Molecular authentication of commercial "Qian-hu" through the integration of nrDNA internal transcribed spacer 2 and nucleotide signature.

BACKGROUND: Peucedani Radix, also known as "Qian-hu" is a traditional Chinese medicine derived from Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn. It is widely utilized for treating wind-heat colds and coughs accompanied by excessive phlegm. However, due to morphological similarities, limited resources, and heightened market demand, numerous substitutes and adulterants of Peucedani Radix have emerged within the herbal medicine market. Moreover, Peucedani Radix is typically dried and sliced for sale, rendering traditional identification methods challenging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We initially examined and compared 104 commercial "Qian-hu" samples from various Chinese medicinal markets and 44 species representing genuine, adulterants or substitutes, utilizing the mini barcode ITS2 region to elucidate the botanical origins of the commercial "Qian-hu". The nucleotide signature specific to Peucedani Radix was subsequently developed by analyzing the polymorphic sites within the aligned ITS2 sequences. RESULTS: The results demonstrated a success rate of 100% and 93.3% for DNA extraction and PCR amplification, respectively. Forty-five samples were authentic "Qian-hu", while the remaining samples were all adulterants, originating from nine distinct species. Peucedani Radix, its substitutes, and adulterants were successfully identified based on the neighbor-joining tree. The 24-bp nucleotide signature (5'-ATTGTCGTACGAATCCTCGTCGTC-3') revealed distinct differences between Peucedani Radix and its common substitutes and adulterants. The newly designed specific primers (PR-F/PR-R) can amplify the nucleotide signature region from commercial samples and processed materials with severe DNA degradation. CONCLUSIONS: We advocate for the utilization of ITS2 and nucleotide signature for the rapid and precise identification of herbal medicines and their adulterants to regulate the Chinese herbal medicine industry.

[Establishment and Optimization of Quality Standards for the Traditional Tibetan Medicine Preparation of Liuwei Nengxiao Pills]. / è—è¯å ­å‘³èƒ½æ¶ˆä¸¸è´¨é‡æ ‡å‡†çš„å»ºç«‹ä¸Žä¼˜åŒ–.

Objective: To establish quality standards for Liuwei Nengxiao pills, to optimize the quality control method, and to provide references for the quality control of Liuwei Nengxiao pills. Methods: Chebula, dried ginger, and Tibetan liqueur root in Liuwei Nengxiao pills of different batch numbers were analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC). Then, the content of chrysophanol in the preparation was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Furthermore, a series of methodological validation, including the investigation of the linear relationship, precision, stability, and reproducibility and sample recovery test, were performed to verify the reliability of the results. Results: The TLC identification method was easy to perform and demonstrated high specificity, clear spots, and good separation effect. In addition, the negative controls showed no interference. The HPLC method showed high accuracy. The results of methodological validation showed that the peak area of chrysophanol had a good linear relationship (r2=1.0) in the range of 0.06-0.80 µg, presenting good precision (with the relative standard deviation being lower than 2.0%), good stability and reproducibility (with the relative standard deviation being lower than 1.0%), and an average recovery rate of 100.8%. Conclusion: TLC and HPLC are easy to perform, showing high accuracy and reproducibility. The quality standards established are scientific, reasonable, stable, and feasible, providing references for the quality control of Liuwei Nengxiao pills.

TCMSSD: A comprehensive database focused on syndrome standardization.

BACKGROUD: Quantitative and standardized research on syndrome differentiation has always been at the forefront of modernizing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. However, the majority of existing databases primarily concentrate on the network pharmacology of herbal prescriptions, and there are limited databases specifically dedicated to TCM syndrome differentiation. PURPOSE: In response to this gap, we have developed the Traditional Chinese Medical Syndrome Standardization Database (TCMSSD, http://tcmssd.ratcm.cn). METHODS: TCMSSD is a comprehensive database that gathers data from various sources, including TCM literature such as TCM Syndrome Studies (Zhong Yi Zheng Hou Xue) and TCM Internal Medicine (Zhong Yi Nei Ke Xue) and various public databases such as TCMID and ETCM. In our study, we employ a deep learning approach to construct the knowledge graph and utilize the BM25 algorithm for syndrome prediction. RESULTS: The TCMSSD integrates the essence of TCM with the modern medical system, providing a comprehensive collection of information related to TCM. It includes 624 syndromes, 133,518 prescriptions, 8,073 diseases (including 1,843 TCM-specific diseases), 8,259 Chinese herbal medicines, 43,413 ingredients, 17,602 targets, and 8,182 drugs. By analyzing input data and comparing it with the patterns and characteristics recorded in the database, the syndrome prediction tool generates predictions based on established correlations and patterns. CONCLUSION: The TCMSSD fills the gap in existing databases by providing a comprehensive resource for quantitative and standardized research on TCM syndrome differentiation and laid the foundation for research on the biological basis of syndromes.

