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Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Leaf Spray Mass Spectrometry: A Rapid Ambient Ionization Technique to Directly Assess Metabolites from Plant Tissues
Published on: June 21, 2018
Untargeted LC-MS/MS profiling of Prunus korshinskyi leaf and bark based on UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis with evaluation of
Nermeen B Ali1, Abeer Salama2, Essam Abdel-Sattar1
1Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, 11562, Cairo, Egypt.
Ethnopharmacological Relevance:
Plants of the genus Prunus have long been used in traditional medicine for treating inflammatory and skin disorders, including wounds and dermatitis. In Saudi Arabia, local healers utilize Prunus korshinskyi for dermatological ailments (unpublished observations), an ethnomedicinal practice consistent with the use of other Prunus species for wounds and infections. Despite this traditional utility, the phytochemical profile and pharmacological efficacy of P. korshinskyi remain largely underexplored in the context of wound healing.
Aim Of The Study:
This study aimed to characterize the metabolite profile of P. korshinskyi leaf (PKL) and bark (PKB) and to evaluate their topical wound-healing activity in a rat excision wound model, linking its phytochemistry to pharmacological potency.
Materials And Methods:
Metabolite profiling of PKL and PKB methanolic extracts was performed using UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. The wound-healing effect was evaluated in a rat excision wound model after 10 days of topical treatment with PKL (2.5% and 5%), PKB (2.5% and 5%), and Mebo® (reference control), compared to control group. Wound closure, oxidative stress markers (FOXO1, GSH, MDA), and regenerative indicators (collagen I, MIP-2) were assessed, moreover, histopathological changes were investigated.
Results:
UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS profiling of PKL and PKB extracts revealed a rich spectrum of 87 metabolites spanning diverse classes including organic and phenolic acids, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, triterpenoids, and fatty acids. Topical administration of these extracts significantly accelerated wound closure, with PKB 5% showing the highest closure (98%), followed by PKL 5% (95%) and Mebo® (90%). Compared to control, these treatments restored FOXO1 skin content by 208% (PKB 5%) and 186% (PKL 5%), and increased GSH by 269% for both (PKB 5%) and (PKL 5%), while decreasing MDA by 43% (PKB 5%) and 37% (PKL 5%). Similarly, collagen I skin content increased by 7.2-fold and 5.3-fold, and MIP-2 by 2.1-fold and 1.6-fold in the high-dose PKB and PKL groups, respectively. Histopathological examination corroborated these findings, demonstrating accelerated re-epithelialization and the restoration of near-normal cutaneous architecture, particularly under high-dose treatment regimens.
Conclusions:
These results demonstrate that P. korshinskyi leaf and bark extracts exhibit promising topical wound-healing activity in the rat excision wound model, showing effects comparable to or numerically superior to the marketed product Mebo® under the tested experimental conditions. The activity is associated with a rich profile of phenolic acids, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, and triterpenoids, that may contribute to reduced oxidative stress, promote re-epithelialization, and stimulate collagen synthesis. Thus, P. korshinskyi represents a promising natural topical candidate for wound healing, with effects associated with modulation of oxidative stress and tissue repair markers, warranting further mechanistic and translational investigations.
