Comprehensive Analysis of Chemical Ingredients of Waiganfengsha Granule and Absorbed Components in Rat Plasma Based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS

Objective: Waiganfengsha Granule, an over-the-counter drug, is commonly used for treating windheat cold and sore throat in clinical settings. However, its material basis of medicinal efficacy is still unclear. In this study, an efficient integrated analytical strategy was established for its chemical and metabolite profiles study. Methods: Firstly, to avoid the possible false-positive results of structural elucidation, an in-house component library that contains chemical constituents reported in the literature from the six individual medicines of Waiganfengsha Granule was established. Secondary, mass data post-processing techniques, including precursor ion list and neutral loss filtering, were applied to enhance the identification accuracy. Thirdly, for the rapid characterization of those absorbed components after oral administration in rats, the identified chemical constituents were used as candidate components for the serum analysis. By comparing the retention time and analyzing mass data, the metabolites in rat plasma were identified. Results: As a result, 57 chemical ingredients were identified, including 21 phenolic acids, 9 alkaloids, 2 flavonoids, 5 lignins, 13 saponins, and 7 other compounds. Among these, 12 compounds were unambiguously identified by comparison with reference standards, and 45 were tentatively characterized by analyzing their accurate MS data, MS/MS fragmentation patterns, and also by comparison with those data reported in the literature. Additionally, 46 metabolites were detected and identified in rat plasma. Conclusion: This study is beneficial for understanding the chemical composition and metabolic profiles of Waiganfengsha Granule, and the results obtained might provide a solid basis for further studies on its functional mechanism