Quantitative analysis of chemical constituents in different commercial parts of Notopterygium incisum by HPLC-DAD-MS

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Notopterygium incisum used as an antirheumatic and analgesic medicine for the treatment of rheumatism, headache, cold, etc., is not only a traditional Qiang medicine, but also a traditional Tibetan remedy for thousands of years. Aim of the study: In order to use this herbal medicine in a more effective way, in the present investigation, we analyzed the main chemical constituents of different commercial parts as well as fibrous roots of Notopterygium incisum. Materials and methods: All crude Notopterygium incisum samples used in this study were collected in Sichuan province of China. We used HPLC-DAD-MS to analyze quantitatively the main chemical constituents of different commercial parts as well as fibrous roots of Notopterygium incisum. Results: According to different commercial parts, 10 Notopterygium incisum samples collected from two main production areas have been investigated, and four main constituents have been quantitatively analyzed. Conclusion: The quality of rhizomes is better than that of main roots. Unexpectedly, the content of two main constituents, notopterol and isoimperaorin, in fibrous roots is higher than any other parts of Notopterygium incisum. This result implied that the fibrous root may also have value, and we should study it to explore its potential. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.