Real-time quality control of dripping pill's weight based on laser detection technology.

The present work reports developing the first process analytical technology (PAT)-based real-time feedback control system for maintaining the Ginkgo biloba leaf dripping pills weight during manufacturing. The opening degree of the drop valve and the weight of dripping pills were chosen as the manipulated variable and as the controlled variable, respectively. A proportional-integral controller was programmed to automatically reach the desired dripping pills weight by adjusting the opening degree of the drop valve. The closed-loop feedback control system could automatically compensate for the disturbances and ensure a predefined weight of the dripping pills with excellent robustness, high accuracy, and high efficiency during manufacturing. Furthermore, the closed-loop feedback control system improved the process capability of the dripping process, and the process capability index was > 1.67. This study provides a new approach to real-time control of the weight of dripping pills and improves the process capability during Ginkgo biloba leaf dripping pills manufacturing.

From metabolomic analysis to quality assessment and biosynthetic insight in traditional Chinese medicine: Mulberry tree as a case study.

INTRODUCTION: Ramulus Mori (RM, Sangzhi) and Cortex Mori (CM, Sangbaipi) both come from the Chinese medicinal plant mulberry tree. CM is usually used to relieve cough, while RM is usually used to treat pain. There are no studies on the quality control of RM and CM based on their analgesic and anti-inflammatory constituents associated with their traditional use. The chemical profiles of CM and RM were confusing. Some CM had similar profiles to RM, but some did not. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to reveal the chemical differences between RM and CM and to evaluate their quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Their chemical differences were studied using metabolomic analysis based on UHPLC-ESI-MS data. The contents of five quality marker candidates were determined by UHPLC-PDA. The analgesic activities of morusin and kuwanon C were assessed by an acetic acid-induced writhing test. RESULTS: CM was characterized by chemical diversity, whereas RM had good homogeneity. Four groups of CM were classified based on their chemicals. The chemical profiles of CM group 4 were more similar to that of RM. Eighteen putative features were identified based on an MS-Finder search and fragmentation rules. Content limits for four quality markers with anti-inflammatory or analgesic activities were proposed for RM. Furthermore, a possible biosynthetic relationship between kuwanon C, kuwanon G, and morusin was hypothesized based on the high Pearson coefficient between kuwanon G and morusin. CONCLUSION: The obtained results may be useful in the evaluation of RM and CM and afford insight into the biosynthetic pathway of Diels-Alder adducts in Morus.

Simultaneous Analysis for Quality Control of Traditional Herbal Medicine, Gungha-Tang, Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Gungha-tang (GHT), a traditional herbal medicine, consists of nine medicinal herbs (Cnidii Rhizoma, Pinelliae Tuber, Poria Sclerotium, Citri Unshius Pericarpium, Citri Unshius Pericarpium Immaturus, Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, Atracylodis Rhizoma Alba, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens). It has been used for various diseases caused by phlegm. This study aimed to develop and verify the simultaneous liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis method, using nine marker components (liquiritin apioside, neoeriocitrin, narirutin, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, liquiritigenin, glycyrrhizin, and 6-shogaol) for quality control of GHT. LC-MS/MS analysis was conducted using a Waters TQ-XS system. All marker analytes were separated on a Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 µm) using gradient elution with a distilled water solution (containing 5 mM ammonium formate and 0.1% [v/v] formic acid)-acetonitrile mobile phase. LC-MS/MS multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) analysis was carried out in negative and positive ion modes of an electrospray ionization source. The developed LC-MS/MS MRM method was validated by examining the linearity, limits of detection and quantification, recovery, and precision. LOD and LOQ values of nine markers were calculated as 0.02-8.33 ng/mL and 0.05-25.00 ng/mL. The recovery was determined to be 89.00-118.08% and precision was assessed with a coefficient of variation value of 1.74-8.64%. In the established LC-MS/MS MRM method, all markers in GHT samples were detected at 0.003-16.157 mg/g. Information gathered during the development and verification of the LC-MS/MS method will be useful for the quality assessment of GHT and other herbal medicines.

