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Planta Med 2010; 76(17): 1997-2003
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1250541
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Reviews
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Perspective of Chemical Fingerprinting of Chinese Herbs

Yi-zeng Liang1 , Pei-shan Xie2 , Kelvin Chan3
  • 1Research Center of Modernization of Chinese Medicines, Central South University, Changsha, China
  • 2Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau, China
  • 3CompleMED, College of Health & Science, University of Western Sydney & HMREC, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Further Information

Publication History

received Sept. 27, 2010 revised October 17, 2010

accepted October 21, 2010

Publication Date:
09 November 2010 (online)

Also available at
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Abstract

The holistic system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an integrity of the ingredients contained in the Chinese herbal medicines, which creates a challenge in establishing quality control standards for raw materials and the standardization of finished herbal drugs because no single component is contributing to the total efficacy. Chromatographic fingerprinting analysis represents a rational approach for the quality assessment of TCM. It utilizes chromatographic techniques, which include CE, GC, HPLC, HPTLC, etc., to construct specific patterns for recognition of multiple compounds in TCMs. Thus, chromatographic fingerprinting analysis of herbal medicines represents a comprehensive qualitative approach for the purpose of species authentication, evaluation of quality, and ensuring the consistency and stability of herbal drugs and their related products. The pragmatic comprehensive chromatographic fingerprinting analysis can disclose the detectable ingredients composition and concentration distribution under quantifiable operational conditions and therefore provide real-time quality information. It may leave a “gray” entity at the primary stage. However, consecutive study will deepen the knowledge and reduce its “gray scale”, increase the transparency gradually, thereby strengthening its quality assessment potency.

Key words

herbal medicines - chromatographic fingerprinting - quality control - chemometrics - Chinese materia medica - TCMs - chemical fingerprinting

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Prof. Yi-zeng Liang

Research Center of Modernization of Chinese Medicines
Central South University

Changsha 410083

China

Phone: +86 7 31 88 83 08 31

Fax: +86 7 31 88 82 56 37

Email: yizeng_liang@263.net