An authentic assessment method for cordyceps sinensis

Abstract

Cordyceps Sinensis, renowned for its diverse pharmacological properties and the rarity of its natural species, faces significant challenges due to rampant adulteration by counterfeit products. Consequently, there is a crucial need to reliably identify Cordyceps species to ensure their quality and efficacy. While current analytical techniques predominantly rely on LC–MS, there remains a notable deficiency and substantial demand for the development of a unified, reproducible, and fast method suitable for commercial applications. In this study, we employed a cost-effective and straightforward approach utilizing headspace GC–MS to authenticate Cordyceps sinensis. This method enables the comprehensive analysis of the chemical profile, facilitating the identification of quality and authenticity in Cordyceps samples. Through a comparative analysis of the chemical profiles of seven authentic Cordyceps samples with seven other Cordyceps samples, we propose a Quality Assessment System for Authentic Cordyceps, encompassing the following criteria: 1) the presence of 29 compounds commonly found in authentic Cordyceps within the chemical profile, and 2) the area ratio of 3-methylbutanal to 2-methylbutanal falling within the range of 2.09–3.01. This method exhibits considerable promise as a standardized, reproducible, and expeditious technique for the quality assessment and authentication of Cordyceps.