Systematic Profiling and Quantitative Comparison of Chemical Components in Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma From Different Habitats and Growing Periods Based on Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography With Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma, a traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used to treat various ailments such as pulmonary abscesses, measles pneumonia, and swelling. Its notable therapeutic effects are closely related to the chemical constituents, making it crucial to conduct in-depth research on the chemical components. In this study, a total of 209 compounds were preliminarily identified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry in Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma. Subsequently, a method was established using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole/linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of 24 main ingredients (flavonoids and phenolic acids) in Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma from different habitats and growing periods. Quantitative results showed that different compounds displayed varying contents across different habitats, with catechin, epicatechin, procyanidin B2, and procyanidin C1 being relatively abundant. Principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis showed there were significant differences among Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma from different habitats, and the quality from Yunnan was superior. Entropy weight TOPSIS analysis showed that Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma grown until late October has better comprehensive quality, which is basically consistent with the traditional harvesting time. In summary, this study can provide reference methods for the comprehensive evaluation of the quality of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma.