Targeted UHPLC-HRMS analysis of the ceramide and cerebroside profile of Lonicera japonica L.

Ceramides and cerebrosides are sphingolipids consisting of a sphingoid base (SPB), a fatty acid, and in case of cerebrosides, glucose as polar head group. They occur in all plant species, displaying high structural diversity [1]. Plant-derived ceramides and cerebrosides have shown beneficial effects on skin hydration and the skin barrier, and preventive effects on intestinal impairments [2] [3]. Lonicera japonica L. (Caprifoliaceae) is an important TCM plant. The plant parts predominantly applied in pharmaceutical treatments are the flower buds, followed by stems. The plant is phytochemically well- characterised, with more than 300 isolated and identified constituents to date [4]. However, ceramides and cerebrosides have only been occasionally reported from this species. Therefore, the aim of this study was a systematic ceramide and cerebroside profiling in the aerial parts of L. japonica.

Flower buds, bloomed flowers, stems and leaves from four different accessions in Taiwan were analysed by UHPLC-HRMS analysis, using inclusion lists for ceramide and cerebroside precursor ions. Compound annotation was performed by the software Lipid Data Analyzer [5].

77 different ceramides and 46 cerebrosides were annotated on the molecular species level, including several so far unreported species. Major ceramides consisted of a trihydroxylated 18:0 or a 18:1 SPB and a dihydroxylated fatty acid, and predominant cerebrosides contained trihydroxylated 18:1 SPBs and non- hydroxylated fatty acids. Ceramide and cerebroside levels were highest in flower buds, intermediate in bloomed flowers and leaves and lowest in stems. Variations were also observed between different accessions.

Funding The project has been funded by OeAD (TW 01/2020).

 

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• References

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Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
16. November 2023