Quality Control Of Herbal Medicines Research Articles

Authentication of the Herbal Medicine Angelicae Dahuricae Radix Using an ITS Sequence-Based Multiplex SCAR Assay.

The accurate identification of plant species is of great concern for the quality control of herbal medicines. The Korean Pharmacopoeia and the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China define Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Baek-Ji in Korean and Bai-zhi in Chinese) as the dried roots of Angelica dahurica or A. dahurica var. formosana belonging to the family Apiaceae. Discrimination among Angelica species on the basis of morphological characteristics is difficult due to their extremely polymorphic traits and controversial taxonomic history. Furthermore, dried roots processed for medicinal applications are indistinguishable using conventional methods. DNA barcoding is a useful and reliable method for the identification of species. In this study, we sequenced the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal RNA genes in A. dahurica, A. dahurica var. formosana, and the related species A. anomala and A. japonica. Using these sequences, we designed species-specific primers, and developed and optimized a multiplex sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) assay that can simply and rapidly identify respective species, and verify the contamination of adulterant depending on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification without sequencing analysis in a single PCR reaction. This assay successfully identified commercial samples of Angelicae Dahuricae Radix collected from Korean and Chinese herbal markets, and distinguished them from adulterants. This multiplex SCAR assay shows a great potential in reducing the time and cost involved in the identification of genuine Angelicae Dahuricae Radix and adulterant contamination.

Rapid authentication and differentiation of herbal medicine using 1H NMR fingerprints coupled with chemometrics

The public concern and increasing awareness of herbal medicines calls for methods available to assure quality and authenticity. In the present study, a novel strategy combing 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectral analyses coupled with chemometrics was developed and validated to allow comprehensive analysis and rapid authentication of herbal medicines. Polygoni Multiflori Radix, a widely used herbal medicine and a kind of popular functional food, was taken as an example. Characteristic profiling of 1H NMR fingerprints was achieved by genetic algorithm and a counter-propagation artificial neural network. Multivariate classification methods were employed to evaluate and validate the performance of the developed characteristic profiling of 1H NMR fingerprints. The results well showed that the proposed method improved the predictive ability of the PLS-DA, and presented equivalent performance to the original spectrum in other classification methods. In conclusion, the developed method is an accurate, sensitive and rapid authentication of Polygoni Multiflori Radix, which could be a useful tool for rapid authentication and quality control of herbal medicines.

Functional preserving carbon dots-based fluorescent probe for mercury (II) ions sensing in herbal medicines via coordination and electron transfer

Mercury ions (Hg2+) are one of the compulsory items in the quality control of herbal medicines for its serious toxicity to human health. Highly selective and sensitive Hg2+ detection, especially in complex real samples, is still challenging. In this work, Fluorescent (FL) carbon dots (CDs) with a core-shell structures composed of the crystalline core of stacked sp2-hybridized carbon layers and the shell of functional groups on the periphery of carbon layers are facilely prepared through a one-step hydrothermal synthetic route. They can specifically interact with Hg2+ in aqueous medium to form aggregates, during which coordination of carboxyl functional groups on the surface of CDs with Hg2+ occurred, which facilitated electron transfer from the CDs to Hg2+. As a result, fluorescence of the CDs was quenched with a high efficiency, making the detection of Hg2+ highly sensitive with the limit of determination (LOD) of 2.2 nM (3σ). With that, detection of Hg2+ in the complex compound herbal medicines samples with highly reproducible results has been successfully realized by using the as-prepared CDs, showing that fluorescent CDs-based probe may have great potential in the quality controls of heavy metals for pharmaceutical analysis.

