Distinguishment of different varieties of rhubarb based on UPLC fingerprints and chemometrics.

Rhubarb, a widely used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is primarily used for purging in practice. It is derived from the dried roots and rhizomes of R. tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf. (RT), Rheum officinale Baill. (RO) and R. palmatum L. (RP). To date, although the three varieties of rhubarb have been used as the same medicine in clinical, studies have found that they have different chemical compositions and pharmacological effects. To ensure the stability of rhubarb for clinical use, a simple and effective method should be built to compare and discriminate three varieties of rhubarb. Here, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (UPLC-DAD) fingerprints combined with chemometric methods were developed to evaluate and discriminate 29 batches of rhubarb. Similarity evaluation, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the chemical constituents of the three varieties of rhubarb were significantly different, and the three varieties could be effectively distinguished. Finally, all the 14 common peaks were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). In this research, the developed UPLC fingerprints offer a simple, reliable and specific approach for distinguishing different varieties of rhubarb. This research aims to promote the scientific and appropriate clinical application of rhubarb from three varieties.

Strategies for the quality control of Chrysanthemi Flos: Rapid quantification and end-to-end fingerprint conversion based on FT-NIR spectroscopy.

INTRODUCTION: Chrysanthemi Flos (CF) is widely used as a natural medicine or tea. Due to its diverse cultivation regions, CF exhibits varying quality. Therefore, the quality and swiftness in evaluation holds paramount significance for CF. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to construct a comprehensive evaluation strategy for assessing CF quality using HPLC, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, and chemometrics, which included the rapid quantification analyses of chemical components and the Fourier transform (FT)-NIR to HPLC conversion of fingerprints. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 145 CF samples were utilised for data collection via NIR spectroscopy and HPLC. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were optimised using various spectral preprocessing and variable selection methods to predict the chemical composition content in CF. Both direct standardisation (DS) and PLSR algorithms were employed to establish the fingerprint conversion model from the FT-NIR spectrum to HPLC, and the model's performance was assessed through similarity and cluster analysis. RESULTS: The optimised PLSR quantitative models can effectively predict the content of eight chemical components in CF. Both DS and PLSR algorithms achieve the calibration conversion of CF fingerprints from FT-NIR to HPLC, and the predicted and measured HPLC fingerprints are highly similar. Notably, the best model relies on CF powder FT-NIR spectra and DS algorithm [root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) = 2.7590, R2 = 0.8558]. A high average similarity (0.9184) prevails between predicted and measured fingerprints of test set samples, and the results of the clustering analysis exhibit a high level of consistency. CONCLUSION: This comprehensive strategy provides a novel and dependable approach for the rapid quality evaluation of CF.

Improvement on Quality Standard of Yuanhu Zhitong Oral Liquid / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo improve the quality standard of Yuanhu Zhitong oral liquid in order to strengthen the quality control of this oral liquid. MethodThin layer chromatography（TLC） was used for the qualitative identification of Corydalis Rhizoma and Angelicae Dahuricae Radix in Yuanhu Zhitong oral liquid by taking tetrahydropalmatine， corydaline reference substances and Corydalis Rhizoma reference medicinal materials as reference， and cyclohexane-trichloromethane-methanol（5∶3∶0.5） as developing solvent， Corydalis Rhizoma was identified using GF254 glass thin layer plate under ultraviolet light（365 nm）. And taking petroleum ether（60-90 ℃） -ether-formic acid（10∶10∶1） as developing solvent， Angelicae Dahuricae Radix was identified using a silica gel G TLC plate under ultraviolet light（305 nm）. High performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was performed on a Waters XSelect HSS T3 column（4.6 mm×250 mm， 5 μm） with acetonitrile（A）-0.1% glacial acetic acid solution（adjusted pH to 6.1 by triethylamine）（B） as the mobile phase for gradient elution（0-10 min， 20%-30%A； 10-25 min， 30%-40%A； 25-40 min， 40%-50%A； 40-60 min， 50%-60%A）， the detection wavelength was set at 280 nm， then the fingerprint of Yuanhu Zhitong oral liquid was established， and the contents of tetrahydropalmatine and corydaline were determined. ResultIn the thin layer chromatograms， the corresponding spots of Yuanhu Zhitong oral liquid， the reference substances and reference medicinal materials were clear， with good separation and strong specificity. A total of 12 common peaks were identified in 10 batches of Yuanhu Zhitong oral liquid samples， and the peaks of berberine hydrochloride， dehydrocorydaline， glaucine， tetrahydropalmatine and corydaline. The similarities between the 10 batches of samples and the control fingerprint were all >0.90. The results of determination showed that the concentrations of corydaline and tetrahydropalmatine had good linearity with paek area in the range of 0.038 6-0.193 0， 0.034 0-0.170 0 g·L-1， respectively. The methodological investigation was qualified， and the contents of corydaline and tetrahydropalmatine in 10 batches of Yuanhu Zhitong oral liquid samples were 0.077 5-0.142 9、0.126 1-0.178 2 g·L-1， respectively. ConclusionThe established TLC， fingerprint and determination are simple， specific and reproducible， which can be used to improve the quality control standard of Yuanhu Zhitong oral liquid.

