Analysis of Chemical Constituents in Asarum Heterotropoides Based on High Performance Liquid Chromatography Fingerprint and Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Exactive Mass Spectrometry.

Asarum heterotropoides (AH) is a notable medicinal plant in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but distinguishing and assessing its quality from various origins is challenging due to similar morphology and chemical profiles, using traditional chemical analysis methods. In this study, we developed an effective approach to identify AH from different origins by combining high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint with chemometrics. The contents of three characteristic constituents (Asarinin, sesamin and methyleugenol) were selected for quantitive analysis, it found that the content of asarinin, sesamin and methyleugenol in Jilin province ranged from 3.393 ± 0.003-3.704 ± 0.004 mg/g, 1.081 ± 0.037-1.182 ± 0.008 mg/g, and 2.429 ± 0.010-2.968 ± 0.186 mg/g, respectively, whereas the range in Liaoning province was 1.275 ± 0.025-1.947 ± 0.013 mg/g, 0.180 ± 0.012-0.905 ± 0.055 mg/g, and 1.089 ± 0.006-1.624 ± 0.064 mg/g. Moreover, the constituents in the methanol extract of AH were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole exactive orbitrap mass spectrometer (UPLC-Q-Exactive MS) operating in positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) mode with MS/MS acquisition. A total of 22 compounds were identified, including eight associated with various diseases such as alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, bronchial spasm and chronic inflammatory disease, suggesting their potential therapeutic benefits. This research establishes a theoretical basis for quality control of AH and proposes a framework for source identification methods for other medicinal and economic plants.