An effective quantitative fingerprint method for evaluating the quality consistency of Desmodium styracifolium.

Abstract

An HPLC method for combined quantification of five major constituents (vicenin-1, schaftoside, isoschaftoside, vicenin-3 and isovitexin) of Desmodium styracifolium was developed to evaluate the quality consistency of this medicinal herb. The chromatographic separation was accomplished on an Agilent 5 TC-C18 column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm) with gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.1 % aqueous formic acid (v/v). The column temperature was 30 °C and the detection wavelength was 272 nm. The chromatographic data were analyzed with a novel systematic quantitative fingerprint method (SQFM). The established quantitative fingerprint method was successfully applied to simultaneously determine the levels of the major constituents, and 39 common peaks were found. The samples collected in Guangdong province had a good quality consistency, in accordance with the traditional opinion that Guangdong province is the best region for cultivation of D. styracifolium. The fingerprint-antioxidant efficacy relationship of the different samples was investigated by examining the correlation between the common peaks and the antioxidant effect. Twenty-two common peaks were positively correlated with the antioxidant effect, while the others showed a negative correlation. This quantitative fingerprint method could be considered as a suitable approach to evaluate the quality of traditional Chinese medicines and herbal preparations. The SQFM was reliable and efficient for analysis of the chromatographic data.