Identification of alkaloidal compounds from leaves and roots of Stephania succifera by HPLC-QTOF-MS and prediction of potential bioactivity with PharmMapper

Introduction The roots of Stephania succifera are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases. Research on this plant has mainly focused on bioactive alkaloids from the roots, and no previous work on compounds from the abundant leaves has yet been reported. Objective To identify and compare alkaloidal compounds in S. succifera roots and leaves and to predict the potential bioactivity of some alkaloids. Methods High-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) was employed to identify alkaloidal compounds from S. succifera. The potential targets and bioactivities of most alkaloids were predicted using the PharmMapper server. Results Fifty-six alkaloidal compounds, including protoberberine-, aporphine-, proaporphine-, benzylisoquinoline-, and lactam-type alkaloids, were identified or tentatively identified in S. succifera roots and leaves based on the HPLC-MS data. Forty-one compounds have not been previously reported in S. succifera and eight of them have not been previously reported in the literature. Twenty-four alkaloidal compounds were found in both roots and leaves. Twelve potential targets with different indications were predicted for some alkaloids. Conclusion Comparison of chemical constituents and their potential bioactivities for S. succifera roots and leaves indicated that diverse bioactive alkaloids were present in the leaves as well as the roots. PharmMapper provided new directions for bioactivity screening. This study will be helpful for further understanding the medicinal components of S. succifera and the rational utilisation of plant resources.