Quality evaluation and pattern recognition analyses of bioactive marker compounds from Farfarae Flos using HPLC/PDA.

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy

Background:

• Tussilago farfara L. (Farfarae Flos) is a traditional herbal medicine.
• Used for respiratory conditions like bronchitis and asthma.
• Need for standardized quality control and identification methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop and validate a quantitative HPLC/PDA method.
• Establish quality control standards for Farfarae Flos.
• Enable reliable identification and analysis of herbal samples.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with photodiode array (PDA) detection.
• Analysis of five marker compounds: rutin, isoquercetin, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, tussilagone, and tussilagonone.
• Gradient elution on a C18 column with acetonitrile and water mobile phase.

Main Results:

• The HPLC/PDA method demonstrated excellent linearity, recovery, precision, accuracy, stability, and robustness.
• Successfully analyzed Farfarae Flos from various geographic origins.
• Validated method suitable for quantitation and pattern recognition.

Conclusions:

• The developed HPLC/PDA method is reliable for the quality evaluation of Farfarae Flos.
• Provides a standard for identification and quality control of this medicinal herb.
• Supports the consistent use of Tussilago farfara L. in traditional medicine.