Quality evaluation of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and chemical fingerprinting coupled with chemometric analysis

An ultra high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection method is developed for the simultaneous quantitative determination of five water‐soluble compounds including danshensu, protocatechualdehyde, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, and salvianolic acid A in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. samples. Through method optimization, the five compounds all expressed good linearity (R² > 0.9990) in a wide concentration range together with satisfactory accuracy, precision, and stability. Moreover, through qualitative analysis of the chemical fingerprint combined with similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, principle component analysis, and partial least‐squares discriminate analysis, we determined that the 13 batches of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. were similar in internal quality and the differences resulted from various cultivation environments, recovery elements, and others. Seen from the results of hierarchical cluster analysis and principle component analysis, the classification of 13 batches was in accordance, and partial least‐squares discriminate analysis technique was more suitable than the principle component analysis model to provide a distinct classification of test samples on the basis of their different components. Moreover, a permutation test verified the rationality of partial least‐squares discriminate analysis and variable importance plot showed that peaks 37 and 38 were the most significant variables in distinguishing the Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. samples. The idea of the quantitative and qualitative analysis of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. was convenient, sensitive, and comprehensive, which could be applied to evaluate the quality of more traditional Chinese medicines.     

Identifying chemical markers in wine-processed Salvia miltiorrhiza using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-tandem mass spectrometry

To find the chemical markers of wine-processed Salvia miltiorrhiza (WSM), 76 constituents, including diterpenoid quinones and phenolic acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) and WSM, were profiled using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) in positive- and the negative-ion modes. Thirty compounds were screened out as candidate differential components using chemometrics analysis, and the concentration of most compounds increased after processing with wine. Seven compounds, namely tanshinone IIA, magnesium lithospermate B, salvianolic acid G, cryptotanshinone, isocryptotanshinone, salvianolic acid B, and rosmarinic acid, were selected as chemical markers of WSM using variable importance of the project. This study revealed the chemical markers of WSM and confirmed that WSM can improve the extraction and solubility effect of chemical constituents.     

Minor compounds of the high purity salvianolic acid B freeze-dried powder from Salvia miltiorrhiza and antibacterial activity assessment

The study explored the isolation and characterisation of three compounds of high purity salvianolic acid B freeze-dried powder extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. A new salvianolic acid, salvianolic acid V (2) together with two known compounds (3–4) was identified. The antibacterial activity tests showed that compound 2 combined with clinical antibiotics such as Levofloxacin or Colistin sulphate together exhibited potent effects against MRSA or Acinetobacter baumanii. This report has considerably extended our knowledge about the diversity and bioactivity of caffeic acid derivatives from S. miltiorrhiza.     

Fingerprint analysis,multi‐component quantitation,and antioxidant activity for the quality evaluation of Salvia miltiorrhiza var. alba by high‐performance liquid chromatography and chemometrics

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. var. alba C.Y. Wu and H.W. Li has wide prospects in clinical practice. A useful comprehensive method was developed for the quality evaluation of S. miltiorrhiza var. alba by three quantitative parameters: high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprint, ten‐component contents, and antioxidant activity. The established method was validated for linearity, precision, repeatability, stability, and recovery. Principal components analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis were both used to evaluate the quality of the samples from different origins. The results showed that there were category discrepancies in quality of S. miltiorrhiza var. alba samples according to the three quantitative parameters. Multivariate linear regression was adopted to explore the relationship between components and antioxidant activity. Three constituents, namely, danshensu, rosmarinic acid, and salvianolic acid B, significantly correlated with antioxidant activity, and were successfully elucidated by the optimized multivariate linear regression model. The combined use of high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprint analysis, simultaneous multicomponent quantitative analysis, and antioxidant activity for the quality evaluation of S. miltiorrhiza var. alba is a reliable, comprehensive, and promising approach, which might provide a valuable reference for other herbal products in general to improve their quality control.     

