# Exploring the transformation of chemical components and the discovery of anti-tumor active components in the fruit of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum

## TL;DR

This study identifies and analyzes the chemical components of a Himalayan plant's fruit and predicts some of them to have anti-tumor properties.

## Contribution

The study identifies 85 chemical components in FSH and predicts 17 potential anti-tumor compounds using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and network pharmacology.

## Key findings

- 85 chemical components were identified in FSH, including 61 flavonoids and 24 lignans.
- 36 prototype components and 13 transformed products were detected in vivo.
- 17 compounds, including Kaempferol and Uralenol, were predicted as potential anti-tumor components.

## Abstract

The fruit of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (FSH) is derived from Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) Ying, a plant belonging to the family Berberidaceae of the order Ranunculaceae. It is mainly distributed in the Himalayan alpine region, and born in the understory of forests, and wetlands at the edge of forests, thickets or grasses. FSH grows at an altitude of 2,200–4,300 meters above sea level. Its main pharmacological activities include anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, analgesia, heat clearing and detoxification. In the current experiment, ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was adopted for investigating the chemical components contained in FSH, their transformation patterns in vivo and the potential anti-tumor components, so as to provide an experimental basis for the utilization and development of the resources of FSH.

The chemical components of FSH and their transformation patterns in vivo were investigated by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, and the potential anti-tumor active components were predicted from the in vivo transformed components of FSH by using a network pharmacology approach.

Totally 85 chemical components were identified in FSH, among which, 61 were flavonoids and 24 were lignans. The above components were transformed in vivo, including 36 prototype components and 13 transformed products. As revealed by the results of network pharmacology on the prediction of anti-tumor components of FSH, 17 compounds such as Kaempferol, Uralenol, and 8-Prenylquercetin in FSH were used as the potential anti-tumor components.

In this study, the chemical composition, in vivo transformed components of FSH and their metabolites are investigated, and the in vivo transformed components are predicted to have potential anti-tumor pharmacological activities. This study provides the experimental bases for the utilization and development of the resources of FSH.