Development of a High-speed and Ultrasensitive UV/Vis-CM for Detecting Total Triterpenes in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Its Application

Overview

Journal Heliyon

Specialty Social Sciences

Date 2024 Jun 17

PMID 38882362

Authors

Yuanyuan Guo

Zhe Han

Jingwei Zhang

Yue Lu

Chunfeng Li

Guiyan Liu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study proposes a novel colorimetric method based on the ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry-colorimetric method (UV/Vis-CM) for detecting and quantifying total triterpenoids in traditional Chinese medicine. By incorporating the colourants 2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzaldehyde and concentrated sulfuric acid, triterpenoid compounds colour development became more sensitive, and the detection accuracy was significantly improved. 2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzaldehyde and concentrated sulfuric acid were incorporated in a 1:3 vol ratio at room temperature to react with the total triterpenes for 25 min, incorporated to an ice bath for 5 min, and then detected at the optimal absorption wavelength. The accuracy and reliability of this method were verified by comparison with high-performance liquid chromatography and four other colorimetric methods. Additionally, this approach has the advantages of not requiring heating during operation, high sensitivity, short usage time, low solvent usage, and low equipment costs. This study not only offers a reliable method for detecting total triterpenes in traditional Chinese medicine but also offers a rapid detection tool for on-site testing and large-scale screening, laying a foundation for the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine research, quality control, and drug development.

Citing Articles

Deciphering nutrient stress in plants: integrative insight from metabolomics and proteomics.

Moshood A, Abdulraheem M, Li L, Zhang Y, Raghavan V, Hu J Funct Integr Genomics. 2025; 25(1):38.

PMID: 39955391 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-025-01551-y.

References

Lin L, Zhou M, Que R, Chen Y, Liu X, Zhang K . Saikosaponin-d protects against liver fibrosis by regulating the estrogen receptor-β/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Biochem Cell Biol. 2021; 99(5):666-674. DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2020-0561. View

Taghizadeh M, Niazi A, Moghadam A, Afsharifar A . Experimental, molecular docking and molecular dynamic studies of natural products targeting overexpressed receptors in breast cancer. PLoS One. 2022; 17(5):e0267961. PMC: 9089900. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267961. View

Mandic M, Oalde M, Lunic T, Sabovljevic A, Sabovljevic M, Gasic U . Chemical characterization and in vitro immunomodulatory effects of different extracts of moss Hedwigia ciliata (Hedw.) P. Beauv. from the Vršačke Planine Mts., Serbia. PLoS One. 2021; 16(2):e0246810. PMC: 7877662. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246810. View

Dousa M, Gibala P, Pekarek T . New approach of validation using internal normalization technique for quantification of related substances in raw material, intermediates and pharmaceutical substances by HPLC. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2015; 114:133-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2015.05.015. View

Nie H, Chen H, Li G, Su K, Song M, Duan Z . Comparison of flavonoids and phenylpropanoids compounds in Chinese water chestnut processed with different methods. Food Chem. 2020; 335:127662. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127662. View

Tian C, Chang Y, Wang R, Kang Z, Wang Q, Tong Z . Optimization of ultrasound extraction of Tribulus terrestris L. leaves saponins and their HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS profiling, anti-inflammatory activity and mechanism in vitro and in vivo. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021; 278:114225. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114225. View

Moghadam A, Foroozan E, Tahmasebi A, Taghizadeh M, Bolhassani M, Jafari M . System network analysis of Rosmarinus officinalis transcriptome and metabolome-Key genes in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. PLoS One. 2023; 18(3):e0282316. PMC: 9980811. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282316. View

Li X, Wu L, Liu W, Jin Y, Chen Q, Wang L . A network pharmacology study of Chinese medicine QiShenYiQi to reveal its underlying multi-compound, multi-target, multi-pathway mode of action. PLoS One. 2014; 9(5):e95004. PMC: 4015902. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095004. View

Li J, Fan Z, Chen H, Maria Da Costa E, Zhou X, Yu N . Development of a rapid and ultrasensitive magnetic chemiluminescence immunoassay for the detection of adiponectin and its clinical application. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2024; 241:115961. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2024.115961. View

10.

Liu Y, Liu W, Li M, Yuan T . Lanostane triterpenoids from the fruiting bodies of Fomitopsis pinicola and their anti-inflammatory activities. Phytochemistry. 2021; 193:112985. DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112985. View

11.

Saleri F, Chen G, Li X, Guo M . Comparative Analysis of Saponins from Different Phytolaccaceae Species and Their Antiproliferative Activities. Molecules. 2017; 22(7). PMC: 6152185. DOI: 10.3390/molecules22071077. View

12.

Moricz A, Ott P . Separation and detection of apricot leaf triterpenes by high-performance thin-layer chromatography combined with direct bioautography and mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A. 2022; 1675:463167. DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2022.463167. View

13.

Rao R, Nagaraju V . An overview of the recent trends in development of HPLC methods for determination of impurities in drugs. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2003; 33(3):335-77. DOI: 10.1016/s0731-7085(03)00293-0. View

14.

Luo K, Dai R, Wang Z, Zeng Y, Deng Y, Lv F . Two new triterpenoid saponins from Wall. ex DC. Nat Prod Res. 2022; 37(20):3380-3387. DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2075862. View

15.

Sun Y, Li B, Lin X, Xue J, Wang Z, Zhang H . Simultaneous Determination of Four Triterpenoid Saponins in Aralia elata Leaves by HPLC-ELSD Combined with Hierarchical Clustering Analysis. Phytochem Anal. 2017; 28(3):202-209. DOI: 10.1002/pca.2662. View

16.

Fan W, Huang Y, Zheng H, Li S, Li Z, Yuan L . Ginsenosides for the treatment of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases: Pharmacology and mechanisms. Biomed Pharmacother. 2020; 132:110915. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110915. View

17.

Chen W, Balan P, Popovich D . Review of Ginseng Anti-Diabetic Studies. Molecules. 2019; 24(24). PMC: 6943541. DOI: 10.3390/molecules24244501. View

18.

de Aguiar N, Hansel F, Reis C, Lazzarotto M, Wendling I . Optimizing the Vanillin-Acid Sulfuric Method to Total Saponin Content in Leaves of Yerba Mate Clones. Chem Biodivers. 2024; 21(4):e202301883. DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202301883. View

19.

Pedrosa A, de Castro W, Castro A, Duarte-Almeida J . Validated spectrophotometric method for quantification of total triterpenes in plant matrices. Daru. 2020; 28(1):281-286. PMC: 7214563. DOI: 10.1007/s40199-020-00342-z. View

20.

Yi Y, Li J, Lai X, Zhang M, Kuang Y, Bao Y . Natural triterpenoids from licorice potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection. J Adv Res. 2022; 36:201-210. PMC: 8620242. DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2021.11.012. View