Metabolomic study to discriminate the different Bulbus fritillariae species using rapid resolution liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with multivariate statistical analysis

Abstract

Bulbus fritillariae (Bei Mu, BM), with its bulbs widely applied in clinical conditions, is commonly used to reduce heat, moisturize the lungs, relieve cough and expel phlegm. Given the large variety of BM species, which are frequently similar in appearance, the medicinal uses of BM species can be confusing. Thus, distinguishing the BM species is important. To discriminate the phytochemical profile of different Bulbus fritillariae species, constituents of different Fritillaria species were extracted by ultrasonication, and further analysed using rapid resolution liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (RRLC-Q-TOF-MS) coupled with multivariate statistical analysis. As a result, the five kinds of BM could be categorized and well-differentiated into three groups, meanwhile, eighteen metabolic phytochemical markers were found and identified among them. In conclusion, an efficient and reliable method for quality assessment among the BM species based on RRLC-Q-TOF-MS and multivariate statistical analysis was developed. It suggests that the phytochemical profiles of the five studied botanical species are different and should be distinguished for clinical use.