Inhibitory Effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza Extract and Its Active Components on Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplastic Cells

The effective treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) can prevent cervical cancer. Salvia miltiorrhiza is a medicinal and health-promoting plant. To identify a potential treatment for CIN, the effect of S. miltiorrhiza extract and its active components on immortalized cervical epithelial cells was studied in vitro. The H8 cell was used as a CIN model. We found that S. miltiorrhiza extract effectively inhibited H8 cells through the CCK8 method. An HPLC–MS analysis revealed that S. miltiorrhiza extract contained salvianolic acid H, salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, monomethyl lithospermate, 9‴-methyl lithospermate B, and 9‴-methyl lithospermate B/isomer. Salvianolic acid A had the best inhibitory effect on H8 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 5.74 ± 0.63 μM. We also found that the combination of salvianolic acid A and oxysophoridine had a synergistic inhibitory effect on H8 cells at molar ratios of 4:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4, with salvianolic acid A/oxysophoridine = 1:2 having the best synergistic effect. Using Hoechst33342, flow cytometry, and Western blotting analysis, we found that the combination of salvianolic acid A and oxysophoridine can induce programmed apoptosis of H8 cells and block the cell cycle in the G2/M phase, which was correlated with decreased cyclinB1 and CDK1 protein levels. In conclusion, S. miltiorrhiza extract can inhibit the growth of H8 cells, and the combination of salvianolic acid A (its active component) and oxysophoridine has a synergistic inhibitory effect on H8 cells and may be a potential treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.     

High‐performance liquid chromatography–based fingerprint analysis with chemical pattern recognition for evaluation of Mahonia bealei (Fort.) Carr

A simple and efficient high‐performance liquid chromatography method combined with chemical pattern recognition was established for quality evaluation of Mahonia bealei (Fort.) Carr. A common pattern of 30 characteristic peaks was applied for similarity analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and partial least squares discriminant analysis in the 37 batches of M. bealei (Fort.) Carr. to discriminate wild M. bealei (Fort.) Carr., cultivated M. bealei (Fort.) Carr., and its substitutes. The results showed that partial least squares discriminant analysis was the most effective method for discrimination. Eight characteristics peaks with higher variable importance in projection values were selected for pattern recognition model. A permutation test and 26 batches of testing set samples were performed to validate the model that was successfully established. All of the training and testing set samples were correctly classified into three clusters (wild M. bealei (Fort.) Carr., cultivated M. bealei (Fort.) Carr., and its substitutes) based on the selected chemical markers. Moreover, 26 batches of unknown samples were used to predict the accuracy of the established model with a discrimination accuracy of 100%. The obtained results indicated that the method showed great potential application for accurate evaluation and prediction of the quality of M. bealei (Fort.) Carr.     

Characterization of metabolites in rats after intravenous administration of salvianolic acid for injection by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

It is an essential requirement to clarify the metabolites of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) injections, which contain numerous ingredients, to assess their safe and effective use in clinic. Salvianolic acid for injection (SAFI), made from hydrophilic phenolic acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has been widely used for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, but information on its metabolites in vivo is still lacking. In the present study, we aimed to holistically characterize the metabolites of the main active ingredients in rat plasma, bile, urine and feces following intravenous administration of SAFI. An ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q‐TOF‐MS) method was developed. Combining information on retention behaviors, multistage mass spectra and literature data, a total of eight prototypes and 52 metabolites were tentatively characterized. Metabolites originated from rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B comprised the majority of identified compounds. Meanwhile, four metabolites derived from salvianolic acid D and five from salvianolic acid B are reported for the first time. This study revealed that methylation, sulfation and glucuronidation were the major metabolic pathways of phenolic acids in SAFI in vivo. Furthermore, the developed UPLC/Q‐TOF‐MS method could also benefit the metabolic investigation of extracts and preparations in TCM with hydrophilic ingredients. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microsphere resin chromatography combined with microbial biotransformation for the separation and purification of salvianolic acid B in aqueous extract of roots of Salvia multiorrihza Bunge

