Abstract
Licorice is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine and natural sweetening agent, rich in numerous bioactive compounds. Moreover, it is one of the oldest and most frequently employed folk medicines in both eastern and western countries. It is prescribed for the treatment of asthma, fever, and cough. However, with the increasing demand of licorice, its quality and safety become the important issue. The content in licorice varies significantly in materials from different geographical origins. In this study, a reasonable and feasible evaluation method for the quality assessment of licorice was developed based on the analysis of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint, combined with the quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS) method. Glycyrrhizic acid was selected as the internal reference substance, and ten components were simultaneously determined based on relative correction factors. The contents of eleven components in 21 batches of licorice were determined by the QAMS and the ESM (external standard method); there was no significant difference by comparison of the quantitative results between the QAMS and the ESM method; the cosine value (Cir > 0.9999) confirmed the consistency of the two methods. According to the outcomes of 21 batches of licorice samples, the contents of the eleven components were used for further chemometric analysis. All of the samples of licorice from various geographical origins were divided into five categories based on hierarchical cluster analysis, which indicated the crucial influence of geographical origins on licorice. This study showed that QAMS combined with HPLC fingerprint and chemometrics methods could effectively control the quality of licorice. Hence, QAMS is a feasible and promising method for promoting the quality control standardization process of herbal medicines.
Highlights
Licorice is the dried root and rhizome of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat., and Glycyrrhiza glabra L., used as an herbal medicine and natural sweetener in ancient Egyptian, Greece, and China [1, 2]
Pharmacopeia (2020 version) records that liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid were selected as quality control indicators [9]
We established a comprehensive and effective quality evaluation method for licorice, which integrated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint characterization technology, combined with the quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS) method, and chemometric analysis. is strategy provides comprehensive chemical information and can quickly and reliably determine various components and evaluate quality consistency. is innovative method could be beneficial for simplifying the processes in the quality control of licorice and promoting the quality control standardization process of herbal medicines
Summary
Licorice is the dried root and rhizome of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat., and Glycyrrhiza glabra L., used as an herbal medicine and natural sweetener in ancient Egyptian, Greece, and China [1, 2]. QAMS has been widely used in QC to effectively ensure the safety of herbal or botanical products effectively It has gradually been recognized by researchers and successfully employed for the analysis of medicinal herb [20]. The chromatographic fingerprint analysis has quite been recommended by academia community as a useful method for the quality control of medicinal plants and herbal products. This method has been accepted as a strategy for the quality assessment of herbal medicines and preparations by the US Food and Drug Administration, State Food and Drug Administration of China, and the European Medicines Agency [22]. We established a comprehensive and effective quality evaluation method for licorice, which integrated HPLC fingerprint characterization technology, combined with the QAMS method, and chemometric analysis. is strategy provides comprehensive chemical information and can quickly and reliably determine various components and evaluate quality consistency. is innovative method could be beneficial for simplifying the processes in the quality control of licorice and promoting the quality control standardization process of herbal medicines
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