Rapid quantitative analysis of 12 chemical constituents in wild-simulated and cultivated Astragali Radix based on UHPLC-MS

Objective: Astragali Radix (AR) is one of the most widely used traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for tonic, which can be divided into wild-simulated and cultivated AR according to its cultivation method. However, whether cultivated AR can replace wild-simulated AR has always been a concern. Methods: In this study, a rapid, highly sensitive and specific analytical method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was developed to quantitatively measure 12 chemical constituents of AR in the different cultivation methods. Results: AR samples were analyzed with a good linear regression relationship (R-2, 0.9983-0.9995), precisions (relative standard deviation (RSD), 1.31%-2.36%), repeatability (RSD, 2.65%-4.92%), stability (RSD, 1.50%-4.05%), and recovery (95.13%-106.52%). Through the determination of AR samples, we found the components of flavonoids in wild-simulated AR were higher than cultivated AR, the saponins in cultivated AR were higher, the ratio of saponins/flavonoids in cultivated AR was higher than wild -simulated AR. Conclusion: Based on this research, it could provide guidance for the quality control of AR. (C) 2022 Tianjin Press of Chinese Herbal Medicines. Published by ELSEVIER B.V.