Screening of bioactive compounds and research of possible targets based on hollow fiber cell fishing with high performance liquid chromatography

In this study, hollow fiber cell fishing with high performance liquid chromatography (HFCF-HPLC) is further extended and verified. The surface properties of the hollow fiber seeded human breast cancer cell MCF-7, the survival rate of cells seeded, the cell death rate after screening of active compounds, the non-specific binding between active centres on the fiber and the target compounds, the positive and negative controls and the repeatability of HFCF-HPLC were investigated in detail. The target fishing factor of active compounds was defined and improved. The procedure was employed to screen and fish simultaneously phenolic acid and flavonoid active compound groups from water decoctions of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Some of the structures of active compounds screened and fished were identified by comparing with the retention time of the reference substances. And the hollow fibers filled with the receptors (estrogen receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor, and cyclooxygenase-2) associated with cancer cells as well as the cell membranes and cell organelles separated from live MCF-7 cells were used respectively in preliminary research of the binding sites and the targets of potential phenolic acids and flavonoids on MCF-7 cells. The active compounds' abilities to interact with their targets were compared and are discussed. Results demonstrate that HFCF-HPLC is a simple, quick, stable and reliable method to screen and analyze bioactive compounds as well as research the possible targets of active compounds, and it provides us with a good possibility to research and prove the effects of multiple components and multiple targets for TCMs.