SIMULTANEOUS QUANTIFICATION OF 10 BIOACTIVE CONSTITUENTS IN MAILUONING INJECTION BY UPLC-MS/MS

Abstract

A rapid and comprehensive ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of 10 major bioactive constituents in Mailuoning injection. Within 15 min, chromatographic separation was achieved on an Acquity UPLC BEH C₁₈ column (50 mm × 2.1 mm I.D.) packed with 1.7 μm particles by a linear gradient elution. The analytes were monitored in a selected-ion reaction (SIR) mode with the electrospray ionization interface by the following ions: m/z 353.4 for isomers of chlorogenic acid, m/z 515.4 for isomers of 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid, m/z 179.2 for caffeic acid, m/z 192.9 for ferulic acid, m/z 503.2 for ecdysterone, and m/z 147.1 for cinnamic acid, respectively. The calibration curves of all analytes revealed good linear regression (r² ≥ 0.9983) within test ranges. This method provided excellent sensitivity with LOQ and good precision with RSDs of intra- and interday variation less than 1.26% and 2.27%, respectively. The validated method was then applied to quantify the 10 major constituents in three batches of Mailuoning injection. The results indicated that the established method could be considered as an improved tool for quality control of Mailuoning injection.

Keywords:

• Mailuoning injection
• quality control
• quantification
• UPLC-MS/MS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Scientific and Technological Research in Jiangsu Province Bureau Special Fund (No. LZ11035) and the Leading Talents of Scientific Research in TCM of Jiangsu Province (No. LJ200906).

Notes

^a The notation for analyte refers to Figure 1.

^a The notation for analyte refers to Figure 1.

^b Each regression equation includes six data points.

^a The notation for analyte refers to Figure 1.

^a The acrylic compounds.

^b The content of ketosteroid compound.

^c The total phenolic acids of neochlorogenic, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, 1,3-DCQA, 3,4-DCQA, 4,5-DCQA, and ferulic acid.