Quality Consistency Evaluation of Chemical Composition and Pharmacology of Pheretima aspergillum Dispensing Granules and Traditional Decoction Based on HPLC, GC-IMS, and Animal Experiments

Abstract

This study investigates the consistency of quality between the traditional decoction (TD) of Pheretima aspergillum and its dispensing granule decoction (DGD) by examining their chemical composition and antithrombotic efficacy. We first determined the nucleoside components, protein content, and volatile compounds in 10 batches of TD and 9 batches of DGD sourced from three manufacturers using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV–vis spectrophotometry, and gas chromatography ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). Next, we assessed antithrombotic efficacy by measuring the relative length of tail thrombosis and calculating the thrombus inhibition rates at 24 and 48 h. Our comprehensive analysis revealed that the concentrations of hypoxanthine, uridine, inosine, adenosine, and proteins in TD were significantly higher than those in DGD. Moreover, the types and concentrations of volatile compounds in TD and DGD exhibited substantial differences, with 19 volatile compounds identified as differentially present between the two decoctions. Despite these compositional differences, both decoction types demonstrated equivalent antithrombotic efficacy. Overall, the quality of DGD from manufacturers A and B aligned closely with that of TD. However, TD exhibited a higher overall quality compared to DGD, while both decoctions maintained consistent antithrombotic efficacy.