Quality evaluation of Pterocephali Herba through simultaneously quantifying 18 bioactive components by UPLC-TQ-MS/MS...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Traditional Tibetan Medicine

Background:

• Pterocephali Herba (PH), a Tibetan medicine, is used for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• Current quality control relies on unspecific triterpenoids (ursolic acid, oleanolic acid).
• Major bioactive constituents include iridoids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and phenylpropanoids.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a UPLC-TQ-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of 18 key components in PH.
• To evaluate the quality of 10 PH batches from different origins using the developed method.
• To assess the correlation between traditional markers and other bioactive components.

Main Methods:

• Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-TQ-MS/MS) in SIR and MRM modes.
• Simultaneous quantification of 18 analytes: 9 iridoids, 3 triterpenoids, 3 phenylpropanoids, 2 flavonoids, and quinic acid.
• Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and Spearman correlation analysis for sample evaluation.

Main Results:

• The UPLC-TQ-MS/MS method demonstrated high sensitivity, precision, and accuracy.
• Significant variations in the content of the 18 components were observed across PH samples.
• No clear geographical clustering of PH quality was found; ursolic acid/oleanolic acid only correlated with specific iridoids.

Conclusions:

• The developed multi-component quantitative method offers an improved approach for PH quality evaluation.
• Holistic quality of PH samples is inconsistent and cannot be reliably indicated by ursolic acid and oleanolic acid alone.
• Further research is needed to establish comprehensive quality control standards for Pterocephali Herba.