ABSTRACT
To establish the UPLC fingerprint for effective quality control of Sarcandrae Herba. The fingerprint of Sarcandrae Herba was developed with ultra-performance liquid chromatography, and the Acquity UPLC HSS T3 column (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm) was used in the gradient elution with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-water (both containing 0.1% formic acid): The flow rate was 0.5 mL/min, the column temperature was 35℃, and the detection wavelength was at 330 nm. Similarity evaluation combined with hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal components analysis (PCA) were used to evaluate the quality of herbs from different areas. The fingerprint of Sarcandrae Herba was established with good precision, reproducibility, and stability obtaining within 23 min, and nine peaks in the fingerprint were designed. Eighteen samples could be classified into two clusters. The PCA result was consistent with the HCA. A brief list of five differential compounds is presented, including rosmarinic acid, newchlorogenic acid, and so on. The establishment of UPLC fingerprint of Sarcandrae Herba and the application of chemical pattern recognition can provide a more comprehensive reference for the quality control of herbs.