Activity-differential search for amyloid-β aggregation inhibitors using LC-MS combined with principal component analysis

Aggregation of amyloid beta 42 (A beta 42) is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Inhibition of A beta 42 aggregation is thus a promising approach for AD therapy. Kampo medicine has been widely used to combat dementias such as AD. Crude drug known as Shoyaku is an ingredient of Kampo that could have potential as a natural source of novel drugs. However, given that a mixture of compounds, rather than singular compounds, could contribute to the biological functions of crude drug, there are very limited studies on the structure and mechanism of each constituent in crude drug which may have anti-A beta 42 aggregation properties. Herein we provide an efficient method, using LC-MS combined with principal component analysis (PCA), to search for activity-dependent compounds that inhibit A beta 42 aggregation from 46 crude drug extracts originating from 18 plants. Only 5 extracts (Kakou, Kayou, Gusetsu, Rensu, and Renbou) from lotus demonstrated differentially inhibitory activities depending on the part of the plant from which they are derived (e.g. petiole, leaf, root node, stamen, and receptacle, respectively). To compare the anti-aggregative properties of compounds of active crude drug with those of inactive crude drug, these extracts were subjected to LC-MS measurement, followed by PCA. From 12 candidate compounds identified from the analysis, glucuronized and glucosidized quercetin, as well as 6 flavonoids (datiscetin, kaempferol, morin, robinetin, quercetin, and myricitrin), including catechol or flatness moiety suppressed A beta 42 aggregation, whereas curcumol, a sesquiterpene, did not. In conclusion, this study offers a new activity-differential methodology to identify bioactive natural products in crude drugs that inhibit A beta 42 aggregation and that could be applied to future AD therapies.

Automated summary

This study used LC-MS combined with PCA to analyze 46 crude drug extracts from 18 plants and identified 5 extracts with inhibitory activities against A beta 42 aggregation. From the analysis, several compounds were found to be associated with anti-aggregative properties and could be potential candidates for future AD therapies.