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A breakthrough in phytochemical profiling: ultra-sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy platform for detecting bioactive components in medicinal and edible plants

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Abstract

A perennial challenge in harnessing the rich biological activity of medicinal and edible plants is the accurate identification and sensitive detection of their active compounds. In this study, an innovative, ultra-sensitive detection platform for plant chemical profiling is created using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology. The platform uses silver nanoparticles as the enhancing substrate, excess sodium borohydride prevents substrate oxidation, and methanol enables the tested molecules to be better adsorbed onto the silver nanoparticles. Subsequently, nanoparticle aggregation to form stable “hot spots” is induced by Ca2+, and the Raman signal of the target molecule is strongly enhanced. At the same time, deuterated methanol was used as the internal standard for quantitative determination. The method has excellent reproducibility, RSD ≤ 1.79%, and the enhancement factor of this method for the detection of active ingredients in the medicinal plant Coptis chinensis was 1.24 × 109, with detection limits as low as 3 fM. The platform successfully compared the alkaloid distribution in different parts of Coptis chinensis: root > leaf > stem, and the difference in content between different batches of Coptis chinensis decoction was successfully evaluated. The analytical technology adopted by the platform can speed up the determination of Coptis chinensis and reduce the cost of analysis, not only making better use of these valuable resources but also promoting development and innovation in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This study provides a new method for the development, evaluation, and comprehensive utilization of both medicinal and edible plants. It is expected that this method will be extended to the modern rapid detection of other medicinal and edible plants and will provide technical support for the vigorous development of the medicinal and edible plants industry.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Introduce High-Level Talent Incentive Project (no. 0103–31021200052), HMU Marshal Initiative Funding (no. HMUMIF-21012), and National Natural Science Foundation for Youth (no. 82202648).

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Author notes

  1. Chunjuan Yang and Yue Zhao contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Frigid Zone Cardiovascular Diseases (SKLFZCD), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China

    Chunjuan Yang, Yue Zhao, Shuang Jiang, Xiaomeng Sun, Xiaotong Wang, Yanli Wu & Yang Li

  2. Research Center for Innovative Technology of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China

    Chunjuan Yang, Yue Zhao, Shuang Jiang, Xiaomeng Sun, Xiaotong Wang, Yanli Wu & Yang Li

  3. Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology (HST), Faculty of Medicine University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    Yang Li

  4. Key Laboratory of Chinese Materia Medical (Ministry of Education), Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China

    Zhibin Wang

  5. School of Science, Nantong University, No. 9, Seyuan Road, Nantong, Jiangsu, 226019, China

    Jing Wu

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  1. Chunjuan Yang
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  2. Yue Zhao
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  8. Jing Wu
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  9. Yang Li
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Yang, C., Zhao, Y., Jiang, S. et al. A breakthrough in phytochemical profiling: ultra-sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy platform for detecting bioactive components in medicinal and edible plants. Microchim Acta 191, 286 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-024-06360-x

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