Identification of chemical constituents in Qizhi Tongluo Capsules by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS

Abstract

Qizhi Tongluo Capsules, which is composed of 26 herbal drugs, is mainly used as the assistant therapy for apoplexy sequelae. The chemical composition of Qizhi Tongluo Capsules was complex,but its chemical constituents and the pharmacodynamic material basis remain unreported. The ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was applied to recognize the chemical constituents of Qizhi Tongluo Capsules. The analysis was performed on a Waters Acquity UHPLC HSS T3 column with acetonitrile-water as the mobile phase for gradient elution. Heated electrospray ionization(HESI) in both positive and negative ion modes was adopted to collect the data. The chemical constituents were identified and confirmed by analyzing the accurate molecular weight, the mass fragmentation pattern, and comparing with the mass data from the reference substances and literature. A total of 119 components were identified, including 22 flavones, 12 saponins, 10 salvianolic acids, 5 butylphthalides, 4 anthraquinones, 4 monoterpenoid glycosides, 2 caffeoyl-quinic acids, 2 coumarins, 2 alkaloids, and 1 stilbene, as well as the common constituents in the herb, such as amino acids and organic acids. The chemical constituents of Qizhi Tongluo Capsules were characterized rapidly for the first time in this study, laying a foundation for the further analysis of active compounds and quality control.