Insight into Metabolomic Profiling of Tinospora cordifolia: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives of Quality Control

Abstract

The objective of this study was to offer a review of previous works on Tinospora cordifolia (TC) metabolomics with a highlight on the use of metabolomics in comparative evaluations between varieties and selection of optimum cultivation, collection, and extraction procedures, providing insights into pharmaceutical and food product quality monitoring. Scholarly databases were searched to gather relevant information on TC’s therapeutic usefulness, phytoconstituent studies, metabolomics, and applications. PubChem was used to learn the structures of several of the metabolites. The various medicinal properties of TC were extensively researched. The most essential portions of the plant in Ayurvedic medicines are the stems. Bioactive phytochemicals such as steroidal lactones, alkaloids, diterpenoids, and phenolic compounds are present in the roots and leaves. Metabolomic analysis revealed that, in addition to the season and geographical region of the sample collected, the metabolite profiles of TC also depend on the parts of the plant taken as a sample and also the plant’s stage of growth. The amounts of secondary metabolites differed between morpho/chemotypes within the TC species. Despite the fact that research on TC began several decades ago, the diversity of phytoconstituents was not appreciated because of a lack of reliable techniques for phytochemical fingerprinting. The uncovering of several novel metabolites was aided by advances in chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. To produce a full metabolomic profile, researchers used mutually complementary techniques. Following that, data analysis and searches against spectrum databases allowed for signal annotation and interpretation of metabolites in large quantities without separating them separately. The current review includes a critical assessment of metabolomic data and an overview of the technique’s various applications. It is vital to establish the metrics of quality control of herbal medicines in order to accomplish formulation purity assessments. Such information would assist us in determining the best geolocation for the plants and the best time to harvest them. Metabolomic investigation of TC-based herbal products is recommended for quality standards and the identification of novel bioactive components.

Keywords

• analytical tools
• metabolomics
• quality control
• secondary metabolites
• tinospora cordifolia