Chromatographic fingerprint and quality consistency of colistimethate sodium / 中国药科大学学报

@#The UPLC fingerprint of colistimethate sodium was established for the study of quality consistency.The chromatographic column was Acquity UPLC? Peptide CSH C18 (2.1 mm × 150 mm, 1.7 μm).The mobile phase A was phosphate buffer-acetonitrile (19∶1), and the mobile phase B was phosphate buffer-acetonitrile (1∶1).The mobile phase was in gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min.The column temperature was set at 30 °C and the detection wavelength was 210 nm.The similarity of the fingerprints was analyzed with the Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Tradition Chinese Medicine (Version 2012) in combination with content determination of multiple index components to evaluate the quality consistency of imported and domestic bulk drugs.The result showed that both the original and generic bulk drugs met the specified limit requirements in the European Pharmacopoeia standards, and that their UPLC fingerprints were highly similar, indicating that the quality of the two substances was consistent.Establishing a fingerprint for similarity evaluation and combining it with the results of indicator component content determination as a comprehensive evaluation method for the study of drug quality consistency of complex components has the characteristics of fast, accurate, and comprehensive, which is helpful for drug quality evaluation and provides ideas for the evaluation of antibiotic quality consistency of complex components.

Improved LDTW Algorithm Based on the Alternating Matrix and the Evolutionary Chain Tree.

Dynamic time warping under limited warping path length (LDTW) is a state-of-the-art time series similarity evaluation method. However, it suffers from high space-time complexity, which makes some large-scale series evaluations impossible. In this paper, an alternating matrix with a concise structure is proposed to replace the complex three-dimensional matrix in LDTW and reduce the high complexity. Furthermore, an evolutionary chain tree is proposed to represent the warping paths and ensure an effective retrieval of the optimal one. Experiments using the benchmark platform offered by the University of California-Riverside show that our method uses 1.33% of the space, 82.7% of the time used by LDTW on average, which proves the efficiency of the proposed method.

Quality assessment of fried licorice based on fingerprints and chemometrics.

Fried licorice is obtained by frying licorice without using any auxiliary materials, and it is widely used both as food and medicine in China. To explore the influence of licorice origin on the quality of fried licorice, a method based on fingerprinting and chemometrics was developed. Twenty batches of licorice were selected from four locations. The reference chromatograms of each location were established via similarity analysis. Chemometric methods, such as cluster, principal component, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analyses were used to evaluate the changes in the composition of fried licorice, predict its origin, and reflect its quality. Mass spectrometry was used to identify the chemical components. Finally, an origin prediction function was established via discriminant analysis to trace the origin of licorice. The model was demonstrated to be stable, reliable, and accurate in predicting licorice origin and to provide a reference for origin traceability.

Comprehensive evaluation of Bletilla striata and its substitutes by combining phenotypic characteristic, chemical composition, and anti-melanogenic activity.

Bletilla striata is a precious traditional Chinese medical herb with a wide range of applications in pharmacological and cosmetic fields. Because of the shortage of resources, Bletilla ochracea and Bletilla formosanare are also used as the substitutes. To distinguish the differences and homologies, the typical morphologic and microscopic characteristics of them were compared, and a UPLC fingerprint analysis coupled with chemometric methods were developed for characterization and quality evaluation of Bletillae Rhizoma. Gastrodin, protocatechuic acid, gymnoside V, blestrianol A, coelonin, gymnosides Ⅸ and batatasin II were identified as the potential chemical markers for comprehensive quality evaluation by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The anti-melanogenic activities of the three species were also compared for the first time in vivo using the zebrafish model, the results suggested that B. striata and its two substitutes had obvious anti-melanogenic activities, and they were not-toxic at depigmenting doses. Molecular docking studies revealed batatasin III, blestrianol A, coelonin, and gastrodin were possible multitarget compounds associated with melanogenesis suppression, which are important for their potential future medical application.

