Subjects: Biology >> Botany submitted time 2017-10-27
Abstract:Polygala tenuifolia root is usually used for functional food due to attractive health benefits. In this work, ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were utilised to characterise the bioactive compounds in P. tenuifolia root. The UPLC-MS/MS information revealed 36 bioactive compounds, including oligosaccharide esters, polygalasaponins and polygalaxanthones. GC-MS identified 34 volatile compounds with fatty acids as the main chemicals. The leading compound judged by UPLC-MS/MS was tenuifoliside A, and oleic acid was the leading volatile from GC-MS profiles. All the samples showed similar bioactive compounds compositions, but the level of each compound varied. The results of principal component analysis revealed the principal bioactive compounds with significant level variations between samples. These principal chemicals could be used for quality judgement of P. tenuifolia root, instead of measuring the levels of all compositional compounds.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review