[Study on identification of critical quality attributes for sweetness in Jinzhen Oral Liquid based on...

This article aims to use TAS1R2/TAS1R3-SPGE biosensing combined with UPLC-MS/MS and molecular docking techniques to identify critical quality attributes(CQAs) for the sweetness of TCM. Jinzhen Oral Liquid was selected as the research subject. Its CQAs for the sweetness were systematically screened, and its immunomodulatory activity was verified, providing support for improving the quality control system of Jinzhen Oral Liquid. This study quantitatively analyzed the interaction between Jinzhen Oral Liquid and sweetness receptors TAS1R2/TAS1R3 by using biosensing technology, identified the structures of its eluted components via UPLC-MS/MS technique, and evaluated the binding ability of the eluted components to the receptors through molecular docking. Furthermore, its immunomodulatory effects were validated by using an LPS-induced BEAS-2B cell inflammation model. 19 chemical components interacting with the sweetness receptor were screened through the biosensor, among which calycosin, echinatin, oroxylin A-7-O-β-D-glucuronide, and L-tyrosine exhibited strong binding ability to TAS1R2/TAS1R3 and significantly reduced interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) levels in the cell model, showing good immunomodulatory activity. By jointly applying multiple technical approaches, this study successfully determined the CQAs for the sweetness in Jinzhen Oral Liquid, providing new ideas and methods for identifying CQAs of TCM preparations and comprehensive and in-depth theoretical support for TCM quality control, thereby contributing to the improvement and development of the quality control system of TCM preparations.