Characterization, Target Isolation of Triterpenes in the Anti-inflammatory Fraction of Salvia rosmarinus via UPLC-Orbitrap MS/MS Coupled with GNPS

Isolation of the effective anti-inflammatory fraction of Salvia rosmarinus (rosemary) was guided by its anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, as an in vitro inflammation model, and its chemical components were systematically characterized by UPLC-Orbitrap MS/MS coupled with GNPS. Eighty-three triterpenoids were identified, among which 51 were separated and elucidated, including 10 new compounds and six triterpenoids that exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity. The mass spectrometry fragmentation pathways of the five types of compounds were analyzed and their anti-inflammatory structure–activity relationship of the separated compounds was explored. The results indicate that the anti-inflammatory activity of rosemary is not mainly exerted by a few main components, such as ursolic acid and oleanolic acid, as previously reported, but is the result of the synergistic effect of many triterpenoids. The findings of the study provide a scientific basis for the development of rosemary anti-inflammatory functional foods.