Bivariate Correlation Analysis of the Chemometric Profiles of Chinese Wild Salvia miltiorrhiza Based on UPLC-Qqq-MS and Antioxidant Activities

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 23; no. 3; p. 538
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xiaodan, Yu, Yange, Cen, Yesheng, Yang, Dongfeng, Qi, Zhechen, Hou, Zhuoni, Han, Shuanglai, Cai, Zengxuan, Liu, Kuancheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.02.2018; MDPI
• Subjects: Acids; antioxidant activities; Antioxidants; Bivariate analysis; bivariate correlation analysis; Caffeic acid; Chemopreventive agents; Correlation analysis; Cryptotanshinone; Liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Organic chemistry; Pharmacology; Phenolic acids; Phenols; Principal components analysis; Rosmarinic acid; Salvia miltiorrhiza; Tanshinones; UPLC-Qqq-MS/MS; UPLC-Qqq-MS/MS; antioxidant activities; Salvia miltiorrhiza; bivariate correlation analysis
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules23030538

To better understand the mechanisms underlying the pharmacological actions of , correlation between the chemical profiles and in vitro antioxidant activities in 50 batches of wild samples was analyzed. Our ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis detected twelve phenolic acids and five tanshinones and obtained various chemical profiles from different origins. In a principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis, the tanshinones cryptotanshinone, tanshinone IIA and dihydrotanshinone I exhibited higher weights in PC1, whereas the phenolic acids danshensu, salvianolic acids A and B and lithospermic acid were highly loaded in PC2. All components could be optimized as markers of different locations and might be suitable for quality analyses. Additionally, the DPPH and ABTS assays used to comprehensively evaluate antioxidant activities indicated large variations, with mean DPPH and ABTS scavenging potencies of 32.24 and 23.39 μg/mL, respectively, among extract solutions. Notably, samples that exceeded the mean IC values had higher phenolic acid contents. A correlation analysis indicated a strong correlation between the antioxidant activities and phenolic acid contents. Caffeic acid, danshensu, rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid and salvianolic acid B were major contributors to antioxidant activity. In conclusion, phenolic compounds were the predominant antioxidant components in the investigated plant species. These plants may be sources of potent natural antioxidants and beneficial chemopreventive agents.