Study on HPLC fingerprint and chemical pattern recognition of Mongolian medicine Sanzisan / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To establish the HPLC fingerprint of Mongolian medicine Sanzisan ，and to evaluate its internal quality by chemical pattern recognition technique comprehensively. METHODS HPLC method was used. Using geniposide as reference，HPLC fingerprints of 15 batches of Sanzisan were drawn with Similarity Evaluation System of TCM Chromatogram Fingerprint（2012 edition）. Similarity evaluation and common peaks identification were conducted. Combined with cluster analysis （CA），principal component analysis （PCA），and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA），the quality of 15 batches of Sanzisan was evaluated ，and the differential markers that affected its quality were screened. RESULTS There were 29 common peaks in 15 batches of Sanzisan ，and the similarity was no less than 0.952，indicating that the chemical composition of the 15 batches of Sanzisan had good consistency. A total of 13 common peaks were identified ，which were chebulic acid ，gallic acid，punicalin，punicalagin A ，punicalagin B ，jasminoside B ，caffeic acid ，corilagin，geniposide，chebulagic acid ，1，2，3，4，6- O-galloylglucose，chebulinic acid ，ellagic acid. Both CA and PCA could divide 15 batches of Sanzisan into four categories ，and the classification results were consistent ，indicating that the quality of 15 batches of Sanzisan had certain differences. Fourteen differential markers （chebulic acid ，gallic acid ，ellagic acid ，etc）that lead to the quality difference between batches were screened out by OPLS-DA. CONCLUSIONS Established HPLC fingerprint analysis method is simple and stable. Combined with chemical pattern recognition analysis ，it can be used for the quality control of Sanzisan.

[Comprehensive analysis of components in Chinese medicines derived from Apocynum venetum and Poacynum pictum in Xinjiang based on HPLC fingerprint and chemometrics].

This study established high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) fingerprints of Chinese medicines derived from Apocynum venetum and Poacynum pictum in Xinjiang and explored their composition differences with the combination of content determination, similarity analysis, cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The HPLC conditions included Phenomenex Kinetex C_(18) column(4.6 mm ×100 mm, 2.6 µm), acetonitrile-0.01% trifluoroacetic acid aqueous solution as mobile phase, gradient elution, flow rate of 0.6 mL·min~(-1), detection wavelength of 281 nm and column temperature of 25 ℃. The content of chlorogenic acid, quercetin-3-O-sophoroside, rutin, hyperin, isoquercitrin, trifolin and astragalin was determined in 31 batches of medicinal materials, and fingerprint research and chemometric analysis were performed with Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine(Version 2004 A) and SPSS 21.0. In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, the quality of Apocyni Veneti Folium is controlled by character identification, microscopic identification, thin layer chromatography identification and quantitative determination of hyperin. There were 21 common peaks of A. venetum and P. pictum in the HPLC fingerprints, 5 of which were identified as chlorogenic acid, hyperin, isoquercitrin, trifolin and astragalin, with their content also determined. Except for 3 batches of medicinal materials, the similarity of other 28 batches was higher than 0.83, indicating good similarity. Two categories were formed in the cluster analysis based on content determination, which showed that some differences existed in similarities between different regions of Xinjiang. The medicinal materials were ranked by quality with principal component analysis, and the results indicated that the top 15 all came from northern Xinjiang. The quality difference of A. venetum and P. pictum had a correlation with the place of origin. This study provides a reference for the analysis and evaluation of A. venetum and P. pictum from different habitats and the selection of introduction and cultivation areas.

Establishment of UPLC Fingerprint and Quantitative Analysis of Multi-components of Shengyutang / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To establish ultra performance liquid chromatography （UPLC） fingerprint of Shengyutang and quantitative analysis method of 11 index components in this famous classical formula. Method:UPLC-diode array detector/evaporative light scattering detector （UPLC-PDA/ELSD） was used， two chromatographic conditions were established by different detectors according to the polarity of chemical components. Conditions of fingerprint 1 were as follows：ACQUITY UPLC HSS T₃ column （2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.8 µm） with the mobile phase of acetonitrile （A）-0.6% formic acid solution （C） for gradient elution （0-4 min， 0-4%A； 4-8 min， 4%A； 8-9 min， 4%-8%A； 9-14 min， 8%-9%A； 14-21 min， 9%-15%A； 21-26 min， 15%-17%A； 26-30 min， 17%-20%A； 30-35 min， 20%-32%A； 35-40 min， 32%-40%A； 40-50 min， 40%-80%A； 50-55 min， 80%A）， the flow rate of 0.3 mL·min^-1， PDA with detection wavelengths of 280 nm and 321 nm， the column temperature at 30 ℃. Conditions of fingerprint 2 were as follows：the CORTECS C₁₈ column （3.0 mm×100 mm， 2.7 µm） with the mobile phase of acetonitrile （A）-water （D） for gradient elution （0-11 min， 19%A； 11-16 min， 19%-25%A； 16-34 min， 25%-28%A； 34-47 min， 28%-47%A； 47-60 min， 47%-80%A）， the flow rate of 0.4 mL·min^-1， ELSD with drift tube temperature of 95 ℃， the carrier gas （air） flow rate of 2.0 L·min^-1， and the column temperature at 30 ℃. UPLC-PDA/ELSD fingerprints of 15 batches of Shengyutang were established， and the similarity was evaluated by similarity evaluation system of chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine （2012 edition） issued by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission， and the contents of eleven index components in this famous classical formula were determined. Result:The similarities of UPLC-PDA/ELSD fingerprints of 15 batches of Shengyutang were >0.98 by comparing with the control fingerprint， 27 and 16 common peaks were identified in fingerprint 1， 2， respectively. It was tested and verified that the precision， repeatability， stability， linear relationship and other results of this method all met the requirements of the 2020 edition of <italic>Chinese Pharmacopoeia</italic>. The contents of chlorogenic acid， ferulic acid， calycosin glucoside， verbascoside， senkyunolide I， senkyunolide H， senkyunolide A， ginsenoside Rg₁， ginsenoside Re， ginsenoside Rb₁ and astragaloside A in 15 batches of Shengyutang were 0.063-0.193， 0.509-0.638， 0.160-0.318， 0.012-0.056， 0.394-0.519， 0.110-0.143， 0.031-0.097， 0.382-0.595， 0.292-0.505， 0.590-0.803， 0.142-0.367 mg·g^-1， respectively. Conclusion:The established detection method meets the requirements of the 2020 edition of <italic>Chinese Pharmacopoeia</italic>， which can characterize the overall characteristics of chemical components in Shengyutang， and provide experimental basis for the quality standard research of this famous classical formula.

Comprehensive analysis of components in Chinese medicines derived from Apocynum venetum and Poacynum pictum in Xinjiang based on HPLC fingerprint and chemometrics / 中国中药杂志

This study established high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) fingerprints of Chinese medicines derived from Apocynum venetum and Poacynum pictum in Xinjiang and explored their composition differences with the combination of content determination, similarity analysis, cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The HPLC conditions included Phenomenex Kinetex C_(18) column(4.6 mm ×100 mm, 2.6 μm), acetonitrile-0.01% trifluoroacetic acid aqueous solution as mobile phase, gradient elution, flow rate of 0.6 mL·min~(-1), detection wavelength of 281 nm and column temperature of 25 ℃. The content of chlorogenic acid, quercetin-3-O-sophoroside, rutin, hyperin, isoquercitrin, trifolin and astragalin was determined in 31 batches of medicinal materials, and fingerprint research and chemometric analysis were performed with Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine(Version 2004 A) and SPSS 21.0. In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, the quality of Apocyni Veneti Folium is controlled by character identification, microscopic identification, thin layer chromatography identification and quantitative determination of hyperin. There were 21 common peaks of A. venetum and P. pictum in the HPLC fingerprints, 5 of which were identified as chlorogenic acid, hyperin, isoquercitrin, trifolin and astragalin, with their content also determined. Except for 3 batches of medicinal materials, the similarity of other 28 batches was higher than 0.83, indicating good similarity. Two categories were formed in the cluster analysis based on content determination, which showed that some differences existed in similarities between different regions of Xinjiang. The medicinal materials were ranked by quality with principal component analysis, and the results indicated that the top 15 all came from northern Xinjiang. The quality difference of A. venetum and P. pictum had a correlation with the place of origin. This study provides a reference for the analysis and evaluation of A. venetum and P. pictum from different habitats and the selection of introduction and cultivation areas.

The analysis of unconventional research projects and common problems in the in vitro consistency evaluation of oral solid generic drugs / 药学学报

Based on the "requirements on the submitted documents for consistency evaluation of generic oral solid dosage forms of chemical drugs" and relevant guidance, this article summarized and formulated the decision tree of in vitro consistency evaluation of oral solid generic drugs, discussed the differences and common problems of in vitro evaluation research projects under different conditions, selective analyzed the technical requirements and concern problems of unconventional research projects, and proposed corresponding recommendations for concern problems, in order to provide more references for the follow-up study on consistency evaluation of oral solid generic drugs.

[Establishment of chromatographic fingerprint of Squama Manis and its applications in animal source identification and quality grade discrimination].

Squama Manis, or "Chuanshanjia" in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for promoting blood circulation and reducing swelling and discharge; the only animal source used in TCM is the scales of Manis pentadactyla. However, in today's pharmaceutical market, there are many scales from other species of the same genus that are difficult to distinguish from Squama Manis. High-quality and low-quality scales are also severely confused. To solve the above problems, various analytical methods have been developed, such as thin-layer chromatography, mass spectrometry and DNA detection. Owing to their low resolving ability, high equipment cost, and inconvenient operation, none of these methods are appropriate for routine identification of Squama Manis. A chromatographic fingerprint can comprehensively reflect the synergic action of multiple chemical compositions in TCM and has been widely used for the quality control of TCM. In the present study, we established a fingerprint of Squama Manis and explored its feasibility in identifying the origin and quality grade of scales. First, Squama Manis powder was hydrolyzed by hydrochloric acid (1 mol/L). Next, the extract was analyzed on a Symmetry 300 C18 column by linear gradient elution, using 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (v/v) in water and 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (v/v) in acetonitrile as the mobile phase and 280 nm as the detection wavelength. The established method was systematically validated, demonstrating good precision, repeatability and sample stability (relative standard deviation (RSD)<5%). Subsequently, samples of different sources and quality grades were distinguished by similarity evaluation and discrimination analysis based on the fingerprint data. In the similarity evaluation, the reference fingerprint was defined as the average fingerprint of twelve first-class samples, and seventeen chromatographic peaks were identified as common peaks. Similarities between the reference fingerprint and fingerprints with different base sources and quality grades were calculated using the absolute area of common peaks as original data. The similarities between Squama Manis and scales from other animals were all less than 0.776, while the similarities between Squama Manis of different grades overlapped significantly, varying from 0.988 to 0.996 for first-class samples and 0.950 to 0.995 for general samples. The results reflected the feasibility of similarity evaluation for discriminating base source and its limitation in the distinguishing between quality grades. Nonetheless, first-class scales showed higher average similarity and lower RSD than general scales, which indicates some level of revelation between fingerprint similarity and quality grade. Thus, a better algorithm or discriminant model is required to distinguish between quality grades. Therefore, a supervised chemometric technique, kernel-based support vector machine (SVM), was applied to construct predictive models. The SVM is a common discriminant model that classifies samples by constructing a separate hyperplane in n-dimensional space, maximizing the margin between classes. Combination with a kernel function can effectively avoid "dimension disaster" when dealing with nonlinear data. In the model, the quality grade was defined as a sample label, and the absolute peak areas constituted the data matrix. Verified by 10-fold cross-validation, the unbiased prediction accuracy was up to 95.83%. The predicted results were highly consistent with the actual classifications. The results indicate the high feasibility of the established model for determining quality grade, as it performed significantly better than the similarity evaluation. Samples from batches A and B were completely discriminated and only two samples from batch S were incorrectly classified. Given the batch bias, we believe that model error may have been caused by man-made tag errors rather than the model itself. In conclusion, we established a chromatographic fingerprint for Squama Manis quality analysis and demonstrated its feasibility in animal source identification and quality determination by combining different data analysis methods. The established strategy may provide a new method for improving the the validity and accuracy of Squama Manis in clinical use.

[Qualitative evaluation of Forsythia suspensa by HPLC-PDA fingerprint combined with UFLC-Q-TOF-MS qualitative identification].

