Screening of different chemical components of sedative and hypnotic effects of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen before and after frying and determination of the Q-Marker

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for sedation and hypnosis. Preliminary studies have shown that frying it could increase its sedative and hypnotic effects due to an increase in its chemical contents. However, the correlation between increased ZSS contents and therapeutic effects remains unclear. This study aimed to identify chemical components that change between ZSS and Fried Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (FZSS) and Q-markers related to these changed components’ sedative and hypnotic effects. Differences between ZSS and FZSS were investigated using the UPLC fingerprint analysis. Components significantly different between ZSS and FZSS were screened using the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis combined with a multivariate statistical method. In addition, ZSS and FZSS extracts were treated with diazepam in vitro to observe their differences in saturation competition between ZSS extract and diazepam, before and after processing, and diazepam on the GABA receptor in SD rats’ brain tissue. Then, the chemical components of ZSS and FZSS that competed with diazepam to bind to the GABA receptor were identified by LC-MS/MS analysis. Finally, the binding efficiency of the different medicinal components was assessed using molecular docking technology. The results indicated significant differences in the content of various chemical components between ZSS and FZSS. Among them, the contents of adenosine, spinosin, 6′″-feruloylspinosin, jujuboside A and betulinic acid were found to be significantly increased after frying. LC-MS/MS and molecular docking analysis screened spinosin, 6′″-feruloylspinosin and betulinic acid as Q markers for the sedative and hypnotic effects of ZSS and FZSS. In summary, this study identified the changed sedative-hypnotic chemical components and Q-markers of ZSS before and after frying.