Study on the Chemical Composition Differences of Five Primitive Artemisia annua Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS Technology and PLS-DA Analysis
Tibetan medicine is the foremost among the four major ethnic medicines in China, and its unique geographical environment has created a unique therapeutic effect for Tibetan medicinal materials. As a commonly used Tibetan medicine, Artemisia annua is recorded in Tibetan medicine classics such as “Newly Revised Crystal Pearl Materia Medica”, “Dictionary of Ethnic Medicine”, “Ministry of Tibetan Medicine”, “National Tibetan Medicine Standard Complete Book”, “Tibetan Medicine Chronicle”, etc. Meconopsis Vig. is a highly distinctive high-altitude Tibetan medicine established by Viguier in 1814 based on the Papaver cambium poppy. It is divided into 2 subgenera, 5 groups, and 9 lineages, intermittently distributed in East Asia and Western Europe. It is an annual or perennial herb with plant heights ranging from 10 to 180cm. Different species have different flower shapes and colors, and many species of Meconopsis have stems and leaves covered with soft and long hairs, hence its name. Due to differences in medicinal use between the North and South, there are similarities and differences in the use and names of Artemisia plants in different regions, resulting in confusion of drugs, confusion of varieties, and complex origins. Therefore, the research and application of Artemisia medicinal plants face challenges.
Ultra high liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) has high resolution, sensitivity, and separation ability, and can perform preliminary qualitative analysis of complex traditional Chinese medicine components in the absence of reference standards. It has been widely used for natural medicine analysis. This study used UPLC-Q-TOF-MS to investigate the effects of Meconopsis racemose Maxim Meconopsis horridula Hook f＆Thoms、 Meconopsis quintubulina Regel, Meconopsis integrifolia (Maxim) The chemical composition of 49 batches of Meconopsis punicea Maxim, consisting of 5 primordia from French and safflower, was identified. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) mathematical models were used to explore the differences in the composition of different primordia of Meconopsis punicea Maxim. This provides a scientific basis for the classification, material basis, and rational application of Meconopsis punicea varieties.

 

In the 1995 edition of the “Drug Standards of the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China (Tibetan Medicine)”, two varieties of prickly green velvet artemisia and green velvet artemisia were separately included. There is only one source of prickly green velvet artemisia, and three sources of green velvet artemisia: whole leaf green velvet artemisia, five vein green velvet artemisia, and long leaf green velvet artemisia. However, market research has found that there are few varieties of long leaf green velvet artemisia in practical applications in Tibetan areas, and resources are relatively scarce. According to reports, due to harsh growth environments and excessive human exploitation, the resources of Artemisia species are limited, and some Artemisia species are already in an endangered state, as protected plants in China. Therefore, in-depth research on the Tibetan medicine Artemisia annua and classification of its varieties play an important role in the rational development and application of Artemisia annua.

The different clinical effects of drugs are largely due to differences in chemical composition. According to literature reports, plants in the genus Artemisia contain chemical components such as alkaloids, flavonoids, volatile oils, steroids, terpenes, etc. Among them, alkaloids and flavonoids are the main active ingredients and have been the focus of research in recent years. Some experts have proposed adding the source of Artemisia annua in the “Drug Standards of the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China (Tibetan Medicine)”, but there are no research reports supporting this suggestion. This study is the first to investigate the chemical composition of five primitive Artemisia annua using mass spectrometry. Based on the identification of 75 chemical components in this study, there are 59 common chemical components between Artemisia annua and Artemisia annua. This indicates that the chemical composition of Artemisia annua and Artemisia annua is basically the same, and there are some differences from the chemical composition of the other three primitive Artemisia annua. This research result can provide a scientific basis for adding Artemisia annua as a primitive in Artemisia annua.

In terms of material basis, the differences in chemical composition among the five original Artemisia annua may have a significant impact on the medicinal efficacy of this herb. It is recommended to classify the prickly Artemisia annua and the racemic Artemisia annua together, and add the racemic Artemisia annua to the source of prickly Artemisia annua; Wumai Green Velvet Artemisia, Quanyuan Green Velvet Artemisia, and Honghua Green Velvet Artemisia are each classified into one category; In practical applications, it is not advisable to mix five pulse green velvet artemisia, whole edge green velvet artemisia, red flower green velvet artemisia, and prickly green velvet artemisia, and it is important to distinguish them. At present, the species of Artemisia annua are complex and the base is chaotic, with significant differences in species. More attention needs to be paid to variety classification and research applications. This study analyzed the differences among five basal Artemisia annua from the perspective of material basis, and the differential components can be considered as a reference for the identification of different basal Artemisia annua varieties. Subsequently, a detailed analysis of the differential components among the five basal Artemisia annua will be conducted, and further research will be conducted on the differences among these five basal Artemisia annua from the perspectives of pharmacology and clinical applications.