ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE To establish the HPLC multiple wavelength chromatographic fingerprints (MWCF) of different extracts of Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai (ASN) to clarify the attribution of the fingerprint peaks and their contribution to the acute toxicity. METHODS The experimental drugs (extracts of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, alcohol and water) were obtained by means of systematic solvent extraction from the 95% ethanol extract of ASN. The HPLC MWCF of different extracts of ASN were established by mean fingerprint method (MFM). The acute toxicity of different extracts in mice were carried out by measuring the median lethal dose (LD50) and maximum dose. The relationship between spectrum and toxicity was established by gray relational analysis. RESULTS The MWCF of different extracts of ASN were established. The acute toxicity of ASN was caused not only by lappacontine (LAP) and ranaconitine, the contribution of other diterpenoid alkaloids should not be neglected, and the contribution of different peaks to toxicity was ranked as (51, 38, 37, 35, 20) 3439323133. CONCLUSION The MWCF developed by MFM can maximally retain the fingerprint peaks, achieve fingerprint information maximization, and effectively improve fingerprint signal quality, thus providing a reference for the comprehensive quality evaluation of ASN. The relationship between the MWCF of different extracts and the acute toxicity is paralleled to some extent. And this will lay a foundation for the research of the toxicity mechanism of ASN.