[Quality standard of Lobeliae Chinensis Herba].

In light of related methods in Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition), this study established the quality standard for Lobeliae Chinensis Herba. The TLC identification method was established with silica gel GF_(254) thin layer plate, diosmin standard, linarin standard, and the reference material of Lobeliae Chinensis Herba. The loss on drying, total ash, acid-insoluble ash, and ethanol-soluble extracts of 18 batches of Lobeliae Chinensis Herba samples were determined according to the general principles in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Then, HPLC was adopted in the establishment of characteristic chromatogram and content determination. The results showed that the established method can achieve good separation for diosmin, linarin, and lobetyolin. Based on the results of detection for 18 batches of Lobeliae Chinensis Herba samples, the draft quality standard was established, which was expected to provide reference for the revision of this medicinal herb in Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

[Analysis and suggestions on harvest period standards of plant medicinal materials in 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia].

The improvement of the harvest period standards is critical in the quality control of Chinese medicinal materials. The present study statistically analyzed the harvest period standards of plant medicinal materials in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia(Vol.Ⅰ) and put forward the existing problems and suggestions based on herbal records and modern research to provide references for the improvement of the standards. According to the statistical analysis, in 499 types of plant medicinal materials, harvest period standards are recorded under 486 types, accounting for 97.4%, and are lacking in the remaining. Only one medicinal material(Stellariae Radix) is recorded with the standard of the harvest year. The standards of the harvest season and phenological period are recorded under 233 types, accounting for 46.7%. For 237 types, only harvest season is specified, accounting for 47.5%, and for 15 types, only harvest phenological period is specified, accounting for 3.0%. Among 222 types mainly derived from cultivation and 51 types from wild resources and cultivation, only 11 types are recorded with harvest period of cultivated products. Only Stellariae Radix is recorded with the harvest period standards for the wild and cultivated products separately. The harvest period standards of plant medicinal materials with different medicinal parts have certain rules to follow. The main problems about the harvest period standards are discovered. Specifically, no harvest period standards are recorded under 13 types of plant medicinal materials. Almost all perennial cultivated medicinal materials are not recorded with harvest year standard. No phenological period standard is found under 250 types of plant medicinal materials. There is no clear distinction between the harvest period standards of cultivated and wild products. The evidence for harvest period standards of 26 types of plant medicinal materials that can be harvested all year round is insufficient. As a result, it is proposed to strengthen basic research in response to the above-mentioned problems and improve the harvest period standards as soon as possible to ensure the quality of Chinese medicinal materials.

[Quality value transmitting of substance benchmarks of Zhuru Decoction].

A total of 18 batches of Zhuru Decoction samples were prepared. Chromatographic fingerprints were established for Zhuru Decoction and single decoction pieces, the content of which was then determined. The extraction rate ranges, content, and transfer rate ranges of puerarin, liquiritin, and glycyrrhizic acid, together with the common peaks and the similarity range of the fingerprints, were determined to clarify key quality attributes of Zhuru Decoction. The 18 batches of Zhuru Decoction samples had 25 common peaks and the fingerprint similarity higher than 0.95. Puerariae Lobatae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens had 21, 3, and 1 characteristic peaks, respectively. The 18 batches of samples showed the extraction rates within the range of 18.45%-25.29%. Puerarin had the content of 2.20%-3.07% and the transfer rate of 38.5%-45.9%; liquiritin had the content of 0.24%-0.85% and the transfer rate of 15.9%-37.5%; glycyrrhizic acid had the content of 0.39%-1.87% and the transfer rate of 16.2%-32.8%. In this paper, the quality value transmitting of substance benchmarks of Zhuru Decoction was analyzed based on chromatographic fingerprints, extraction rate, and the content of index components. A scientific and stable method was preliminarily established, which provided a scientific basis for the quality control and formulation development of Zhuru Decoction.

