Capture and identification of the volatile components in crude and processed herbal medicines through on-line purge and trap technique coupled with GC × GC-TOF MS

Abstract

This work aimed to investigate the volatile components in crude and processed herbal medicines (HMs). Using Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (AMR) as a model HM, the volatile components were captured through on-line purge and trap technique and identified by using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOF MS) system. A total of 224 and 171 volatile compounds were identified in crude and processed AMR samples, respectively. After frying with honey-bran, 52 compounds which were found in crude AMR samples disappeared in processed AMR samples, and 15 compounds were newly generated in processed AMR. The established method can be applied in different research areas such as HM and food processing.

Keywords::

• volatile components
• on-line purge and trap
• two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry
• herbal medicines
• Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma

Notes

^1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81202918), the Open Project of National First-Class Key Discipline for Science of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (No. 2011ZYX2-006), the Project of Science and Technology for Chinese Medicine of Zhejiang Province, China (No. 2013KYB183), the Chinese Medicine Research Program of Zhejiang Province, China (No. 2014ZQ008), the Science and Technology Project of Hangzhou, China (No. 20130533B68 and No. 20131813A23) and the Science Foundation of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (No. 2011ZY25 and No. 2013ZZ12).