Salvianolic acid B was separated and purified from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (danshen) by microbial transformation together with chromatography of microsphere resin. The aqueous extract of danshen was transformed by Fusarium graminearum in a bioreactor containing phosphate buffer (PBS), in which rosmarinic acid was transformed into danshensu and caffeic acid and the yield of salvianolic acid B was higher than 85%. After biotransformation, salvianolic acid B was purified by microsphere resin. A parallel test for making a comparison of microsphere resin chromatography between elution by methanol water solution and water was done. The purity of salvianolic acid B was up to 95% at the yield of 62% when impurities and salvianolic acid B were eluted by 45% and 55% methanol solution respectively. The purity of salvianolic acid B was up to 99% at the yield of 90% when distilled water was used to elute the impurities and salvianolic acid B. The total yield of salvianolic acid B was up to 75% at the purity over 99% while biotransformation combined with microsphere resin chromatography by water elution. Microbial biotransformation together with water elution of microsphere resin supplied an efficient method to eliminate the micromolecular impurities and a possible method to purify water-soluble compounds in traditional Chinese medicine.     

Quality Assessment of Cardiotonic Pills by HPLC Fingerprinting

An HPLC method has been developed for the fingerprinting and quantitative analysis of cardiotonic pills. A standard fingerprint containing 11 common peaks at three wavelengths was constructed from ten batches of pills to evaluate batch-to-batch consistency. In addition, the amounts of three marker compounds were also determined to evaluate the quality of the quantitative analysis. Chromatographic fingerprints at three wavelengths, along with the content of three marker compounds were found to be suitable for quality assessment. Fufang Danshen Pian (cardiotonic tablets), a traditional dosage form is produced from three kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs for the prevention and treatment of angina pectoris and coronary heart disease. Fufang Danshen Pian mainly contained an additional group of liposoluble components besides salvianolic acid B from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge while cardiotonic pills only contained water-soluble components. Therefore, the fingerprint accompanied with marker compounds can be used to assess the quality of the cardiotonic pills.     

Comparison of the chromatographic fingerprint,multicomponent quantitation and antioxidant activity of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. between sweating and nonsweating

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. is a traditional Chinese medicine applied in the treatment of various diseases in clinical practice. In the course of its processing, S. miltiorrhiza Bge. is usually processed by sweating. This study employed 10‐component contents determination coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint and antioxidant activity to investigate the effect of sweating on S. miltiorrhiza Bge. so as to evaluate the quality of S. miltiorrhiza Bge. The HPLC method was performed using C₁₈ and 0.05% phosphoric acid aqueous solution–acetonitrile with a gradient elution system. It was validated for linearity, precision, repeatability, stability and recovery. Similarity analysis, principal components analysis and antioxidant activity assays were used to compare sweated S. miltiorrhiza Bge. (SSM) and nonsweated S. miltiorrhiza Bge. (NSSM). SSM and NSSM showed good similarities in HPLC fingerprint (>0.9), but principal components analysis could classify the HPLC fingerprint and 10‐component quantitation analysis. Meanwhile, the antioxidant activity of SSM was significantly higher than that of NSSM (p < 0.01). The results of this study indicated that sweating could alter the content of chemical constituents in S. miltiorrhiza Bge., and could also improve its antioxidant activity. In addition, the method not only affords a viable strategy for comparing SSM and NSSM and assessing the quality of S. miltiorrhiza Bge., but also provides a reference for other herbal medicine that suffers from sweating.     

