Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500 046, Telangana State, India.
Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500 046, Telangana State, India.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Mar 1;267:113469. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113469. Epub 2020 Oct 16.
Withania somnifera L. (Solanaceae), commonly known as Ashwagandha or Indian ginseng, is used in Ayurveda (Indian system of traditional medicine) for vitality, cardio-protection and treating other ailments, such as neurological disorders, gout, and skin diseases.
We present a critical overview of the information on the metabolomics of W. somnifera and highlight the significance of the technique for use in quality control of medicinal products. We have also pointed out the use of metabolomics to distinguish varieties and to identify best methods of cultivation, collection, as well as extraction.
The relevant information on medicinal value, phytochemical studies, metabolomics of W. somnifera, and their applications were collected from a rigorous electronic search through scientific databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Structures of selected metabolites were from the PubChem.
The pharmacological activities of W. somnifera were well documented. Roots are the most important parts of the plant used in Ayurvedic preparations. Stem and leaves also have a rich content of bioactive phytochemicals like steroidal lactones, alkaloids, and phenolic acids. Metabolomic studies revealed that metabolite profiles of W. somnifera depended on plant parts collected and the developmental stage of the plant, besides the season of sample collection and geographical location. The levels of withanolides were variable, depending on the morpho/chemotypes within the species of W. somnifera. Although studies on W. somnifera were initiated several years ago, the complexity of secondary metabolites was not realized due to the lack of adequate and fool-proof technology for phytochemical fingerprinting. Sophistications in chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry facilitated the discovery of several new metabolites. Mutually complementary techniques like LC-MS, GC-MS, HPTLC, and NMR were employed to obtain a comprehensive metabolomic profile. Subsequent data analyses and searches against spectral databases enabled the annotation of signals and dereplication of metabolites in several numbers without isolating them individually.
The present review provides a critical update of metabolomic data and the diverse application of the technique. The identification of parameters for standardization and quality control of herbal products is essential to facilitate mandatory checks for the purity of formulation. Such studies would enable us to identify the best geographical location of plants and the time of collection. We recommend the use of metabolomic analysis of herbal products based on W. somnifera for quality control as well as the discovery of novel bioactive compounds.
南非醉茄（茄科），俗称 Ashwagandha 或印度人参，在印度传统医学阿育吠陀中被用于增强活力、心脏保护和治疗其他疾病，如神经紊乱、痛风和皮肤病。
我们对南非醉茄的代谢组学信息进行了批判性概述，并强调了该技术在药用产品质量控制中的重要性。我们还指出了代谢组学在区分品种以及识别最佳种植、采集和提取方法方面的应用。
通过严格的电子搜索，从科学数据库（包括 Scopus、PubMed、Web of Science 和 Google Scholar）中收集了关于南非醉茄药用价值、植物化学研究、代谢组学及其应用的相关信息。所选代谢物的结构来自 PubChem。
南非醉茄的药理学活性得到了充分证实。根部是植物在阿育吠陀制剂中最重要的部分。茎和叶也含有丰富的生物活性植物化学物质，如甾体内酯、生物碱和酚酸。代谢组学研究表明，南非醉茄的代谢物谱取决于所采集的植物部位和植物的发育阶段，以及采样季节和地理位置。由于南非醉茄物种内的形态/化学型不同，其同型物的含量也不同。尽管对南非醉茄的研究已经开展了数年，但由于缺乏足够且可靠的植物化学指纹图谱技术，对次生代谢物的复杂性没有认识。色谱与质谱联用的复杂性促进了几种新代谢物的发现。LC-MS、GC-MS、HPTLC 和 NMR 等互补技术被用于获得全面的代谢组学图谱。随后的数据分析和对光谱数据库的搜索使我们能够在不单独分离的情况下对多个信号进行注释和去重。
本综述提供了代谢组学数据的最新进展和该技术的多种应用。确定草药产品标准化和质量控制的参数对于促进配方纯度的强制性检查至关重要。此类研究将使我们能够确定植物的最佳地理位置和采集时间。我们建议使用基于南非醉茄的草药产品代谢组学分析进行质量控制以及发现新的生物活性化合物。
