Differential analysis of lipid profiles in natural Calculus Bovis and Bovis Calculus Sativus by UHPLC-MS/MS

Natural Calculus Bovis (NCB) and Bovis Calculus Sativus (BCS) are both used clinically but exhibit different therapeutic effects, the material basis of which remains unclear. Lipid-soluble components are hypothesized to contribute to these differences, however the compositional variations at the lipid level have not been fully characterized. In this study, untargeted UHPLC-MS/MS lipidomics was employed to compare the lipid profiles of NCB and BCS. The results indicated that both samples contained fatty acyls, glycerolipids (GL), glycerophospholipids (GP), sphingolipids (SP), and sterol lipids (ST), indicating a conserved core lipid framework. However, NCB showed higher lipid complexity and abundance. NCB contained higher levels and greater molecular diversity of intact GP (phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines), SP (ceramides), fatty acid-derived lipids (polyunsaturated N-acylethanolamines, PU-NAE), and sterol esters. In comparison, BCS exhibited a simplified profile dominated by GL, with reduced GP, SP and ST species, enrichment of lysophospholipids and bile acid-related sterols, and lower overall lipid abundance. These differences may result from distinct formation processes: prolonged in vivo maturation for NCB versus time-limited in vitro culturing for BCS. This study expands the current understanding of the material basis of NCB and BCS, from a lipidomic perspective, offering molecular insights into its pharmacological properties and providing a scientific foundation for the material basis, quality control, standardization and rational clinical application of Calculus Bovis.