Identification of chemical components and rat serum metabolites in Danggui Buxue decoction based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, the UNIFI platform and molecular networks

Danggui Buxue Decoction (DBD), consisting of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao (Huangqi, HQ) and Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Danggui, DG), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula with the function of tonifying Qi and promoting blood. In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was used to comprehensively identify the chemical constituents in DBD and those entering into the rat serum after gastric perfusion. A combination of the UNIFI platform and Global Natural Product Social molecular networking (GNPS) was used to analyze the chemical composition of DBD. As a result, 207 compounds were unambiguously or tentatively identified including 60 flavonoids, 38 saponins, 35 organic acids, 26 phthalides, 12 phenylpropanoids, 11 amino acids and 25 others. Furthermore, a total of 80 compounds, including 29 prototype components and 51 exogenous metabolites, were detected in the serum of rats. Phase I reactions (oxidation, reduction, and hydration), phase II reactions (methylation, sulfation, and glucuronidation), and their combinations were the main metabolic pathways of DBD. The results provided fundamental information for further studying the pharmacological mechanisms of DBD, as well as its quality control research.