Study on Difference of Flavonoids in Ophiopogonis Radix and Liriopes Radix Based on Metabonomics

OBJECTIVE To study the distribution differences and accumulation patterns of flavonoids in Ophiopogonis Radix and Liriopes Radix, and explore the characteristic difference substances between them. METHODS Quantitative analysis of total flavonoids, methylophiopogonanone A and methylophiopogonanone B were carried out by UV-VIS spectrophotometry and HPLC. UPLC-MS/MS was performed to detect the flavonoids in Ophiopogonis Radix and Liriopes Radix. Using multivariate statistical analysis methods such as principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis to identify differential metabolites, and conduct KEGG enrichment analysis of differential metabolites. RESULTS The contents of total flavonoids, methylophiopogonanone A and methylophiopogonanone B in Ophiopogonis Radix were significantly higher than those in Liriopes Radix. A total of 190 flavonoids were identified, of which 160 were differential metabolites, mainly including flavones(31), flavonols(22), isoflavones and other flavonoids(70). Compared with Ophiopogonis Radix, 45 metabolites in Liriopes Radix were up-regulated, and the up-regulated substances were mainly flavones and flavonols; 115 components in Liriopes Radix were down regulated, which were mainly isoflavones and other flavonoids. Flavones and flavonols had different accumulation patterns, most of apigenin and kaempferol were up-regulated in Ophiopogonis Radix, while hesperidin and quercetin were up-regulated in Liriopes Radix. Isoflavones and other flavonoid compounds were abundant in Ophiopogonis Radix, especially homoisoflavonoids were all up-regulated in Ophiopogonis Radix, which was the most significant difference between Ophiopogonis Radix and Liriopes Radix. Through KEGG annotation of 160 differential metabolites, it was found that the differential accumulated flavonoids were significantly enriched in three metabolic pathways:flavonoid biosynthesis(ko00941), isoflavonoid biosynthesis(ko00943), flavone and flavonol biosynthesis(ko00944). CONCLUSION Ophiopogonis Radix and Liriopes Radix both contain rich flavonoids, showing a significantly different accumulation pattern as a whole. Homoisoflavonoids can be considered as the characteristic components to distinguish them, the results can provide reference for the in-depth quality evaluation and clinical utilization of Ophiopogonis Radix and Liriopes Radix.