Identifying the intervention mechanisms of o-methoxycinnamic acid in hyperuricemia model by using UPLC-Q-TOF/ MS spectroscopy metabonomic approach (vol 106, 105608, 2023)

The anti-hyperuricemic activity of o-methoxycinnamic acid (OMA) was investigated in the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model, and its mode of action and biomarkers were studied using metabolomics techniques. First, a hyperuricemic C. elegans model was established to study the anti-hyperuricemic activity of OMA by altering uric acid levels in the nematodes. Subsequently, UPLC-Q-TOF/MS was used to investigate the effect of OMA on C. elegans endogenous metabolites, and differential metabolite analysis was used to identify OMA action pathways and biomarkers. The results showed that uric acid level increased by 12.0% (P < 0.05) in the model group, and after OMA treatment, uric acid content significantly decreased by 55.9% (P < 0.05) and prolonged median lethal time by 25% (P < 0.001), indicating anti-hyperuricemic activity of OMA. These results suggest that the mechanism may be related to abnormal regulation of amino acid metabolic pathways, using histidine and phenylalanine as potential diagnostic markers.