ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE： To explore and establish general testing methods for pigments in Chinese material medica, decoction pieces and Chinese patent medicine. METHODS： The approved supplementary testing methods and relevant literatures for pigments in Chinese material medica, decoction pieces and Chinese patent medicine were reviewed and summarized. Based on the practical experience and data, the general test methods were proposed and established by TLC, HPLC and LC-MS. The pigments were grouped according to color system. RESULTS： A large number of representative samples were used for the method validation. Fifteen pigments were detected in 923 batches of samples. CONCLUSION： The established general pigment test methods are feasible and could provide reference for the scientific supervision and the establishment of relevant standard method.