Comparison of aerial parts of Astragalus membranaceus and Astragali Radix based on chemical constituents and pharmacological effects

Abstract

This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the comprehensive utilization of the aerial parts of Astragalus membranaceus (APAM). UPLC-Qtrap HRMS was used to identify secondary metabolites in APAM and Astragali Radix (AR), the pharmacological effects of them in N-acetyl phenylhydrazine (APH) and cyclophosphamide (Cy)-induced mice were studied by using 1H NMR-based metabolomics. The results showed that the secondary metabolites of APAM and AR were different, but that there was no difference in the contents of eight constituent flavonoids and four constituent saponins, which were 0.8800 and 4.4351 mg/g in APAM and 0.8944 and 4.6422 mg/g in AR, respectively. APAM and AR induced beneficial effects on the recovery of body weight, blood parameters, viscera indices, Na+-K+-ATPase, and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase, the blood-enriching mechanisms of them were probably related to valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis, D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism.