Total detection of Tianma Toutong tablets for quality consistency by a five-wavelength fusion fingerprint and chemometrics

A new method to comprehensively evaluate the quality of Tianma Toutong tablets by multiple fingerprints combined with quantitative analysis and prescription analysis

Tianma Toutong Tablets (TMTTTs) are composed of six traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), and there is currently no comprehensive method to evaluate the quality of TMTTT. To ensure its quality, it is necessary to propose methods for evaluation and control. To address the issue, we established an HPLC and electrochemical fingerprint of TMTTT and quantify eight components-Gastrodin, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, chlorogenic acid, parishin A, ferulic acid, hesperidin, imperatorin, and isoimperatorin. We used the Sub-quantified profiling method (SQPM) to calculate the actual contribution value of each individual herb and evaluated and predicted the quality of the compound medication. In addition, electrochemical fingerprinting (ECFP) was established using a Belousov-Zhabotinsky (B-Z) oscillation system in which six characteristic electrochemical parameters were recorded to compare the differences between batches. Finally, a compound synthesizing fingerprint (CSF) of TMTTT was developed by fitting the compounds of the six herbs, the contribution of individual herbs to the prescription was evaluated. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to downscale the data of different fingerprint profiles to assist the analysis process. The rational combination of multidimensional fingerprinting and PCA provided a comprehensive and reliable method for the evaluation of TMTTT and other TCM compound preparations, SQPM could effectively link single herbs to compound preparations, avoiding the use of non-compliant TCMs at source and improving the quality of compound preparations.

The analysis of active compounds in Flos Chrysanthemi Indici by UHPLC Q exactive HF hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap MS and comprehensive quality assessment of its preparation

Flos Chrysanthemi Indici (FCI) is a common food and its preparation (FCIP) is generally made to realize the medicinal value of FCI in a more accurate and controllable way. In this paper, an efficient UHPLC Q Exactive HF Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap MS method was exploited to elucidate the difference of chemical components between FCI and FCIP. Multi-fingerprints (HPLC-FP, UV-FP, and DSC-FP) were established with the evaluation results integrated by a weighted mean algorithm using variation coefficient (CVWM), which is more objective and reasonable. Through this method, the quality grades of 25 FCIP samples from four manufacturers were successfully discriminated. Meanwhile, the PLS model for the profile-efficacy relationship between the HPLC-FP and the antioxidant activities was established, as well as the correlation between the antioxidant ability (IC50) and the DSC curve (enthalpy values) were preliminary explored. In conclusion, this study provides a novel and holistic analytical strategy for food herbal remedies and its preparation.

Integrated quality assessment of Tieshuang Anshen prescription by multiple fingerprint profiles combined with quantitative analysis and chemometric methods

Chinese herbal medicine compound prescription (CHM-CP) contains more complex active compounds than single herbal medicine owing to its compatibility.

Overall control herbal medicine in best consistency

The standard preparation (SP) based on the quantitative fingerprint was proposed to control the quality of compound licorice tablets (CPLTs) in this paper, which is a great way to control the quality consistency nowadays. Here, taking China 145 batches of CPLTs from 9 manufacturers as samples to set up High Performance Liquid Chromatography fingerprints and CPLT-SP, and employing the systematically quantified fingerprint method (SQFM) combined five markers' contents to evaluate their quality. The results showed that all samples were qualified. The quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker (QAMS) for the determination of five components in CPLTs was applied, and there was no striking diversity in the results compared to the standard curve method. Furthermore, the correlation between raw materials and preparation of CPLTs was studied for predicting quality intelligently. As well as the ultraviolet full fingerprint dissolution was applied to evaluate the rationality of preparation. The results demonstrated that SQFM based on SP can integrally and perfectly control the quality of HD in best consistency.

Recent advances of novel technologies for quality consistency assessment of natural herbal medicines and preparations

Quality consistency is one of the basic attributes of medicines, but it is also a difficult problem that natural medicines and their preparations must face. The complex chemical composition and comprehensive pharmacological action of natural medicines make it difficult to simply apply the commonly used evaluation methods in chemical drugs. It is thus urgent to explore the novel evaluation methods suitable for the characteristics of natural medicines. With the rapid development of analytical techniques and the deepening understanding of the quality of natural herbs, increasing numbers of researchers have proposed many new ideas and technologies. This review mainly focuses on the basic principles, technical characteristics and application examples of the chemical evaluation, biological evaluation methods and their combination in quality consistency evaluation of natural herbs. On the bases of chemical evaluation and clinical efficacy, new methods reflecting their pharmacodynamic mechanism and safety characteristics will be developed, and gradually towards accurate quality control, to achieve the goal of quality consistency. We hope that this manuscript can provide new ideas and technical references for the quality consistency of natural drugs and their preparations, thus better guarantee their clinical efficacy and safety, and better promote industrial development.

Quality consistency evaluation of Isatidis Folium combined with equal weight quantified ratio fingerprint method and determination of antioxidant activity

Isatidis Folium has been known as a valuable traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Little attention, however, has been paid to its quality control. The aim of the present study was to establish a novel strategy to monitor and assess the quality consistency of Isatidis Folium. First, 20 samples were separated and identified simultaneously by high-performance liquid chromatography in an effective, quick and sensitive way. Then, Single-wavelength fingerprint was fused into multi-wavelength fingerprints to show fingerprints' information thoroughly. The similarity analyses of fingerprints were performed by equal weight quantified ration fingerprint method in terms of qualitative and quantitative aspects. The evaluation result showed that 20 batches of samples were classified into different grades. In addition, the relationship between fingerprints and antioxidant activity were investigated by partial least-squares model, which offered significant medicinal efficacy information for quality control. This comprehensive strategy provided a valuable reference for Isatidis Folium to ameliorate their quality control.