Chemical Profiling of Nitraria roborowskii Kom. by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS and Their Hypolipidemic Effects in Vivo

The Nitraria roborowskii Kom. (NRK) berries, as fruits of the genus Nitraria of the Zygophyllceae family, have been widely used as folk medicine. Modern pharmacological research has demonstrated that Nitraria berries had hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, and immunomodulatory effects. However, more research needs to be reported on the chemical composition and biological activity of NRK. Hence, the phenolic compounds in the NRK berries were comprehensively analyzed and characterized by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadruple-Orbitrap MS system (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS) in this study. In total, 52 phenolics were identified, and all were reported for the first time. In addition, the hypolipidemic efficacy of NRK berries extract was studied in the hyperlipidemic mouse model. After treatment, the high dose group of NRK substantially reversed total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Through lipidomics technology, 27 potential biomarkers were characterized. And there was a significant callback at 25 of them after NRK treatment by using statistical analysis methods. Pathway analysis results demonstrated that NRK might exert therapeutic effects by regulating glycerophospholipid and glycerolipid metabolism pathways. This study could provide firsthand information on NRK berries for their phenolic compounds and potential application in preventing and treating hyperlipidemia.