[Systematical analysis of multiple components in drainage bear bile powder from different sources]

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Bear bile powder is a traditional medicine with diverse compounds, primarily bile acids.
• Existing research focuses on bile acids, neglecting other significant components.
• A systematic analysis of multiple components is needed for comprehensive quality evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically analyze multiple components in drainage bear bile powder from various sources.
• To identify key differentiating components for quality control and evaluation.
• To establish a comprehensive analytical approach for bear bile powder.

Main Methods:

• Quantification of bilirubin and protein using microplate spectrophotometry.
• Determination of bile acids and amino acids via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).
• Analysis of microelements using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Main Results:

• High similarity (0.922-0.977) observed across 20 batches of bear bile powder.
• Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) and taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA) were the most abundant bile acids (41%-59%).
• Significant variations in bile acids, bilirubin, protein, amino acids, and microelements were found among different sources, contributing to sample differentiation.

Conclusions:

• Bear bile powder exhibits high similarity in main components but significant differences in minor constituents across sources.
• Bile acids, bilirubin, protein, amino acids, and microelements all play a role in differentiating bear bile powder samples.
• The study provides a systematic approach for improved quality control and evaluation of bear bile powder.