Analysis of the HPLC Fingerprint and QAMS for Sanhuang Gypsum Soup

A valid and encyclopaedic evaluation method for assessing the quality of Sanhuang Gypsum Soup (SGS) has been set up based on analysis of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint combined with the quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS) method, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and similarity analysis. 20 peaks of the common model were obtained and used for the similarity analysis and HCA analysis. Berberine was selected as an internal reference, and the relative correction factors of mangiferin, geniposide, liquiritin, epiberberine, coptisine, baicalin, palmatine, harpagosid, wogonoside, cinnamic acid, cinnamic aldehyde, baicalein, glycyrrhizic acid, and wogonin were established. The accuracy of quantitative analysis of multicomponents by the single-marker method was verified by comparing the contents of the fourteen components calculated by the external standard method with those of the quantitative analysis of multicomponents by the single-marker method. No significant difference was found in the quantitative results of the established quantitative analysis of multicomponents by a single-marker method and an external standard method. In summary, these methods were applied to evaluate the quality of SGS successfully. As a result, these evaluation methods have great potential to be widely used in the quality control of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM).