Extensive Profiling of Polyphenols from Two Trollius Species Using a Combination of Untargeted and Targeted Approaches

Various species of globeflowers, belonging to the genus <i>Trollius</i>, have been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine due to their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties, which are mainly attributed to their high polyphenol content. Differences in polyphenol composition, and abundances, will lead to varying treatment efficacies of globeflowers. Herein, we employ a combination of targeted and untargeted mass spectrometry (MS) approaches to characterize and quantify a comprehensive array of polyphenols, mainly including flavonoids and phenolic acids in two globeflower species commonly used in Chinese medicine, <i>Trollius chinensis</i> Bunge and <i>Trollius ledebouri</i> Reichb. In addition, free radical scavenging activity was investigated to evaluate the association between polyphenol composition and antioxidation capacity. Liquid chromatography (LC)-based separation and multiple-reaction-monitoring (MRM) transitions were optimized using a library of 78 polyphenol reference compounds to achieve absolute quantification on triple quadrupoles MS (QqQ). The analytical method was further expanded via high-resolution MS to provide relative quantitation of an additional 104 endogenous polyphenols in globeflowers not included in our reference library. Our results revealed stark differences in polyphenol content between <i>T. chinensis</i> and <i>T. ledebouri</i>, emphasizing the need for systematic characterization of polyphenol composition to ensure treatment efficacy and consistency in standardizing the use of globeflowers in Chinese medicine.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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