[Quality value transmitting of substance benchmarks in Danggui Buxue Decoction].

To clarify the key quality attributes of substance benchmarks in Danggui Buxue Decoction(DBD), this study prepared 21 batches of DBD substance benchmarks, and established two methods for detecting their fingerprints, followed by the identification of peak attribution and similarity range as well as the determination of extract and transfer rate ranges and contents of index components ferulic acid, calycosin-7-O-ß-D-glucoside, and astragaloside Ⅳ. The mass fractions and transfer rates of DBD substance benchmarks from different batches were calculated as follows: ferulic acid(index component in Angelicae Sinensis Radix): 0.037%-0.084% and 31.41%-98.88%; astragaloside Ⅳ(index component in Astragali Radix): 0.021%-0.059% and 32.18%-118.57%; calycosin-7-O-ß-D-glucoside: 0.002%-0.023% and 11.51%-45.65%, with the extract rate being 18.4%-36.1%. The similarity of fingerprints among 21 batches of DBD substance benchmarks was all higher than 0.9. The quality control method for DBD substance benchmarks was preliminarily established based on the HPLC fingerprint analysis and index component determination, which has provided a basis for the subsequent development of DBD and the quality control of novel related preparations.

[Quality value transfer of substance benchmarks in Huanglian Decoction].

Following the preparation of substance benchmarks in Huanglian Decoction from 18 batches, the method for detecting their characteristic spectra was established to identify the similarity range and peak attribution. The content and transfer rate ranges of the index components coptisine, palmatine, berberine, liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid, 6-gingerol, and cinnamaldehyde and the extraction amount were combined for analyzing the quality value transfer from the Chinese medicinal pieces to substance benchmarks and clarifying the key quality attributes of substance benchmarks in Huanglian Decoction. The results showed that the substance benchmarks in Huang-lian Decoction of 18 batches exhibited good similarity in characteristic spectra(all greater than 0.98). There were 17 characteristic peaks identified in the substance benchmarks of Huanglian Decoction, including 10 from Coptidis Rhizoma, 3 from Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle(processed with water), 1 from Zingiberis Rhizoma, and 3 from Cinnamomi Ramulus. The contents and average transfer rates of the index components were listed as follows: coptisine 2.20-6.46 mg·g~(-1) and 18.50%±2.93%; palmatine 3.03-8.13 mg·g~(-1) and 26.56%±4.69%; berberine 7.71-22.29 mg·g~(-1) and 17.34%±3.00%; liquiritin 0.88-2.18 mg·g~(-1) and 9.88%±4.88%; glycyrrhizic acid 1.83-4.44 mg·g~(-1) and 8.50%±3.72%; 6-gingerol 0.56-1.43 mg·g~(-1) and 11.36%±2.37%; cinnamaldehyde 1.55-3.48 mg·g~(-1) and 19.02%±4.36%. The extraction amount of the substance benchmarks from the 18 batches was controlled at 10.65%-13.88%. In this paper, the quality value transfer of substance benchmarks in Huanglian Decoction was analyzed based on the characteristic spectra, the index component contents and the extraction amount, which has provided a basis for the subsequent development of Huanglian Decoction and the quality control of its related preparations.

[UPLC fingerprint and determination of five components of substance benchmark of classical prescription Shentong Zhuyu Decoction].

Fingerprints of 18 batches of substance benchmark of Shentong Zhuyu Decoction(SZD) were established by UPLC under the following conditions: Waters Sun Fire C_(18) column(3.0 mm×150 mm, 3.5 µm), column temperature of 35 ℃, gradient elution with mobile phase of acetonitrile(A)-0.1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(B) at the flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1), and detection by wavelength switching. A total of 16 common peaks were identified. The similarities among the fingerprints were calculated by Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine(2012 Edition) and the result showed they were in the range of 0.911-0.988. Based on the 16 common peaks, cluster analysis(CA), principal component analysis(PCA), and partial least square discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) all categorized the 18 batches of samples into two groups(S1, S2, S5-S8, S14, and S17 in one group, and S1, S2, S5-S8, S14, and S17 in another), and 11 most influential components were screened. Five known components with great difference among samples(hydroxysafflor yellow A, ferulic acid, benzoic acid, ecdysone, and ammonium glycyrrhizinate) were determined. The combination of multi-component content determination and fingerprints can reflect the overall cha-racteristics of the primary standards of SZD, which is simple, feasible, reproducible, and stable. This study can serve as a reference for the quality control of the primary standards of SZD.