An enhanced strategy integrating offline two-dimensional separation and step-wise precursor ion list-based raster-mass defect filter: Characterization of indole alkaloids in five botanical origins of Uncariae Ramulus Cum Unicis as an exemplary application

Comprehensive chemical profiling is of great significance for understanding the therapeutic material basis and quality control of herbal medicines, which is challenging due to its inherent chemical diversity and complexity, as well as wide concentration range. In this study, we introduced an enhanced strategy integrating offline two-dimensional (2D) separation and the step-wise precursor ion list-based raster-mass defect filter (step-wise PIL-based raster-MDF) scan by tandem LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. A comprehensive analysis of indole alkaloids in five botanical origins of Uncariae Ramulus Cum Unicis (Gou-Teng) was used as an exemplary application. A positively charged reversed phase (PR) × conventional RP LC system in different pH conditions was constructed with the orthogonality of 74%. A theoretical step-wise PIL among 310–950 Da with the step-size of 2 Da was developed to selectively trigger fragmentations and extend the coverage of potential indole alkaloids. Simultaneously, by defining parent mass width (PMW) of the step-wise PIL to ±55 mDa, a raster-MDF screening was achieved in the acquisition process. Additionally, subtype classification and structural elucidation were facilitated by a four-step interpretation strategy. As a result, a total of 1227 indole alkaloids were efficiently exposed and characterized from five botanical origins of Gou-Teng, which showed high chemical diversity. A systematic comparison among five species was first performed and only 66 indole alkaloids were common. For method validation, three new alkaloid N-oxides were isolated and unambiguously identified by NMR. The present study provides a novel data-dependent acquisition method with improved target coverage and high selectivity. The integrated strategy is practical to efficiently expose and comprehensively characterize complex components in herbal medicines.

FT-MIR and UV–vis data fusion strategy for origins discrimination of wild Paris Polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis

Paris Polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis (Franch.) Hand.-Mazz has multiple therapeutic properties and the origins may affect clinical efficacy. Tracing the geographical origin is important to the authentication and quality assessment of this species. 177 wild samples collected from central, southeast and northwest Yunnan Province, China, were analyzed by single analytical method and data fusion strategies (low- and mid-levels) using Fourier transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) spectroscopies combined with chemometrics (partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machines grid search (SVM-GS)), for categorizing samples from different geographic origins. According to the results, mid-level data fusion strategy presented a better generalization performance and accuracy rates based on latent variables selected by PLS-DA than single analytical method and low-level data fusion strategy. Accuracy rates were almost 100% when both of the PLS-DA and SVM-GS were employed for classifying samples picked from southeast and northwest districts based on mid-level dataset. For samples collected from central of Yunnan where was divided into seven categories in this paper, the accuracy rates of training set and test set of PLS-DA and SVM-GS were preferable (>87%). Based on the mid-level data set, both of the classification results of PLS-DA and SVM-GS presented satisfying accuracy for 177 samples. Additionally, as small as possible parameters showed in mid-level data set, it suggested that this method was robust and generalized. Therefore, the comprehensive method was established for the origin traceability of wild P. Polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis, which is meaningful for the quality control of herbal medicines.

Identify super quality markers from prototype-based pharmacokinetic markers of Tangzhiqing tablet (TZQ) based on in vitro dissolution/ permeation and in vivo absorption correlations

BackgroundA quality marker (Q-marker) is defined as an inherent chemical compound that is used for the quality control of a drug. Its biological activities are closely related to safety and therapeutic effects. Generally, a multiple-component herbal medicine may have many Q-markers. We therefore proposed a concept of “super Q-marker” satisfying both the criterion of Q-markers and PK-markers to be used in more effective quality control of herbal medicine. PurposeThe first aim was to find suitable prototype-based PK-markers from Tangzhiqing tablets (TZQ), a Chinese patent medicine. Then super Q-markers were expected to be identified from the prototype-based PK-markers based on an in vitro-in vivo correlation study. MethodsPotentially eligible prototype-based PK-markers were identified in a single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetic study on TZQ in 30 healthy volunteers. The in vitro dissolution and permeation profiles of the prototype-based PK-markers of TZQ were evaluated by the physiologically-based drug dissolution/absorption simulating system (DDASS). An in vitro-in vivo correlation analysis was conducted between the dissolution/permeation behaviors in DDASS and the actual absorption profiles in human to test the transferability and traceability of the promising super Q-markers for TZQ. ResultsIn human, plasma paeoniflorin and nuciferine as prototype-based PK-markers exhibited the appropriate pharmacokinetic properties, including dose-dependent systemic exposure (AUC, Cmax) and a proper elimination half-life (1∼3h). In DDASS, it was predicted that paeoniflorin and nuciferine are highly permeable but the absorption rates are primarily limited by the dissolution rates. Moreover, the established in vitro-in vivo correlations of paeoniflorin and nuciferine were in support of the super Q-markers features. ConclusionPaeoniflorin and nuciferine are identified as the super Q-markers from the prototype-based PK-markers of TZQ based on findings from a combination of in vitro, in vivo, and in vitro-in vivo correlation studies. This method is practical for optimal identification of qualified Q-markers, thus helping improve the quality control of herbal medicines.

