Anti-inflammatory activity in vitro, extractive process and HPLC-MS characterization of total saponins extract from Tribulus terrestris L. fruits

• Published in: Industrial crops and products 2020-08, Vol.150, p.112343, Article 112343
• Main Authors: Tian, Chunlian, Chang, Yu, Liu, Xin, Zhang, Zehui, Guo, Yuru, Lan, Zhiwei, Zhang, Peng, Liu, Mingchun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-inflammatory activity; Component analysis; LPS; Total saponins; Tribulus terrestris L
• ISSN: 0926-6690; 1872-633X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112343

•The extraction process was optimized by response surface method.•The yield of total saponins from Tribulus terrestris L. fruits was 2.95 %.•The total saponins fraction displayed much stronger anti-inflammatory activity. Tribulus terrestris L. is well distributed in Asia and applied to treat inflammation, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular illness, cancer, oxidative stress, hormone imbalance, muscle damages and other diseases. This research had evaluated the extractive process, chemical compositions, and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of total saponins extract from Tribulus terrestris L. fruits. The preparation method of total saponins was investigated by response surface methodology, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometern (LC-MSn) was used to separate and analyze the major compositions. The yield of total saponins were 2.95 % under the optimized conditions as follows: absolute ethanol 99.8 %, ultrasonic time 40 min, ratio of solvent volume to material weight 25:1 ml/g, and extractive temperature 70 °C. Moreover, the main chemical components were preliminarily identified and inferred from the total saponins extract based on the related references and mass spectrometry information, and total saponins extract can exhibit better anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing the production of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and reducing the phagocytic ability in the RAW 264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This study indicated that total saponins fraction from Tribulus terrestris L. fruits may be a perfect traditional Chinese medicine with potential anti-inflammatory activity.