Quality markers of Baizhu dispensing granules based on multi-component qualitative and quantitative analysis combined with network pharmacology and chemometric analysis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The dispensing granules of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) is an innovative form of medicinal material for TCMs decoction, which is gradually recognized in the clinic due to being suitable for production on a large scale and convenient to take for patients. However, the quality control of TCMs dispensing granules is being challenged, because they contain too many unrevealed hydrophilic components. AIM OF THE STUDY: Here, the dispensing granules produced from the rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala (Baizhu dispensing granules), were explored as a case to explore the quality markers correlated to the clinical efficacy of TCMs dispensing granules by a comprehensive strategy of integrating chemical profiling, network pharmacology, and chemometric analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, the chemical profiling of Baizhu dispensing granules was characterized by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). Subsequently, the potential active components responsible for the efficacy of Baizhu dispensing granules were screened via network pharmacology, and the ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector (UPLC-PDA) method was developed for quantitative analysis of the potential active components in 26 batches of Baizhu dispensing granules. Finally, the quality markers of Baizhu dispensing granules were deciphered based on content variations of potential active components and chemometric analysis. RESULTS: A total of 69 components were identified from Baizhu dispensing granules. Network pharmacology analysis further revealed that eight of them including five caffeoylquinic acids (31, 32, 36, 42, 44) and three sesquiterpenoids (63, 67, 76) were intimately connected to the core targets of dyspepsia, enteritis, gastritis and immunity. The contents of eight components differed greatly among 26 batches of Baizhu dispensing granules. Chlorogenic acid (31), cryptochlorogenic acid (32) and atractylenolide III (63) have higher concentrations and make great contributions to distinguish different batches of the Baizhu dispensing granules based on principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA), and could be used as the quality markers of Baizhu dispensing granules. CONCLUSIONS: Our study defined the quality markers of Baizhu dispensing granules, which will benefit further investigation on the quality evaluation of TCMs dispensing granules containing Baizhu. The strategy used in this study will be helpful for discovering the quality markers of other TCMs dispensing granules.

Levels and health risk assessment of pesticides and metals in Lycium barbarum L. from different sources in Ningxia, China.

The berries of Lycium barbarum L. (Goji) are widely used as a Chinese traditional herbal medicine and functional food because of their reported beneficial pharmacological effects. However, there are reports of Goji berries being contaminated by chemical residues that could pose a hazard to humans. In this study, samples of L. barbarum L. berries were collected from plantations in a genuine production area and supermarkets in Ningxia, China. The major hazardous chemicals, including pesticides (dichlorvos, omethoate, cypermethrin, fenvalerate, malathion, and deltamethrin) and metals (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As)), were quantified by gas chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. In addition, associated daily exposures and health risks were determined using deterministic and probabilistic assessments. The levels of five pesticides from the plantation samples were considerably lower than the maximum residue limits; only dichlorvos was detected in the supermarket samples, and deltamethrin was not detected in any samples. Cu, Zn, As, Pb, Ni and Cd were detected in samples from both sources. The hazard quotient values of individual hazardous chemicals and the hazard index of combined hazardous chemicals were considerably less than 1, indicating the absence of a non-carcinogenic effect of hazardous chemical exposures through Goji berry consumption. The R value of As was much less than 10-6, which shows that consumption of the Goji berries had no obvious carcinogenic risks. The potentially harmful effects of the L. barbarum L. are more likely from berries obtained from plantations than those from supermarkets, and metal exposure is more dangerous than pesticide exposure. However, on the basis of our analysis, no population would be exposed hazardous chemicals exceeding existing standards, and the factors most affecting the health risk were exposure frequency and As content.