The two-phase amphiphilic preconcentration based on surfactants to enrich phenolic compounds from diluted plant extracts and rat urine by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A novel technology by two-phase amphiphilic preconcentration based on surfactants was established for enriching phenolic compounds by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). The cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) was combined with the anionic analytes that existed in the sample solution before injection. The boundary was formed between CTAC and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in the background solution when the sample solution was injected into the capillary, where the analytes bound inside micelles were released due to the stronger electrostatic force between SDS and CTAC. This procedure accelerated the separation of analytes from CTAC and greatly improved the enrichment efficiency. The optimal conditions were obtained after a series of optimizations, and the sensitivity enrichment factors of the four analytes were in the range of 39–93 compared to typical injections in capillary zone electrophoresis. Good linearity for matrix-matched calibrations was established for all analytes with R² values of 0.9993–0.9997. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) for kaempferol, quercetin, salvianolic acid C, and salvianolic acid B were 0.0166, 0.0292, 0.0215, and 0.0195 µg/ml, respectively. The intracapillary RSDs of the analytes ranged from 0.8% to 1.3% for migration time and from 0.4% to 1.8% for peak areas. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of phenolic compounds, the main compounds of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., and had been validated for the determination of spiked recoveries in rat urine.     

Differentiation of Mint (Mentha haplocalyx Briq.) from different regions in China using gas and liquid chromatography

In this study, complex substances such as Mint (Mentha haplocalyx Briq.) samples from different growing regions in China were analyzed for phenolic compounds by high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and for the volatile aroma compounds by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. Chemometrics methods, e.g. principal component analysis, back‐propagation artificial neural networks, and partial least squares discriminant analysis, were applied to resolve complex chromatographic profiles of Mint samples. A total of 49 aroma components and 23 phenolic compounds were identified in 79 Mint samples. Principal component analysis score plots from gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection data sets showed a clear distinction among Mint from three different regions in China. Classification results showed that satisfactory performance of prediction ability for back‐propagation artificial neural networks and partial least squares discriminant analysis. The major compounds that contributed to the discrimination were chlorogenic acid, unknown 3, kaempherol 7‐O‐rutinoside, salvianolic acid L, hesperidin, diosmetin, unknown 6 and pebrellin in Mint according to regression coefficients of the partial least squares discriminant analysis model. This study indicated that the proposed strategy could provide a simple and rapid technique to distinguish clearly complex profiles from samples such as Mint.     

Magnetic Screening of the Potential Targeted Protein of Salvianolic Acid B Using T7 Phage Display Library

Salvianolic acid B is one of the effective components from the Chinese traditional drug Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), which is widely used as a usual clinic drug for atherosclerosis-related disorder patients in China. But the targeting protein of salvianolic acid B is still not known. The possible targeting proteins of salvianolic acid B were explored by high throughput screening in this paper. Attached to the magnetic nanoparticles, salvianolic acid B was used for screening the high-affinity protein from the displaying cDNA peptide library phage. After biopanning, the selected protein or peptide sequences were used to explore the whole proteins containing the selected sequences in the National Center for Biotechnology Information website using blast. One of the selected phages was carried out by affinity analysis with salvianolic acid B using capillary electrophoresis (CE). The CE results indicated that the protein or peptide on the surface of the selected phages could bind the drug salvianolic acid B. The results are helpful to preliminarily explain the pharmacology of salvianolic acid B.     

Simultaneous determination of polysaccharides and 21 nucleosides and amino acids in different tissues of Salvia miltiorrhiza from different areas by UV–visible spectrophotometry and UHPLC with triple quadrupole MS/MS

