and its ameliorating effect of learning and memory performance in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS), the seed of Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chow., is a traditional herb for insomnia and anxiety in eastern Asia. However, few researches have been concerned with its effect on ameliorating memory and learning performance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the constituents of ZSS water soluble extract and its ameliorating learning and memory in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A new high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to determine the main constituents in the extract. The effect of ZSS water soluble extract on memory and learning performance was investigated in mice by Y-maze and passive avoidance test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The extract could significantly decrease the number of errors (NOE), and increase the transfer latency time (TLT) and electrical stimuli time (EST). In addition, spinosin, jujuboside A (JuA) and jujuboside B (JuB) were simultaneously identified and quantified in the extract. Their contents in the extract were as followed: Spinosin (223.51mg/g), JuA (63.76mg/g) and JuB (26.29mg/g).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The extract played a promising role in ameliorating memory in mice with alcohol induced memory retrieval disorders, and might help to improve learning capacity to some extent. Spinosin, JuA and JuB were the predominant constituents, which might be mainly responsible for the definite activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Egineering, College of Biotechnology and Food Science, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin 300134, People's Republic of China ; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Tianjin 300134, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Egineering, College of Biotechnology and Food Science, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin 300134, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Longdong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Egineering, College of Biotechnology and Food Science, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin 300134, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mengyuan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Egineering, College of Biotechnology and Food Science, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin 300134, People's Republic of China ; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Tianjin 300134, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Egineering, College of Biotechnology and Food Science, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin 300134, People's Republic of China ; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Tianjin 300134, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Junbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Egineering, College of Biotechnology and Food Science, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin 300134, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
keywords: HPLC-ESI-MS/MS; Jujuboside A; Ziziphi Spinosae Semen; learning and memory; spinosin; water-soluble extract