Qualitative and quantitative analysis of traditional Chinese medicine Niu Huang Jie Du Pill using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with tunable UV detector and rapid resolution liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry.

Abstract An ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with tunable UV detector (UPLC-TUV) and rapid resolution liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC-Q-TOF) method was developed for the quality assessment of Niu Huang Jie Du Pill (NHJDP), a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Ten compounds were simultaneously identified by electrospray ion mass spectrometry (ESI/MS) and comparison with reference standards and literature data. All of them were quantified by UPLC method. Baseline separation was achieved on an ODS-140HTP C 18 column (2.3 μm, 100 mm × 2.1 mm I.D.) with linear gradient elution of acetonitrile–0.1% formic acid. This developed method provides good linearity ( r 2  > 0.9996), repeatability (RSD