The grading quality markers identification of Panax notoginseng under the guidance of traditional experience using untargeted metabolomics and anti-myocardial ischemia evaluation of zebrafish

ABSTRACT Background Panax notoginseng (PN) was an edible Chinese herbal medicine . PN's current quality control standard cannot precisely match the traditional grading experience. Purpose In this study, under the guidance of the traditional grading experience, the combined metabolomics and biological effect evaluation were used to reveal the distinct chemical quality of PN. Methods The quality of PN was evaluated by traditional experience and characterized by the electronic tongue . A zebrafish myocardial ischemia model was developed to verify the grading experience. The untargeted metabolomics method was used to identify and validate the grading markers of PN. Results The taste was the critical indicator for classifying the quality. Based on the experience sensory scores (ranged from 47.0 to 87.8), PNs could be divided into two grades. The experience scores were significantly associated with umami and richness of the electronic tongue( p <0.01). Besides, superior PN showed substantially stronger anti-myocardial ischemia activity( p <0.001). Thirty-nine differential components were found using UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS, of which 22 were identified. A new kind of grading quality markers alkynols in PN-associated efficacy was identified, which revealed stronger anti-myocardial ischemia activities than saponin . Conclusion This study evaluated PN through untargeted metabolomics and anti-myocardial ischemia evaluation of zebrafish and proposed the critical role of alkynols in PN's quality classification.