Comparison of Chemical Constituents in Pseudostellariae Radix with Different Dosage Forms Based on HPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS Combined with Multivariate Statistical Analysis

Background. Pseudostellariae Radix (PR) is an important traditional Chinese herbal medicine with vast clinical consumptions, which has two different dosage forms, PR decoction pieces and PR formula granules. However, these two forms are bound to have an impact on the accumulation of the effective components in PR, so the effectiveness of clinical use cannot be guaranteed. Objective. To determine the effective composition of PR. Methods. In this research, PR decoction pieces and formula granules were collected, and their composition was detected by HPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS; multivariate statistical analysis was used to distinguish differential metabolites between PR decoction pieces and formula granules. Results. A clear cut difference in the composition of the two groups was observed. 98 differential chemical constituents could be identified in the positive mode, while 52 differential chemical compositions could be identified in the negative mode. The differential chemical compositions were mainly concentrated in flavonoids, organic acids, fatty acids, and amino acids and present different change rules, mainly involved in the isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis metabolic pathways. Conclusions. This study provides basic information to reveal the influence law of different dosage forms on the metabolite synthesis and quality formation mechanism of PR.