Rapid discrimination of Artemisia Argyi Folium origin using three-dimensional fluorescence combined with Chemometrics

Artemisia Argyi Folium (AAF), as a prominent gynecological medicine in traditional medicine practice, is renowned for its effects in warming meridians to stop bleeding, dissipating cold and alleviating pain. It is frequently used to treat symptoms such as menstrual disorders and uterine cold infertility. The therapeutic efficacy and quality of AAF are significantly influenced by its geographical origin, leading to substantial regional variations. This study aims to establish an accurate and efficient method for discriminating the geographical origin of AAF by combining three-dimensional fluorescence technology with chemometrics. Initially, the PARAFAC algorithm was employed to comprehensively analyze the fluorescence fingerprint spectra of AAF samples. The fluorescence patterns observed in the AAF from five distinct origins exhibit comparable luminophore properties; however, their intensities vary. The presence of luminescent characteristics can likely be attributed to the chemical composition of AAF, with particular emphasis on flavonoids and polyphenols. To classify AAF samples by their geographical origin, several modeling approaches were utilized: U-PLS-DA, PLS-DA, and LDA. Significantly, the U-PLS-DA model demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving 100 % recognition accuracy for both the training and independent test sets, enabling precise differentiation among the five geographical locations. This research not only offers a dependable approach for origin identification of Artemisia Argyi Folium, ensuring the quality and efficacy of the herb, but also opens up new directions for provenance tracking studies of other Chinese medicinal materials, demonstrating broad application prospects and far-reaching impacts.