title: Metabolomics research on the hepatoprotective effect of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: Angelica sinensis polysaccharides (ASP) have an established hepatoprotective effect, but the mechanism for this effect remains unclear. A novel approach using biochemical parameters coupled with metabolomics based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and chemometrics was established in this study to explain the hepatoprotective effect mechanism of ASP. The superoxide dismutase activity, malonaldehyde content, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase in plasma were measured. Pathological changes in the liver were observed. Plasma and liver homogenate obtained from mice were analyzed using GC-MS. Distinct changes in metabolite patterns in the plasma and liver homogenate after being induced by carbon tetrachloride and drug intervention were observed using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA). Potential biomarkers were found using PLS-DA and T-test. The results of the pathological changes observed in the liver, the biochemical parameters in plasma, and the metabolomics of the plasma and liver homogenate all showed that liver injury was successfully reproduced, ASP exhibited hepatoprotective effect, and the medium dose of ASP exhibited the best. Nine endogenous metabolites in the liver homogenate and ten endogenous metabolites in the plasma were all considered as potential biomarkers. They were considered to be in response to hepatoprotective effects of ASP involved in the amino acids metabolism, energy metabolism, and lipids metabolism. Therefore metabolomics is a valuable tool in measuring the efficacy and mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicines.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China. Electronic address: weiym@gsau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yanming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China.
authors.forename: Hongguo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China.
authors.forename: Wenxin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China.
authors.forename: Yongli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China.
authors.forename: Pengling
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China.
authors.forename: Wenquan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China.
authors.forename: Haifu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, PR China.
authors.forename: Jinxia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Angelica sinensis polysaccharide; Carbon tetrachloride; Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; Hepatoprotective effect; Metabolomics