Discrimination of Cynanchum wilfordii and Cynanchum auriculatum by terahertz spectroscopic analysis.

Precise identification of botanical origin of plant species is crucial for the quality control of herbal medicine. In Korea, the root part of Cynanchum auriculatum has been misused for C. wilfordii in the herbal drug market due to their morphological similarities. Currently, DNA analysis using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method is employed to discriminate between these species. In order to develop a new analytical tool for the rapid discrimination of C. wilfordii and C. auriculatum, terahertz (THz) spectroscopy was employed. Authentic samples of C. wilfordii and C. auriculatum were provided from the National Institute and standardized pellets for each species were prepared to get optimum results with terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) in frequency range 0.2-1.20 THz. The C. wilfordii pellet showed longer time delay compare to the sample of C. auriculatum and this was due to the difference in permittivity. The pellet samples of C. wilfordii and C. auriculatum showed a permittivity difference of about 0.08 at 0.2-1.20 THz. The experimental results indicated that THz-TDS analysis can be an effective and rapid method for the discrimination of C. wilfordii and C. auriculatum, and this application can be expanded for the discrimination of other similar herbal medicines.

Microscopic, phytochemical, HPTLC, GC–MS and NIRS methods to differentiate herbal adulterants: Pepper and papaya seeds

ObjectiveHerbal medicine products contribute a considerable part of the pharmaceutical market all over the world. Quality control of herbal medicines remains an obstacle in the herbal industry due to the existence of adulterants. Although some chemical methods are being employed to differentiate the herbal adulterants, they are time-consuming, costly and environmentally hazardous due to the use of dangerous chemicals. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop a rapid and reliable analytical method for the identification of herbal adulterants. MethodsIn the present study, the authors have employed different techniques such as Microscopy, Phytochemical screening, high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) and near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) methods to differentiate Piper nigrum (black pepper) and its adulterant papaya seeds. ResultsBased on the results, microscopic method was found to be helpful to differentiate the herbal adulterants but required a lot of time and skilled human resource. Phytochemical methods are useful, but the process of extract preparation requiring the use of hazardous chemicals is not an environmentally friendly approach. The analytical techniques like HPTLC, GC–MS, and NIRS are useful methods, but require sophisticated instrumentation and skilled human resources involving time-consuming sample preparation steps. ConclusionIn addition to conventional Botanical and Chemical characterization, NIRS was also found to be a very efficient, rapid and accurate technique for differentiating black pepper and papaya seed powders without the necessity for any sample preparation step.

Chemical profiles by thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography of plant species from Northeast Brazil

Background: Fingerprint analysis plays a key role in quality control of herbal medicines due to its technical capacity to represent the chemical diversity of these complex matrices. Several traditional Brazilian species showed very little data in their chemical profiles. Objective: Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the chemical profiles of Brazilian herbal species by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Materials and Methods: The herbal materials of 7 species (Anacardium occidentale, Annona muricata, Guazuma ulmifolia, Phyllanthus niruri, Psidium guajava, Punica granatum, and Spondias mombin) were collected from three different locations in Northeast Brazil, botanically authenticated and their chemical profile analyzed by TLC (cinnamics, flavonoids, and tannins) and by HPLC (polyphenols). Results: The chromatographic data showed the similarities between chemical profiles of the sample fingerprints, confirming the presence of several classes of secondary metabolites as well as the identification of different chemical standards (catechin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, gallic acid, quercetin, or rutin). Conclusion: The chromatographic profiling of the herbal drugs by TLC and HPLC were successfully characterized and allowed for the identification of promising chemical markers, improving the state of art in the quality control of the herbal species investigated in this study. Abbreviations used: HPLC: High-performance liquid chromatography; PVDF: Polyvinylidene fluoride; RP-LC: Reverse-phase liquid chromatography; TLC: Thin-layer chromatography; UV-spectrum: Ultraviolet spectrum.