Salvia miltiorrhiza, a traditional Chinese medicine, is a widely used herbal medicine to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In this study, ultraviolet (UV)–visible spectrophotometry and ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry analytical methods were used for rapid quantification of polysaccharides and 21 nucleosides and amino acids in S. miltiorrhiza to determine 17 samples of different tissues from different areas. Based on the total contents, hierarchical clustering analysis and principal components analysis were performed to classify these samples. The established methods were validated with good linearity, precision, repeatability, stability, and recovery. Chemical analysis revealed a higher content of total analytes in the sample of inflorescence from Nanjing (34.17 mg/g), sample of root and rhizome from Shaanxi (34.13 mg/g) and sample of stem and leaf from Nanjing (31.14 mg/g), respectively, indicating that root and rhizome from Shaanxi and the aerial parts from Nanjing exhibited the highest quality due to their highest content. In addition, contents of nucleosides and amino acids in the aerial parts (14.67 mg/g) were much higher than that in roots and rhizomes (9.17 mg/g). This study suggested that UV–visible spectrophotometry and ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry are effective techniques to analyze polysaccharides, nucleosides, and amino acids in plants, and they provided valuable information for the development and utilization value of the aerial parts of S. miltiorrhiza. This analysis would also provide useful information for the quality control of S. miltiorrhiza.     

Metabolite profiling to discriminate different species and genus from thistles in Korea using liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

This study was designed to classify and identify closely related thistle species in the genus Cirsium, as well as Carduus and Cephalonoplos species, which are also thistles. The comprehensive and untargeted metabolite profiles of nine Korean thistles were determined using ultra high performance liquid chromatography combined with hybrid quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The difference in metabolite profiles among species was explored using principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis. The significantly different metabolites (Bonferroni‐corrected P‐value < 0.001) were used to construct a partial least squares discriminant analysis model to predict the species of thistle. Nine species were successfully classified using a partial least squares discriminant analysis model and confirmed using a cross‐validation method. Species with similar features were grouped based on unique patterns in variable clusters. The present study suggests that liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry untargeted metabolomic profiling with chemometric analysis is an efficient and powerful tool for discriminating between different species of medicinal herbs.     

Pharmacokinetics of salvianolic acid B,rosmarinic acid and Danshensu in rat after pulmonary administration of Salvia miltiorrhiza polyphenolic acid solution

A sensitive and accurate LC–MS/MS method was established for quantifying salvianolic acid B (Sal B), rosmarinic acid (Ros A) and Danshensu (DA) in rat plasma. Salvia miltiorrhiza polyphenolic acid (SMPA), active water‐soluble ingredients isolated and purified from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge included Sal B, Ros A and DA. The pharmacokinetic analysis of Sal B, Ros A and DA after pulmonary administration of SMPA solution to rat was performed by LC–MS/MS. Results from the pharmacokinetic studies showed that the peak concentration of DA was 21.85 ± 6.43 and 65.39 ± 3.83 ng/mL after pulmonary and intravenous administration, respectively. DA was not detected at 2 h after administration. The absolute bioavailabilities of Sal B and Ros A were respectively 50.37 ± 27.04 and 89.63 ± 12.16% after pulmonary administration of 10 mg/kg SMPA solution in rats. The absolute bioavailability of Sal B increased at least 10‐fold after pulmonary administration, compared with oral administration. It was concluded that the newly established LC–MS/MS method was suitable for describing the pharmacokinetic characteristics of Sal B, Ros A and DA in rat after pulmonary administration of SMPA solution. The data from this study will provide a preclinical insight into the feasibility of pulmonary administration of SMPA.     

Screening and analysis of potentially active components in Shenxiong glucose injection using UHPLC coupled with photodiode array detection and MS/MS

Shenxiong glucose injection, a pharmaceutical preparation containing a water extract of the roots of Salvia miltiorrhizae and ligustrazine hydrochloride, is widely used in clinical to treat cardiovascular diseases in China. The chemical components of the water extract have been reported and the cardioprotective effects of the injection have been evaluated. However, the chemical constituents of the injection and their correlations with its pharmacological effects have not been established. In this study, 13 chemical constituents of the injection have been identified or characterized by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry. Besides, the potentially active compounds of this preparation that directly act on cardiac cells have been screened by cell extraction and ultra high performance liquid chromatography targeted multiple reaction monitoring. As a result, eight potentially active compounds, danshensu ( 1 ), ligustrazine hydrochloride ( 4 ), salvianolic acid I/H ( 7 ), lithospermic acid ( 8 ), salvianolic acid D ( 9 ), rosmarinic acid ( 10 ), salvianolic acid B ( 12 ), and salvianolic acid C ( 13 ), were obtained and structurally characterized from the 11 target compounds used for screening. The liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with multiple reaction monitoring tandem mass spectrometry combination method has demonstrated its potency for the screening, detection, and structural identification of bioactive compounds in a complex matrix.     