The analysis of Forsythia suspensa was performed on Waters Symmetry C18 column( 4. 6 mm×250 mm,5 µm) and mobile phase was methanol( A)-0. 1% formic acid aqueous solution( B) with the elution gradient. Column temperature was maintained at 30℃,and the flow rate was 1. 0 m L·min-1 with detection wavelength 265 nm. The HPLC-PDA fingerprint of F. suspensa was optimized.Chemical constituents in F. suspensa were analyzed by UFLC-Q-TOF-MS in positive and negative ion mode. The quality of 48 batches of F. suspensa from different habitats,processing methods and specifications was evaluated by similarity evaluation and cluster analysis.The 18 common peaks were confirmed. The similarity of F. suspensa from different habitats was more than 0. 98,and 56 chemical constituents were identified. Different processing methods had great influence on the quality of F. suspensa. Compared with boiled and direct drying,the quality of F. suspensa processed by sun-drying was obviously decreased. The similarity was about 0. 58. Different specifications of F. suspensa also had obvious distinction,and the similarity was about 0. 78. The effective components of grown F. suspensa,such as forsythoside A and phillyrin,were significantly reduced. The results of cluster analysis were basically consistent with the results of similarity evaluation. The establishment of fingerprint and the recognition of chemical pattern of F. suspensa can provide a more comprehensive reference for the quality control of herbs.

Simultaneous determination of polyphenols and triterpenes in pomegranate peel based on high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprint by solvent extraction and ratio blending method in tandem with wavelength switching.

Traditionally, pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) has been consumed as fresh fruit or as pomegranate juice. Pomegranate peel, the dried husk of P· granatum, is an important herbal medicine for treating diarrhea, hemostasis and insect-induced abdominal pain in China. However, the quality control methods for pomegranate peel remain unsatisfactory. In this work, a new HPLC-based qualitative and quantitative method for quality control of pomegranate peel was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of polyphenols and triterpenes (including punicalagins A and B, ellagic acid, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid) by solvent extraction and ratio blending method in tandem with wavelength switching. The average recoveries were 98.07-100.61% with relative standard deviation no more than 4.27%. In addition, the fingerprint analysis was conducted to interpret the consistency of the quality test. Thirteen characteristic peaks were selected to evaluate the similarities of 16 batches of pomegranate peel. The similarities of samples were all more than 0.80, indicating that the samples from different areas of China were consistent. The results demonstrated that quantitative analysis and the HPLC fingerprint as a characteristic distinguishing method combining similarity evaluation can be successfully used to assess the quality and to identify the authenticity of pomegranate peel.

[Discriminant analysis and similarity evaluation of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry fingerprints of aroma components in green tea grading].

Two series of 41 Xinyang Maojian tea samples were investigated and the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) fingerprints of their aroma components of seven different grades were established using headspace solid-phase micro extraction (HS-SPME) and GC-MS. Based on the 23 selected characteristic aroma components, the samples could be classified into seven different groups through discriminant analysis with four and three groups in two separate series. Six fingerprint similarity calculation methods that reflect the differences between grades of tea to different extents were employed, and the new improved extent similarity method was demonstrated to be the best among them. The results for the similarity evaluation displayed good correlation with the actual grades, especially for the series of tea of higher qualities, and the differences between the different grades of teas could be quantified.

Qualitative evaluation of Forsythia suspensa by HPLC-PDA fingerprint combined with UFLC-Q-TOF-MS qualitative identification / 中国中药杂志

The analysis of Forsythia suspensa was performed on Waters Symmetry C18 column( 4. 6 mm×250 mm,5 μm) and mobile phase was methanol( A)-0. 1% formic acid aqueous solution( B) with the elution gradient. Column temperature was maintained at 30℃,and the flow rate was 1. 0 m L·min-1 with detection wavelength 265 nm. The HPLC-PDA fingerprint of F. suspensa was optimized.Chemical constituents in F. suspensa were analyzed by UFLC-Q-TOF-MS in positive and negative ion mode. The quality of 48 batches of F. suspensa from different habitats,processing methods and specifications was evaluated by similarity evaluation and cluster analysis.The 18 common peaks were confirmed. The similarity of F. suspensa from different habitats was more than 0. 98,and 56 chemical constituents were identified. Different processing methods had great influence on the quality of F. suspensa. Compared with boiled and direct drying,the quality of F. suspensa processed by sun-drying was obviously decreased. The similarity was about 0. 58. Different specifications of F. suspensa also had obvious distinction,and the similarity was about 0. 78. The effective components of grown F. suspensa,such as forsythoside A and phillyrin,were significantly reduced. The results of cluster analysis were basically consistent with the results of similarity evaluation. The establishment of fingerprint and the recognition of chemical pattern of F. suspensa can provide a more comprehensive reference for the quality control of herbs.

