Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Exploration and practice on systematic identification strategy of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions by high-performance thin-layer chromatography—with Daqinjiao decoction as an example

  • Original Research Paper
  • Published:
JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chinese medicine formula has been the main dosage form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in clinics, which has been widely applied in China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries or regions for thousands of years. The establishment of scientific, comprehensive and feasible quality control standard of a TCM prescription should be the essential precondition for ensuring its stability and consistent in quality. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was one of the qualitative identification methods for TCM prescriptions owing to its features being fast and simple. In this study, a systematic identification strategy with high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) for fast identification of multiple herbs in TCM prescriptions is proposed. Consecutive liquid‒liquid extraction with solvents of different polarities (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, water-saturated n-butanol) was applied to divide the water extract into three different fractions. With this strategy, the identification of herbs in the formula would be carried out systematically. The proposed strategy has been successfully applied in the qualitative identification of Daqinjiao decoction, a classic TCM formula consisting of 16 herbs. And 9 of the 16 herbs have been identified in this study by using one sample preparation procedure and three different mobile phases. The established TLC identification method was efficient, accurate, and environment-friendly to a certain extent. Results from this research may provide a possible way for similar studies on other TCM prescriptions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Liu D, Jia XB (2014) Analysis and discussion about current development of relevant studies on “traditional Chinese medicine components.” China J Chin Mater Med 39(2):171–174

    Google Scholar 

  2. Zhang XX (2021) Factors restricting the high-quality development of Chinese patent medicine industry and solutions. Mod Chin Med 23(6):964–968

    Google Scholar 

  3. Jin R, Zhao KJ, Guo GM, Zhang YG, Xue CM et al (2018) Expert consensus on prescription comment of Chinese traditional patent medicine for promoting the rational use of drugs in Beijing. China J Chin Mater Med 43(5):1049–1053

    Google Scholar 

  4. Xu FQ, Zhang XR, Guo FW, Wen AD, Tian XR (2014) Research progress on the quality control of Chinese patent medicine. Prog Mod Biomed 114(31):6159–6153

    Google Scholar 

  5. Folcarà SC, Frommenwiler D, Reich E, Casanovas RV (2018) High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) in the quality control of herbal products. Mater Sci 7:119–136

    Google Scholar 

  6. Liang SW, Zhang T (2021) Analysis of traditional Chinese medicine. China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  7. Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission (2020) Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China, Part 4. China Medical Science and Technology Press, Beijing, p 59

    Google Scholar 

  8. Society of Japanese Pharmacopoeia (2021) The Japanese pharmacopoeia, 18th. Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare, Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  9. European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Health Care (2021) European Pharmacopoeia, 10.6th, Council of Europe, Strasbourg

  10. United States Pharmacopeial Convention (2021) The United States Pharmacopeia, 44th, Rockville, MD

  11. Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission (2020) Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China, Part 1. China Medical Science and Technology Press, Beijing, p 456

    Google Scholar 

  12. Koel M, Kaljurand M (2010) Green analytical chemistry. RSC Publishing, London

    Google Scholar 

  13. Notice of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China (2018) The catalogue of ancient classical prescriptions (the first Batch). http://kjs.satcm.gov.cn/zhengcewenjian/2018-04-16/7107.html

  14. Li CQ, Zhang Q, Kang WY (2010) Review of clinical application of Daqinjiao decoction. Chin Trad Pat Med 32(6):1029–1032

    Google Scholar 

  15. Li HL, Li H, Sun F, Xie YY, Liang SW, Wang SM (2021) HPLC fingerprint and content determination method of classical prescriptions Daqinjiao decoction. Chin Trad Herb Drugs 52(1):99–107

    Google Scholar 

  16. Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission (2020) Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China, Part 4. China Medical Science and Technology Press, Beijing, p 480

    Google Scholar 

  17. Liu F, Wang MY, Li XB (2020) Simultaneous qualitative characterization of four herbs in Weikangling capsules by a validated high-performance thin-layer chromatography method. J Planar Chromatogr Mod TLC 33:449–455

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Guangdong Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (20215006).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Ruibiao Chen, Shengwang Liang, Shumei Wang & Yuanyuan Xie

  2. Guangdong Research Center for Quality Engineering Technology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Ruibiao Chen, Shengwang Liang, Shumei Wang & Yuanyuan Xie

  3. Key Laboratory of Digitalized Quality Evaluation Technology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Ruibiao Chen, Shengwang Liang, Shumei Wang & Yuanyuan Xie

Authors
  1. Ruibiao Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shengwang Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shumei Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yuanyuan Xie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualization was contributed by YX; Methodology was contributed by YX; Formal analysis was contributed by RC; Writing—original draft preparation, was contributed by RC; Writing—review and editing, was contributed by YX; Funding acquisition was contributed by SW; Resources were contributed by SW; Supervision was contributed by YX, SW and SL.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Shumei Wang or Yuanyuan Xie.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 11249 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, R., Liang, S., Wang, S. et al. Exploration and practice on systematic identification strategy of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions by high-performance thin-layer chromatography—with Daqinjiao decoction as an example. JPC-J Planar Chromat 35, 103–116 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00764-022-00166-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00764-022-00166-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation