Abstract
In commercial herbal markets, Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR, the tuberous roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.), a commonly-used Chinese medicinal material, is divided into different grades based on morphological features of size and weight. While more weight and larger size command a higher price, there is no scientific data confirming that the more expensive roots are in fact of better quality. To assess the inherent quality of various grades and of various tissues in PMR and to find reliable morphological indicators of quality, a method combining laser microdissection (LMD) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) was applied. Twelve major chemical components were quantitatively determined in both whole material and different tissues of PMR. Determination of the whole material revealed that traditional commercial grades based on size and weight of PRM did not correspond to any significant differences in chemical content. Instead, tissue-specific analysis indicated that the morphological features could be linked with quality in a new way. That is, PMR with broader cork and phloem, as seen in a transverse section, were typically of better quality as these parts are where the bioactive components accumulate. The tissue-specific analysis of secondary metabolites creates a reliable morphological criterion for quality grading of PMR.
Highlights
Various specifications or grades of Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs) can be found in the market
In the modern herbal market, based on our preliminary investigation in a local commercial herbal market, we found that Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR) is sold in three grades according to their weight and size, with the price varying from 30 HKD (US$4)
12compounds compoundsinintotal totalwere were quantitatively determined in Threemajor majorclasses classes of of chemicals, chemicals, 12 quantitatively determined in raw raw materials of each grade of samples, in order to explore the variation in major chemicals materials of each grade of PMR samples, in order to explore the variation in major chemicals content content eachand grade andout to find out whether is a correlation between thegrading existing grading of eachof grade to find whether there is athere correlation between the existing system and system and the quality of the Sample extractions were first analyzed by UPLC-QqQ-Mass spectrometry (MS)/MS, the quality of the PMR
Summary
Various specifications or grades of Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs) can be found in the market. The upper grade CMMs are supposed to be of better quality, justifying higher prices. For determining grade and price, medicinal vendors mostly use morphological features, both external and internal (e.g., stem cross-sections), including shape, size (diameter, length), color, and texture [1]. Consumers primarily evaluate the quality of CMMs on the basis of morphological features in herbal markets. Modern research has found that the traditional interpretations of morphological features used for commercial grading of CMMs do not always reliably correspond to quality [2,3]. The accurate correspondence between quality and grading/price is an important issue both for the commercial markets and for clinical use of CMMs
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