A Novel Strategy for Quantitative Analysis of Major Ginsenosides in Panacis Japonici Rhizoma with a Standardized Reference Fraction.

Panacis Japonici Rhizoma (Zhu-Jie-Shen in Chinese), the root of P. japonicus C.A. Mey., is commonly used in traditional Chinese Medicine. Saponins are the major bioactive compounds in this herb. The similarity of polarity and structure of the natural products in herb caused the difficulty of purification and resulted in the shortage and high cost of the reference compounds, which has greatly hindered efforts toward quantification in quality control. A novel strategy using a standardized reference fraction for qualification of the major saponins in Panacis Japonici Rhizoma was proposed to easily and effectively control the quality of PJR. The strategy is feasible and reliable, and the methodology of the developed approach is also validated. The standardized reference fraction was used for quantification, which might solve the shortage of the pure reference compounds in the quality control of herbal medicines.

Evaluation of the quality consistency of powdered poppy capsule extractive by an averagely linear-quantified fingerprint method in combination with antioxidant activities and two compounds analyses.

A novel averagely linear-quantified fingerprint method was proposed and successfully applied to monitor the quality consistency of alkaloids in powdered poppy capsule extractive. Averagely linear-quantified fingerprint method provided accurate qualitative and quantitative similarities for chromatographic fingerprints of Chinese herbal medicines. The stability and operability of the averagely linear-quantified fingerprint method were verified by the parameter r. The average linear qualitative similarity SL (improved based on conventional qualitative "Similarity") was used as a qualitative criterion in the averagely linear-quantified fingerprint method, and the average linear quantitative similarity PL was introduced as a quantitative one. PL was able to identify the difference in the content of all the chemical components. In addition, PL was found to be highly correlated to the contents of two alkaloid compounds (morphine and codeine). A simple flow injection analysis was developed for the determination of antioxidant capacity in Chinese Herbal Medicines, which was based on the scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical by antioxidants. The fingerprint-efficacy relationship linking chromatographic fingerprints and antioxidant activities was investigated utilizing orthogonal projection to latent structures method, which provided important pharmacodynamic information for Chinese herbal medicines quality control. In summary, quantitative fingerprinting based on averagely linear-quantified fingerprint method can be applied for monitoring the quality consistency of Chinese herbal medicines, and the constructed orthogonal projection to latent structures model is particularly suitable for investigating the fingerprint-efficacy relationship.

Rapid Screening of Active Components with an Osteoclastic Inhibitory Effect in Herba epimedii Using Quantitative Pattern-Activity Relationships Based on Joint-Action Models.

Screening of bioactive components is important for modernization and quality control of herbal medicines, while the traditional bioassay-guided phytochemical approach is time-consuming and laborious. The presented study proposes a strategy for rapid screening of active components from herbal medicines. As a case study, the quantitative pattern–activity relationship (QPAR) between compounds and the osteoclastic inhibitory effect of Herba epimedii, a widely used herbal medicine in China, were investigated based on joint models. For model construction, standard mixtures data showed that the joint-action models are better than the partial least-squares (PLS) model. Then, the Good2bad value, which could reflect components’ importance based on Monte Carlo sampling, was coupled with the joint-action models for screening of active components. A compound (baohuoside I) and a component composed of compounds with retention times in the 6.9–7.9 min range were selected by our method. Their inhibition rates were higher than icariin, the key bioactive compound in Herba epimedii, which could inhibit osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption in a previous study. Meanwhile, the half-maximal effective concentration, namely, EC50 value of the selected component was 7.54 μg/mL, much smaller than that of baohuoside I—77 μg/mL—which indicated that there is synergistic action between compounds in the selected component. The results clearly show our proposed method is simple and effective in screening the most-bioactive components and compounds, as well as drug-lead components, from herbal medicines.