Advanced applications of mass spectrometry imaging technology in quality control and safety assessments of traditional Chinese medicines.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have made great contributions to the prevention and treatment of human diseases in China, and especially in cases of COVID-19. However, due to quality problems, the lack of standards, and the diversity of dosage forms, adverse reactions to TCMs often occur. Moreover, the composition of TCMs makes them extremely challenging to extract and isolate, complicating studies of toxicity mechanisms. AIM OF THE REVIEW: The aim of this paper is therefore to summarize the advanced applications of mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) technology in the quality control, safety evaluations, and determination of toxicity mechanisms of TCMs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant studies from the literature have been collected from scientific databases, such as "PubMed", "Scifinder", "Elsevier", "Google Scholar" using the keywords "MSI", "traditional Chinese medicines", "quality control", "metabolomics", and "mechanism". RESULTS: MSI is a new analytical imaging technology that can detect and image the metabolic changes of multiple components of TCMs in plants and animals in a high throughput manner. Compared to other chemical analysis methods, such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), this method does not require the complex extraction and separation of TCMs, and is fast, has high sensitivity, is label-free, and can be performed in high-throughput. Combined with chemometrics methods, MSI can be quickly and easily used for quality screening of TCMs. In addition, this technology can be used to further focus on potential biomarkers and explore the therapeutic/toxic mechanisms of TCMs. CONCLUSIONS: As a new type of analysis method, MSI has unique advantages to metabolic analysis, quality control, and mechanisms of action explorations of TCMs, and contributes to the establishment of quality standards to explore the safety and toxicology of TCMs.

Chemical profiling of Fritillariae thunbergii Miq prepared by different processing methods reveals two new quality markers: Zhebeininoside and imperialine-3-ß-D-glucoside.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Fritillariae thunbergii Miq (FTM)exhibit versatile biological activities including the significant antitussive and expectorant activities. As a herbal medicine, the therapeutic effects of FTM may be expressed by multi-components which have complicated integration effects on multi-targets. With the time going, the different processing methods of FTM has been changed a lot. Thus，the study described the effect of processing methods to FTM and its quality. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Studies were undertaken by using UHPLC-LTQ Orbitrap MS and pharmacodynamic models. All reagents were involved of analytical grade. While a HPLC-ELSD's method has been developed and validated, a certified Quality System is conformed to ICH requirements. The experimental animals followed the animal welfare guidelines. AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to found the differences after the different processing methods of FTM, and to demonstrate the changes could be selected as quality control indicators, and established a method for simultaneous determination of these for quality control. RESULTS: we have previously found two new steroidal alkaloids: zhebeininoside and imperialine-3-ß-D-glucoside from the different processing methods of FTM, which is the difference between the different processing methods of FTM, mainly on the steroidal alkaloids. The activity analysis of zhebeininoside, imperialine-3-ß-D-glucoside, verticine and verticinone showed that the mouse model of cough expectorant has antitussive effect. The positive drug selected was dextromethorphan syrup. The positive group showed biological activity, but the blank group showed nothing. The model group showed illness which means that the model was effective. There are two ways of the mechanism of action of the expectorant action which can make sputum thin, reduce its viscosity, and be easy to cough up, or can accelerate the movement of mucous cilia in the respiratory tract and promote the discharge of sputum. In our study, the content of phenol red was significantly reduced in the administration group. CONCLUSIONS: To sum up, our results suggest that zhebeininoside and other three components cloud be selected as quality control indicators, and a method for simultaneous determination of zhebeininoside and other three components was established for quality control.

Study on Chinese patent medicine based on major component analysis and quality control evaluation: A case study of Jizhi Syrup.

Jizhi Syrup (JZS) is a popular Chinese patent medicine (CPM) for the treatment of respiratory diseases in clinical practice, especially acute or chronic bronchitis. JZS is a complex formula composed of 8 kinds of herbs and lack of comprehensive researches on chemical components. To further define its components, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) were utilized to identify and classify the chemical components of JZS. A total of 178 chemical compounds encompassing the 8 herbs of JZS were identified and the chemical components were comprehensively explicit. It made up for the gap that volatile components were not studied in the previous study. Based on this, a new method for the quality control of JZS based on its characteristic components was established by fingerprints, multi-component quantitative analysis and quantity transfer of JZS. A dual-wavelength high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints were established at 210 nm and 260 nm. Four volatile components (linalool, bornyl acetate, 2-undecanone and α-terpineol) and eight nonvolatile components (ephedrine hydrochloride, protocatechuic acid, 5-caffeoylquinic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, naringin, neohesperidin, glycyrrhizic acid and praeruptorin A) were quantitated by HS-SPME-GC-MS and HPLC-diode array detection (DAD). Meanwhile, six exclusive nonvolatile components were studied for the quantity transfer of Herbs-Intermediate-CPM and all the transfer rates were between 55.23% and 89.20%. This study is the first comprehensive study of the major components in JZS, and its results can be useful to standardize the quality control and provide a valuable reference for other CPMs.

