Application Of Multiple Chromatographic Fingerprinting For Traditional Chinese Medicines

Chromatographic fingerprinting is one of the most effective methods to analyze traditional Chinese medicines. With the application of multidimensional chromatogram, it is indispensable to identify the common peaks in the chromatographic fingerprints of traditional Chinese medicines accurately and rapidly and to establish synthetic chromatographic fingerprint analysis system with appropriate fuzzy mathematics methods.In chapter one, chromatographic fingerprinting,multidimensional chromatogram,mathematics methods to calculate similarity and current situation of the research on Cistanche salsa has been summarized.In chapter two , automatic identification of the common peaks in the chromatographic fingerprints of traditional Chinese medicines was established based on two methods named time matching and time-spectrum-matching identification according to relative retention time and spectrum of each peak, respectively. Automatic identification was accomplished by the self-built program utilizing VB programming language. Two methods have been successfully applied in the chromatographic fingerprints of Cistanche salsa. It showed that if the parameters including the lowest peak area, the permissible deviation of retention time and upper limit of difference of the maximum absorption wavelength were set, the fingerprint analysis system could rapidly identify the common peaks and do similarity analysis automatically. Obviously, the fingerprint established with this system was more accurate and consistent, and avoided personal bias. Comparison time matching and time-spectrum-matching identification, the latter was more accurate and reliable.In chapter three, several generic fuzzy mathematics methods were evaluated to calculate similarity of the fingerprint and farther compared using these methods to analyze Cistanche salsa. It showed that included angle cosine, correlation coefficient, arithmetical mean minimum, geometric mean minimum were adapt to fingerprint analysis. The former two methods are based on holistic swatch information and the latter two ones reflect change of component concentration. The former two ones are the better methods for synthetic chromatographic fingerprinting analysis.In chapter four, the three chromatograms were synthesized by time-matching, and matching peaks and sole peaks in respective chromatogram constituted the synthetic chromatogram. Compared with the one-dimensional fingerprint of Cistanche salsa, synthetic fingerprint had much more common peaks, which was benefit for display the profile of the traditional Chinese medicines. It showed that the fingerprint analysis system utilizing VB programming language could fulfill synthetic chromatographic fingerprinting analysis.In chapter five, twelve samples of Cistanche salsa have been determined by HPLC-DAD-ELSD analyzed by the chromatographic fingerprintinging analysis system. Echinacoside, a marked substance, has been determined in all samples. It showed that there is approximative remarkable difference between cultivating area and species ,that means blend usage is allowable. Synthetic chromatographic fingerprinting analysis is better for multidimensional chromatogram and it will be beneficial to the modernization of traditional Chinese medicines.