Developing a novel single-marker-based method for the quantitative evaluation of the multiple active components in Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang

Objective: This study was designed to develop a method for detecting differences in the chemical composition of Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang using high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector technology. Materials and Methods: We established a novel quantitative evaluation method for identifying multiple components in natural extracts using a single-marker method quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS). This method was then validated using eight alkaloid phytochemical markers designed to evaluate C. yanhusuo quality. Results: Our evaluations revealed good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9991) within the range of tested concentrations for all eight alkaloids, with recovery ranging from 95.5% to 101.5%. The evaluations also returned stability results that fell within the acceptable range. Cluster analysis and Heatmap analyses were applied to classify and evaluate alkaloids across 21 different production areas. These results revealed a significant difference in the component profiles between samples from different origins. Conclusions: Thus, these data suggest that in the absence of a material reference, QAMS may help facilitate the stable production of C. yanhusuo. In addition, our data suggest that this method may have value as a promising alternative to common quality evaluations for controlling C. yanhusuo composition.