A Comprehensive Quality Evaluation System for Complex Herbal Medicine Using PacBio Sequencing, PCR-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis, and Several Chemical Approaches.

Herbal medicine is a major component of complementary and alternative medicine, contributing significantly to the health of many people and communities. Quality control of herbal medicine is crucial to ensure that it is safe and sound for use. Here, we investigated a comprehensive quality evaluation system for a classic herbal medicine, Danggui Buxue Formula, by applying genetic-based and analytical chemistry approaches to authenticate and evaluate the quality of its samples. For authenticity, we successfully applied two novel technologies, third-generation sequencing and PCR-DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis), to analyze the ingredient composition of the tested samples. For quality evaluation, we used high performance liquid chromatography assays to determine the content of chemical markers to help estimate the dosage relationship between its two raw materials, plant roots of Huangqi and Danggui. A series of surveys were then conducted against several exogenous contaminations, aiming to further access the efficacy and safety of the samples. In conclusion, the quality evaluation system demonstrated here can potentially address the authenticity, quality, and safety of herbal medicines, thus providing novel insight for enhancing their overall quality control.Highlight: We established a comprehensive quality evaluation system for herbal medicine, by combining two genetic-based approaches third-generation sequencing and DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) with analytical chemistry approaches to achieve the authentication and quality connotation of the samples.

Q-Markers or Chemical Markers: A New Insight towards Quality Control of Herbal Medicines

Q-Markers or Chemical Markers: A New Insight towards Quality Control of Herbal Medicines

A modification on the vector cosine algorithm of Similarity Analysis for improved discriminative capacity and its application to the quality control of Magnoliae Flos

Chromatographic fingerprint analysis has been widely used in quality control of herbal medicines, and Similarity Analysis (SA) as a well-established method has been applied in the quality control practice as well as publications related to the study of herbal medicines and preparations. However, in some cases the results of SA do not fit well with those of other chemometric approaches and quantitative analysis, and the problem remains unsolved. In this study, a modified SA algorithm has been proposed, with its advantages discussed in theory. The extract of dried flower bud of Magnolia biondii Pamp. obtained by pressurized solvent extraction was then selected as a case to verify the modified algorithm. After identification of the components, fingerprint analysis was performed using different chemometric methods including Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as well as original and modified SA methods, and the improved discriminative capacity of modified SA algorithm was illustrated. Characteristic chemical markers were then identified using the modified SA approach and then confirmed using PCA method. The quantitative results were then utilized to confirm the advantage of modified SA approach over the original one. The study made a modification to the widely applied SA algorithm, which was possibly a beneficial improvement in fingerprint analysis and quality control practice of herbal medicines.

Investigation of Distinction Chemical Markers for Rhubarb Authentication Based on High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

Rhubarb is a famous herb medicine commonly used for the treatment of purgation, anticancer, anti-inflammation, and promoting blood circulation in clinical. Recently, the situation that unofficial rhubarb is confused with official one on the market is becoming a serious threat to the efficacy of the crude drug. In this study, a comprehensive approach using principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) based on liquid chromarography coupled with electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and diode-array detection was established to explore novel markers for rhubarb authenticity which is important for quality assurance, pharmaceutical activity, and market protection. The method was validated based on pooled quality control samples and was found reliable and repeatable. In the procedure, metabolic fingerpringing of official and unofficial samples from different geographic regions was analyzed, and a total of 35 phenolic compounds were screened out and were tentatively characterized as authenticity markers of rhubarb based on their mass spectra and UV spectra. The content and pharmacological activity difference of these ingredients belonging to different compound classes (such as anthraquinone glycosides, catechins, stilbenes, naphthalenes, and butyrophenones) were compared by compound types on the base of extracted ion chromatograms. And anthraquinone glycosides, which have been considered as the major purgative components of rhubarb, were relatively contained more in official rhubarb. This research proved that a chemometric method based on liquid chromatography with diode-array detection and time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry can comprehensively analyze chemical variation and provide evidence for quality control of herbal medicine.

