Rapid Analysis of Corni fructus Using Paper Spray-Mass Spectrometry.

Background: Paper spray-mass spectrometry (PS-MS) is a kind of ambient MS technique for the rapid analysis of samples. Corni fructus has been widely used in traditional Chinese compound preparations and healthy food. However, a number of counterfeits of Corni fructus, such as Crataegi fructus, Lycii fructus, and grape skin are illegally sold in crude herb markets. Therefore, the development of a rapid and high-throughput quality evaluation method is important for ensuring the effectiveness and safety of the crude materials of Corni fructus.

Objective: To develop PS-MS chemical profiles and a semi-quantitative method of Corni fructus for quality assessment and control, and species distinction of Corni fructus.

Methods: Both positive and negative ion PS-MS chemical profiles were constructed for species distinction. The statistical analysis of the chemical profiles was accomplished by principal component analysis (PCA). Rapid semi-quantitative analysis of loganin and morroniside in the extracts of Corni fructus were accomplished by PS-MS.

Results: The profiles of the Corni fructus and Crataegi fructus samples were clearly clustered into two categories. The limit of quantification (LOQ) in the semi-quantitative analysis was 6 μg/mL and 5.6 μg/mL for loganin and morroniside, respectively.

Conclusions: PS-MS is a simple, rapid, and high-throughput method for the quality control and species distinction of Corni fructus. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.