LC Fingerprinting for Assessment of the Quality of the Lipophilic Components of Salvia miltiorrhiza

With an appropriate method of fingerprinting, and by analysis of three marker compounds, the factors affecting the lipophilic components in Salvia miltiorrhiza were investigated in this work. A standard fingerprint of the lipophilic components of root periderm was constructed at 270 nm and a limited number of marker compounds were proposed on the basis of ten batches of S. miltiorrhiza from Shangluo GAP (good agricultural practice) base. The absolute amounts of these components in S. miltiorrhiza were seriously affected by production area, harvest time, root disease, root color, and root diameter. Relative amounts were, however, consistent under different conditions. Accumulation of some components peaked in August and was significantly accelerated by diseases such as root rot and nematodiasis. The red roots were the best quality, compared with sable and yellowish roots. The quality of roots of different diameter was variable. For example, among seven groups of samples it was best for roots of diameter <0.2 cm and between 0.5 and 0.8 cm, and worst for root heads and fibrous roots. In conclusion, the quality of the lipophilic components of S. miltiorrhiza was comprehensively assessed.

     

Determination of the lipophilicity of Salvia miltiorrhiza Radix et Rhizoma (danshen root) ingredients by microemulsion liquid chromatography: optimization using cluster analysis and a linear solvation energy relationship‐based method

We evaluated 26 microemulsion liquid chromatography (MELC) systems for their potential as high‐throughput screening platforms capable of modeling the partitioning behaviors of drug compounds in an n‐octanol–water system, and for predicting the lipophilicity of those compounds (i.e. logP values). The MELC systems were compared by cluster analysis and a linear solvation energy relationship (LSER)‐based method, and the optimal system was identified by comparing their Euclidean distances with the LSER coefficients. The most effective MELC system had a mobile phase consisting of 6.0% (w/w) Brij35 (a detergent), 6.6% (w/w) butanol, 0.8% (w/w) cyclohexane, 86.6% (w/w) buffer solution and 8 mm cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide. The reliability of the established platform was confirmed by the agreement between the experimental data and the predicted values. The logP values of the ingredients of danshen root (Salvia miltiorrhiza Radix et Rhizoma) were then predicted. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Accurate discrimination of Gastrodia elata from different geographical origins using high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprint combined with boosting partial least‐squares discriminant analysis

Gastrodia elata from different geographical origins varies in quality and pharmacological activity. This study focused on the classification and identification of Gastrodia elata from six producing areas using high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprint combined with boosting partial least‐squares discriminant analysis. Before recognition analysis, a principal component analysis was applied to ascertain the discrimination possibility with high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprints. And then, boosting partial least‐squares discriminant analysis and conventional partial least‐squares discriminant analysis were applied in this study. Experimental results indicated that the adaptive iteratively reweighted penalized least‐squares algorithm could eliminate the baseline drift of high‐performance liquid chromatography chromatograms effectively. And compared with partial least‐squares discriminant analysis, the total recognition rates using high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprint combined with boosting partial least‐squares discriminant analysis for the calibration sets and prediction sets were improved from 94 to 100% and 86 to 97%, respectively. In conclusion, high‐performance liquid chromatography combined with boosting partial least‐squares discriminant analysis, which has such advantages as effective, specific, accurate, non‐polluting, has an edge for discrimination of traditional Chinese medicine from different geographical origins. And the proposed methodology is a useful tool to classify and identify Gastrodia elata from different geographical origins.