Rapid Analysis of Corni fructus Using Paper Spray-Mass Spectrometry

IntroductionPaper spray-mass spectrometry (PS-MS) is a kind of ambient MS technique for the rapid analysis of samples. Corni fructus has been widely used in traditional Chinese compound preparations and healthy food. However, a number of counterfeits of Corni fructus, such as Crataegi fructus, Lycii fructus, and grape skin are illegally sold in crude herb markets. Therefore, the development of a rapid and high-throughput quality evaluation method is important for ensuring the effectiveness and safety of the crude materials of Corni fructus. ObjectiveTo develop PS-MS chemical profiles and a semi-quantitative method of Corni fructus for quality assessment and control, and species distinction of Corni fructus. MethodologyBoth positive and negative ion PS-MS chemical profiles were constructed for species distinction. The statistical analysis of the chemical profiles was accomplished by principal component analysis (PCA). Rapid semi-quantitative analysis of loganin and morroniside in the extracts of Corni fructus were accomplished by PS-MS. ResultsThe profiles of the Corni fructus and Crataegi fructus samples were clearly clustered into two categories. The limit of quantification (LOQ) in the semi-quantitative analysis was 6g/mL and 5.6g/mL for loganin and morroniside, respectively. ConclusionPS-MS is a simple, rapid, and high-throughput method for the quality control and species distinction of Corni fructus. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. MS profile of Corni Fructus (aka Shanzhuyu in Chinese) was constructed by paper spray-MS (PS-MS). Using PS-MS chemical profile, Corni fructus and Crataegi fructus samples are clustered into two categories clearly by PCA analysis. Rapid semi-quantitative analysis of loganin and morroniside in the extracts of Corni fructus was completed by PS-MS.