A Rapid and Sensitive Assay for Determining the Main Components in Processed Fructus Corni by UPLC–Q-TOF-MS

Fructus Corni is the dried sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc., and has been widely used as an important traditional Chinese medicine, which is used to nourish liver and kidney conditions and to astringe semen as well as to solidify collapse. Precise structural identification of the main compounds in processed Fructus Corni has been established using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS), and BEH C18 column for direct analysis of total water extracts. Mass spectrometry was performed in reflective time-of-flight using electron spraying ionization in negative mode. The MS data for candidates, containing accurate mass for both precursors and their fragment ions, were acquired selectively. Based on the MS data, the mass spectrometric fingerprint (MSFP) for candidates, consisting of chemical formula and dissociation pattern, was determined. By this method, eight iridoid glycosides and seven other compounds were identified or tentatively identified. Therefore, MS combined with selective enrichment provided a powerful means for analyzing main compounds in processed Fructus Corni. LC–Q-TOF-MS based chemical profiling is a rapid and powerful approach for holistic quality evaluation of processed Fructus Corni, and should also be useful for the global quality investigation of decoctions derived from other herbal medicines.