The anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of the aerial part of Atractylodes macrocephala and the active constituents' analysis by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS

The root of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (AMK) is an important crude drug widely used in Chinese folk medicines for treating various diseases. This study was aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities of the aerial part of AMK (APA) and analyze its active constituents by LC-ESI-MS/MS. Total extracts of APA and different fractions of petroleum ether (PEE), ethyl acetate (ACE), n-butanol (BE) and the residues (WE) were prepared. The contents of total phenolics and flavonoids of APA extracts and the different fractions were determined. Then, anti-inflammatory effects of the extracts/fractions were evaluated in animal models by using dimethylbenzene-induced ear edema and acetic acid-induced vascular permeability in mice. The antioxidant activities were determined in vitro by DPPH radical scavenging and phosphor-molybdenum methods. The constituents in the most active fraction of ACE were analyzed by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The results demonstrated that APA extracts and all sub-fractions contain affluent phenolics and flavonoids. The APA extracts and different sub-fractions (especially ACE) showed notable anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidant activity. Furthermore, 10 constituents including protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, syringin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, ethyl caffeate, ethyl cinnamate, luteolin and apigenin were identified in ACE. In conclusion, APA (especially ACE) can be developed into effective and safe therapeutic agents for treating inflammation and oxidative stress in the future, and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS is an efficient method for analyzing active constituents in APA.