Phytochemical Analysis of Ophiopogon Species
Summary
Ophiopogon species, notably Ophiopogon japonicus and related taxa, are valued in traditional medicine for their tuberous roots rich in bioactive compounds. Phytochemical analyses have consistently identified two principal classes of secondary metabolites: steroidal saponins and homoisoflavonoids, which contribute to immunomodulatory, cardioprotective and anticancer activities. Geographical origin, cultivation practices and plant part markedly influence chemical composition, with variations observed between Chuanmaidong (Sichuan), Zhemaidong (Zhejiang) and substitute species. Modern approaches integrate chromatographic separation (HPLC, UPLC, HPTLC) with advanced detectors (ELSD, mass spectrometry) and multivariate data analysis to achieve comprehensive metabolic fingerprinting, enabling quality control, authentication and safety assessment. Recent concerns over pesticide and growth-regulator residues, particularly paclobutrazol, have prompted residue screening protocols. Increasingly, metabolomic strategies are revealing underexplored constituents in fibrous roots, suggesting new avenues for therapeutic development and standardisation of herbal pharmacopoeias.
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Phytochemical Analysis of Ophiopogon Species publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in phytochemical analysis of ophiopogon species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Steroidal saponins: Glycosidic compounds featuring a steroidal aglycone linked to sugar moieties, known for membrane-modulating and immunomodulatory activities.
Homoisoflavonoids: Phenolic metabolites characterised by a 16-carbon skeleton related to flavonoids, often exhibiting antioxidant and cytotoxic properties.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): A separation technique that pumps liquid mobile phases through a column filled with stationary phase to resolve complex mixtures.
High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC): An advanced planar chromatographic method using coated glass plates and automated development for rapid profiling of phytochemical samples.
Metabolomic fingerprinting: A holistic profiling approach that captures comprehensive metabolic signatures of biological samples for classification and quality assessment.
References
- Comparison of Ophiopogon japonicus and Liriope spicata var. prolifera from Different Origins Based on Multi-Component Quantification and Anticancer Activity. Molecules (2023).
- Evaluation of the Effects of Paclobutrazol and Cultivation Years on Saponins in Ophiopogon japonicus Using UPLC‐ELSD. International Journal of Analytical Chemistry (2020).
- Quality variation of maidong (Ophiopogon japonicus and Liriope spicata) – A HPTLC-based approach. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis (2024).
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