Characterization of Chemical Profiling in Sanhuang Tablet by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A high sensitivity, resolution and efficient ultra performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) detection was implemented
for structural characterization and identification of the overall chemical components of Sanhuang tablet,
which was one of the most well known herbal preparation used widely in clinical applications. The chromatographic separation was carried out on an Acquity UPLCTM BEH C18 column using a gradient elution. The MS detection was achieved on a Waters Q-TOF Xevo G2 mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization source. A total of 28 constituents including 8 anthraquinones and 1 phenolic acid from
Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, 18 flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi extractum and 1 alkaloid
(berberine hydrochloride) were identified or tentatively characterized under the optimized conditions,
among them, 8 ingredients were unequivocally identified by comparison with authentic standards in terms
of the retention time, UV spectra and MS data, the rest constituents were tentatively identified by MS/MS
characteristic fragmentation and related literatures searching. The developed UPLC-Q-TOF/MS method
was expected to be accepted as a powerful and valuable pattern for comprehensive and systematic characterization of chemical information for Sanhuang tablet, which laid a solid foundation for the subsequent
pharmacological substance basis study of the classic traditional Chinese medicine formula in vivo