Characterization of metabolites inSaposhnikovia divaricataroot from Mongolia

Saposhnikoviae Radix (SR), derived from the dried root and rhizome ofSaposhnikovia divaricata, is a popular crude drug used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine. To evaluate the metabolites ofS. divaricataroots from Mongolia and to investigate their geographical variation, we developed the HPLC method, determined the contents of 9 chromones and 4 coumarins, and conducted multivariate statistical analysis. All Mongolian specimens contained prim-O-glucosylcimifugin (1) and 4 '-O-beta-d-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol (3), and their total amount (5.04-25.06 mg/g) exceeded the criterion assigned in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Moreover, the content of1(3.98-20.79 mg/g) was significantly higher in the Mongolian specimens than in Chinese SR samples. The specimens from Norovlin showed the highest contents of1and3. The total levels of dihydropyranochromones were higher in the specimens from Bayan-Uul. The orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis revealed that the Mongolian specimens tended to be separated into three groups based on growing regions, in which several chromones contributed to each distribution. Furthermore,H-1 NMR analysis revealed that Mongolian specimens had less amount of sucrose and a substantial amount of polyacetylenes. Thus, in this study, the chemical characteristics of MongolianS. divaricataspecimens were clarified and it was found that the specimens from the northeast part of Mongolia, including Norovlin, had the superior properties due to higher amounts of major chromones.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the metabolites of Saposhnikovia divaricata roots from Mongolia, identifying differences in chemical composition and geographical variations among specimens from different regions. The research revealed that specimens from northeastern Mongolia, particularly Norovlin, had superior properties due to higher amounts of major chromones.