Comparison of Chemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activities for the Immature Fruits of Citrus changshan-huyou Y.B. Chang and Citrus aurantium L

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 28; no. 13; p. 5057
• Main Authors: Zhang, Qixin, Song, Wenying, Tao, Guanqi, Li, Qin, Wang, Lixia, Huang, Wenkang, Gao, Lijuan, Yin, Lai, Ye, Yiping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.06.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Acids; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - analysis; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Aurantii Fructus; chemical comparison; Chemical composition; Chemical compounds; chemometric analysis; Chinese medicine; Chromatography; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Citrus - chemistry; Citrus aurantium L; Citrus changshan-huyou Y.B. Chang; Citrus fruits; Clustering; Coumarins - chemistry; Cultivars; Discriminant analysis; Flavonoids; Flavonoids - chemistry; Fruit - chemistry; Fruits; Gas chromatography; Ionization; Ions; Limonins - analysis; Limonoids; Liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometry; Pharmaceuticals; Principal components analysis; Quadrupoles; Quality control; Quzhou Aurantii Fructus; Scientific imaging; Statistical analysis; Volatile compounds; China; Zhejiang China; Citrus aurantium L; chemometric analysis; Aurantii Fructus; Citrus changshan-huyou Y.B. Chang; chemical comparison; Quzhou Aurantii Fructus
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules28135057

Quzhou Aurantii Fructus (QAF), the dried immature fruit of Y.B. Chang, is similar to Aurantii Fructus (AF), the dried immature fruit of L. or its cultivars, in terms of composition, pharmacological action, and appearance. However, potential chemical markers to distinguish QAF from AF remain unknown owing to the lack of a comprehensive systematic chemical comparison aligned with discriminant analysis. To achieve a better understanding of the differences in their composition, this study aimed to identify the basic chemical compounds in QAF ( = 42) and AF ( = 8) using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electron spray ionization and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) were used to further analyze, screen, and verify potential chemical markers; the antioxidant capacity was assayed in vitro. A total of 108 compounds were found in QAF and AF, including 25 flavonoids, 8 limonoids, 2 coumarins, and 73 volatile components. The chemometric analysis indicated that the main components in QAF and AF were very similar. Trace differential components, including 9 flavonoids, 2 coumarins, 5 limonoids, and 26 volatile compounds, were screened as potential chemical markers to distinguish between QAF and AF. Additionally, the antioxidant capacity of QAF was found to be greater than that of AF. This research provides insights into the quality control and clinical application of QAF.