Investigation of Compatible Stability of Xingnaojing Injection Based on HPLC Fingerprint and Principal Component Analysis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the compatible stability of Xingnaojing injection in combination with 9 common medicines, and to provide a reference for clinical application of this injection. Method:According to the clinical application, Xingnaojing injection was mixed with 9 common medicines and placed in the room under dark and light conditions for 6 h. The appearance of compatible solutions was observed, and the HPLC fingerprint was analyzed by similarity evaluation and principal component analysis(PCA). Result:There were no significant changes in the appearance of compatibility of Xingnaojing injection and 9 common medicines, including piracetam and sodium chloride injection, sodium chloride injection and others. The similarities of fingerprint among compatibility of Xingnaojing injection and 9 common medicines were >0.98 at 0 h of compatibility, 6 h of placement and 6 h of illumination. The results of PCA showed that 9 groups of compatible solutions were clustered into 2 categories, the compatibility of Xingnaojing injection and 8 groups including piracetam and sodium chloride injection clustered into one category, and the relative peak areas of the characteristic components of Xingnaojing injection did not change significantly after compatibility, the compatibility of Xingnaojing injection and Danshen Chuanxiongqin injection clustered into another category, the relative peak areas of some characteristic components of Xingnaojing injection increased after compatibility of 0 h and 6 h,and it was more obvious after 6 h of illumination. Conclusion:The compatibility of Xingnaojing injection and 8 common medicines including piracetam and sodium chloride injection has good stability, while the compatibility has stability problems after Xingnaojing injection mixed with Danshen Chuanxiongqin injection. It is suggested that clinical attention should be paid to their compatibility and rational combination of medicines.

Quality evaluation of Erigeron breviscapus from different origins and its related species by HPLC coupled with chemometrics / 中草药

Objective: To establish the HPLC fingerprint for effective quality control and scientific evaluation of Erigeron breviscapus. Methods: Separation was performed on a Zorbax SB-C18 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) and the mobile phase was methanol-0.1% phosphoric acid with gradient elution. The flow rate at 1 mL/min, the column temperature at 30 oC, and the detection wavelength at 335 nm. A total of 19 batches of E. breviscapus and its related species were analyzed. Similarity evaluation combined with hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal components analysis (PCA) were used to evaluate the quality of herbs from different batches. Results: The HPLC fingerprint of E. breviscapus was established with 11 common peaks, and five peaks were identified. Similarities of the 19 batches of samples were 0.873-0.978. Two batches of samples from its related species were high similarity. These 19 batches of samples could be classified into three clusters. The PCA result was consistent with HCA. The comprehensive score of S5 was the highest and the quality was the best. There was possibility for using E. multiradiatus as herbs instead of E. breviscapus. Conclusion: The establishment of HPLC fingerprint and the recognition of chemical pattern can provide a more comprehensive reference for the quality control of herbs.

Establishment of UPLC Fingerprint ，Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis of Fortunella margarita / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE： To establish UPLC fingerprint of Fortunella margarita， and to conduct its cluster analysis and principal component analysis. METHODS： UPLC method was adopted. The determination was performed on Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.1％ phosphoric acid solution （gradient elution） at the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The detection wavelength was set at 330 nm， and sample size was 2 μL. Using fortunellin as reference， UPLC fingerprints of 8 batches of F. margarita were determined. The similarity of 8 batches of samples was evaluated by TCM Chromatographic Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System（2012 edition） to confirm common peak. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis were performed by using SPSS 24.0 software. RESULTS： There were 24 common peaks in UPLC fingerprints of 8 batches of sample，the similarity of which was higher than 0.97. Cluster analysis showed that 8 batches of samples were clustered into 2 categories. S1， S2， S3， S4， S6， S7 and S8 were clustered into one category； S5 was clustered into the other category. By principal component analysis， the accumulative contribution rate of three main components was 81.366％. CONCLUSIONS： Established UPLC fingerprint， the results of cluster analysis and principal component analysis can provide reference for quality control of F. margarita.