Chemical profile of Swertia mussotii Franch and its potential targets against liver fibrosis revealed by cross-platform metabolomics

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Swertia mussotii Franch (SMF) is a well-known Tibetan medicine for the treatment of liver disease in China. However, the chemical profile and molecular mechanism of SMF against hepatic fibrosis are not yet well explored.

Aim of the study: This work aimed to elucidate the chemical profile of SMF and investigate the action mechanisms of SMF against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced hepatic fibrosis.

Materials and methods: Ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOFMS) and UNIFI platform was firstly employed to reveal the chemical profile of SMF. Cross-platform serum metabolomics based on gas chromatography/liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were performed to characterize the metabolic fluctuations associated with CCl₄-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of SMF. Western blotting was further applied to validate the key metabolic pathways.

Results: A total of 31 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized from SMF. Twenty-seven differential metabolites were identified related with CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis, and SMF could significantly reverse the abnormalities of seventeen metabolites. The SMF-reversed metabolites were involved in arachidonic acid metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism and TCA cycle. The results of western blotting analysis showed that SMF could alleviate liver fibrosis by increasing the levels of CYP7A1, CYP27A1 and CYP8B1 and decreasing the level of LPCAT1 to regulate the metabolic disorders of primary bile acid biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid.

Conclusion: It could be concluded that primary bile acid biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism were the two important target pathways for SMF-against liver fibrosis, which provided the theoretical foundation for its clinical use.

Keywords: Liver fibrosis; Mass spectrometry; Metabolomics; Swertia mussotii Franch; UNIFI platform.