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A nontargeted approach to determine the authenticity of Ginkgo biloba L. plant materials and dried leaf extracts by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and chemometrics

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Abstract

The lack of stringent regulations regarding raw materials for herbal supplements used for medicinal purposes has been a constant challenge in the industry. Ginkgo biloba L. leaf extracts attract consumers because of the supposed positive effect on mental performance and memory. Supplements are produced using dried leaf materials and standardized leaf extracts such as EGb 761. Adulteration of Ginkgo biloba L. plants and extracts are becoming more and more common practice due to economically driven motivation from increasing demand in the market and the high cost of raw materials and production. Reinforcement in quality control (QC) to avoid adulterations is necessary to ensure the efficacy of the supplements. In this study, liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was used with principal component analysis (PCA) as an unsupervised exploratory method to analyze, identify, and evaluate the adulterated Ginkgo biloba L. plant materials and dried leaf extracts using the PCA scores and loadings obtained and compound identification.

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Acknowledgments

This project was part of a research master thesis supported by the Education, Audiovisual, and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) under the program Erasmus Mundus Masters in Quality in Analytical Laboratories (EMQAL 10th edition), Gdansk University of Technology (GUT), and its collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST Gaithersburg, USA) and the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO Brazil). This project would not be possible without the help and overwhelming support of NIST and GUT supervisors, colleagues, and program coordinators.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA

    Meryl B. Cruz, Benjamin J. Place, Laura J. Wood & Aaron Urbas

  2. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza Street, 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland

    Meryl B. Cruz & Andrzej Wasik

  3. National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO), Xerém, Duque de Caxias, RJ, 25250-020, Brazil

    Werickson Fortunato de Carvalho Rocha

Authors
  1. Meryl B. Cruz
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  2. Benjamin J. Place
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  3. Laura J. Wood
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  4. Aaron Urbas
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  5. Andrzej Wasik
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  6. Werickson Fortunato de Carvalho Rocha
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Correspondence to Benjamin J. Place.

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Cruz, M.B., Place, B.J., Wood, L.J. et al. A nontargeted approach to determine the authenticity of Ginkgo biloba L. plant materials and dried leaf extracts by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and chemometrics. Anal Bioanal Chem 412, 6969–6982 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-02830-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-02830-2

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