Rapid analysis of components in Coptis chinensis Franch by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Background: Coptis chinensis Franch is a traditional Chinese medical herb. Objective: In this article, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to rapidly, qualitatively, and comprehensively identify the components in Coptis chinensis Franch. Materials and Methods: Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Agilent Zorbax RRHD Eclipse Plus C 18 column. The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid water (A) and 0.1% formic acid acetonitrile (B) with a gradient program. Qualitative analysis was performed on an Agilent 6540 quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer, which was equipped with a Dual AJS ESI source operating in negative mode. Results: A total of 30 alkaloid and non-alkaloid components of Coptis chinensis Franch were identified in only 14 min. Conclusion: This study helped to provide a basis for the quality control of Coptis chinensis Franch. Abbreviations used: Q-TOF-MS: quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, UPLC: ultra-performance liquid chromatography, pos: positive, neg: negative.