Quality consistency evaluation of commercial Impatiens Caulis by integrating UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS chemical profiling and UPLC-DAD multi-components quantification approaches.

In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photo-diode array spectrometry (UPLC-DAD) were firstly integrated to qualitatively characterize the chemical profiles and quantitatively determine the major components in Impatiens Caulis (IC), a Chinese medicinal herb derived from the dried stem of Impatiens balsamina. The qualitative analysis revealed that there was no difference in chemical profiles of twenty commercial IC samples. A total of 45 components were characterized, there in 5 naphthoquinones, 3 coumarins, 5 phenolic acids, 12 flavonoids and 3 other compounds were identified definitely. However, the quantitative results showed a significant difference in these IC samples. In particular, the highest content of total quantified compounds was even 9.49 times of the lowest one. Furthermore, the average contents of these quantified compounds in twenty commercial IC samples had high values of relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged from 15.64% to 98.76%, suggesting a poor quality consistency in these commercial IC samples. Therefore, efficacy related chemical markers as well as the cultivation region, harvest time and/or post-harvest handling of IC should be further investigated for ensuring its quality and efficacy consistency.

UPLC fingerprint and determination of five components of substance benchmark of classical prescription Shentong Zhuyu Decoction / 中国中药杂志

Fingerprints of 18 batches of substance benchmark of Shentong Zhuyu Decoction(SZD) were established by UPLC under the following conditions: Waters Sun Fire C_(18) column(3.0 mm×150 mm, 3.5 μm), column temperature of 35 ℃, gradient elution with mobile phase of acetonitrile(A)-0.1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(B) at the flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1), and detection by wavelength switching. A total of 16 common peaks were identified. The similarities among the fingerprints were calculated by Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine(2012 Edition) and the result showed they were in the range of 0.911-0.988. Based on the 16 common peaks, cluster analysis(CA), principal component analysis(PCA), and partial least square discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) all categorized the 18 batches of samples into two groups(S1, S2, S5-S8, S14, and S17 in one group, and S1, S2, S5-S8, S14, and S17 in another), and 11 most influential components were screened. Five known components with great difference among samples(hydroxysafflor yellow A, ferulic acid, benzoic acid, ecdysone, and ammonium glycyrrhizinate) were determined. The combination of multi-component content determination and fingerprints can reflect the overall cha-racteristics of the primary standards of SZD, which is simple, feasible, reproducible, and stable. This study can serve as a reference for the quality control of the primary standards of SZD.

Quality value transmitting of substance benchmarks in Danggui Buxue Decoction / 中国中药杂志

To clarify the key quality attributes of substance benchmarks in Danggui Buxue Decoction(DBD), this study prepared 21 batches of DBD substance benchmarks, and established two methods for detecting their fingerprints, followed by the identification of peak attribution and similarity range as well as the determination of extract and transfer rate ranges and contents of index components ferulic acid, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, and astragaloside Ⅳ. The mass fractions and transfer rates of DBD substance benchmarks from different batches were calculated as follows: ferulic acid(index component in Angelicae Sinensis Radix): 0.037%-0.084% and 31.41%-98.88%; astragaloside Ⅳ(index component in Astragali Radix): 0.021%-0.059% and 32.18%-118.57%; calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside: 0.002%-0.023% and 11.51%-45.65%, with the extract rate being 18.4%-36.1%. The similarity of fingerprints among 21 batches of DBD substance benchmarks was all higher than 0.9. The quality control method for DBD substance benchmarks was preliminarily established based on the HPLC fingerprint analysis and index component determination, which has provided a basis for the subsequent development of DBD and the quality control of novel related preparations.