SHORT REVIEW ON DNA-FINGERPRINTING AND STANDARDIZATION OF HERBAL DRUGS

Medicinal plants play a key role in world health. In spite of new advances developed in modern medicines, herbal formulations are extensively used as therapeutic agents for treatment of several diseases. Herbal drug technology is used for converting botanicals materials into medicines. Standardization is a process of evaluating the quality & purity of crude drug by various parameters like morphological, microscopical, physical, chemical &biological observation. Fingerprint analysis approach is the most important in quality control of herbal medicines because of its accuracy and reliability. DNA fingerprinting is defined as the application of genetic/ molecular marker techniques which is used to identify cultivars. Fingerprinting is a process as it determines the concentrations of chemical substances in an herb by several methods like RFLP, AFLP, RAPD, SSR sequencing of rDNA-ITS region and DNA bar-coding. Development of fingerprints based on DNA markers is necessary for proper identification and standardization of plant species.

Development of Quality Control Method for Glucofarmaka Antidiabetic Jamu by HPLC Fingerprint Analysis

Herbal medicines become increasingly popular all over the world for preventive and therapeutic purposes. Quality control of herbal medicines is important to make sure their safety and efficacy. Chromatographic fingerprinting has been accepted by the World Health Organization as one reliable strategy for quality control method in herbal medicines. In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprint analysis was developed as a quality control method for glucofarmaka antidiabetic jamu. The optimum fingerprint chromatogram were obtained using C18 as the stationary phase and linear gradient elution using 10–95% acetonitrile:water as the mobile phase within 60 minutes of elution and detection at 210 nm. About 20 peaks were detected and could be used as fingerprint of glucofarmaka jamu. To evaluate the analytical performance of the method, we determined the precision, reproducibility, and stability. The result of the analytical performance showed reliable results. The proposed method could be used as a quality control method for glucofarmaka antidiabetic jamu and also for its raw materials.

Efficient Discovery of Quality Control Markers for Gastrodia elata Tuber by Fingerprint‐Efficacy Relationship Modelling

Gastrodia elata tuber (GET) has been widely used in China as a famous herbal medicine. However, the quality control markers (QCMs) for GET still need further investigation. To develop a rational strategy based on fingerprint-efficacy relationship modelling to discover the efficacy-related QCMs, using GET as a case study. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints of 13 batches of GET extracts were established and 10 common peaks were structurally characterised by HPLC coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS). The neuroprotective effects of GET samples were evaluated using the in vitro model of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ25-35 )-induced PC12 cell death. The fingerprint-efficacy relationship of chemical fingerprints and neuroprotective effects was linked by orthogonal projection to latent structure-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model. The chemical combination of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (5-HMF), parishin B (PB) and parishin C (PC) was discovered and confirmed as QCMs of GET by the OPLS-DA method. The selected QCMs allowed to evaluate the relative quality of GET samples. This study has demonstrated that the rational strategy based on fingerprint-efficacy relationship modelling might be generally applicable for the quality control of herbal medicines. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Trends in System-level Research on Quality Control of Complex Herbal Formulation

The quality control is a fundamental procedure for the standardization of herbal medicine to guarantee the consistency of efficacy and safety. For a long time, the quality analysis of herbal medicine has been largely dependent on the routine sensory evaluation, such as taste, smell, color, and shape. However, with the recent development of analytical instruments, various scientific approaches have been introduced in this field. On the basis of the theory that the biological activities of herbal medicine are mainly contributed by its chemical compositions, several types of chemical markers have been suggested for the quality evaluation. In addition to the analytical methods for the specific marker compound(s), including analytical marker and active marker, recently, chemical fingerprinting, a method comparing the chromatographic pattern of the whole chemical components, has been developed and widely accepted as a reliable approach for the quality control of herbal medicine. Moreover, in order to exactly understand the relationship between complex compounds and their holistic biological activities in herbal medicine, unique strategies, such as “BECCs (bioactive equivalent combinatorial components)” and “PhytomicsQC” have been established. In this article, we give an overview of the several categories of chemical markers and the recent research trends for the quality evaluation of herbal medicine.