Quantitative analysis of Cistanches Herba using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and high-resolution mass spectrometry combined with chemometric methods

We aim to determine the chemical constituents of three species of Cistanches Herba using HPLC coupled with diode array detection and high-resolution MS. Ten phenylethanoid glycosides were identified and further quantified as marker substances by HPLC coupled with diode array detection method. The separation was conducted using an Agilent TC-C18 column with 0.1% formic acid and methanol as the mobile phases under gradient elution. The analytical method was fully validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, precision, repeatability as well as recovery, and subsequently applied to evaluate the quality of 36 batches of Cistanche plants. The chemometric procedures (i.e., hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis) were used to compare different species of Cistanches Herba, leading to successful classification of the Cistanche samples in accordance with their origins. In conclusion, this study provides a chemical basis for quality control of Cistanches Herba.