Digital identification and adulteration analysis of bupleurum chinense and bupleurum marginatum based on "digital identity" and UHPLC-QTOF-MSE

Background and objectives

one of the legal sources of Bupleuri Radix (BR) is the Bupleurum chinense (BC), rather than the Bupleurum marginatum (BM). However, fake incidents of BM mixed with BC often occur in the market, which makes it more difficult to supervise the quality of BR and even endanger the life and health of patients. To strengthen the quality control and supervision of BP, we carried out digital identification and adulteration analysis of BC and BM based on the "digital identity" and UHPLC-QTOF-MS^E.

Method

firstly, the BC and BM were analyzed by UHPLC-QTOF-MS^E to obtain the quantized data characterization of chemical components. Secondly, the shared ions were extracted from different batches of BC and BM's control medicinal materials as their "data representation of ions", respectively. Then, the data matrices of unique ions of BC relative to BM and BM relative to BC were screened out, and the Top-N ions were outputted as the "digital identities" of BC and BM, sorted by ionic strength. Finally, the above "digital identities" of BC and BM were used as benchmarks for matching positive samples and commercial samples to feedback on matching credibility (MC).

Results

the results showed that based on the "digital identities" of BC and BM, the digital identification of BC, BM, and positive samples can be realized efficiently and accurately at the individual level of Chinese medicine, even if 3 % of BM in the mixed samples can still be identified efficiently and accurately. 10 batches of market samples were identified as adulterated samples. Furthermore, chemometric analysis has proven the reliability of BC and BM-based "digital identity" identification.

Conclusion

It proved that the identification and adulteration analysis of two herbs can be realized efficiently and quickly through the "digital identities" of BC and BM. It has important reference significance for developing non-targeted digital identification of herbal medicines at the individual level of Chinese medicine based on "digital identity", which was beneficial to the construction of digital Chinese medicine and digital quality control.