Comparing chemical fingerprints of herbal medicines using modified window target-testing factor analysis

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy
• Chemometrics

Background:

• Herbal medicine composition varies due to factors like geography and harvest time.
• Chromatographic fingerprints, representing chemical profiles, are crucial for comparing herbal medicine variants.
• Identifying specific chemical constituents is vital for understanding pharmacological activity and ensuring quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and demonstrate a novel method, modified window target-testing factor analysis (MWTTFA), for comparing chromatographic fingerprints of herbal medicines.
• To ascertain the presence or absence of specific chemical components between different herbal samples.
• To validate the utility of MWTTFA in analyzing variations in herbal medicine composition.

Main Methods:

• Development of modified window target-testing factor analysis (MWTTFA).
• Integration of target factor analysis (TFA), fixed-size moving window evolving factor analysis (FSMWEFA), and Gaussian shape correction.
• Application of MWTTFA to compare chromatographic fingerprints of garlic from different locations and Houttuynia cordata from different plant parts.

Main Results:

• MWTTFA successfully identified distinct chemical profiles between garlic variants.
• Four components in Hunan garlic were absent in Xingping garlic; seven were present in Xingping but absent in Hunan.
• Eleven components differed between above-ground and below-ground Houttuynia cordata samples; seven were unique to each part.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully demonstrated the efficacy of MWTTFA in differentiating herbal medicine compositions.
• Significant chemical variations were observed in garlic and Houttuynia cordata based on origin and plant part.
• MWTTFA offers a valuable tool for herbal medicine quality control and future research.