Simultaneous determination of 14 constituents of Radix polygoni multiflori from different geographical areas by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Radix polygoni multiflori (RPM) has antioxidative, anti‐aging, liver‐protective and antihuman cytomegalovirus activity. It has been proved to be hepatotoxic. Considering multiple ingredients to control RPM quality is essential. The aim of this study was to establish a simple, rapid method using resolution liquid chromatography coupled with a triple quadruple mass spectrometry to identify and quantify the major bioactive constituents in RPM. The method was applied to analyze 14 marker batches from manufacturers from the same province. The ultrasonic extracts of all samples were determined by LC‐MS/MS, and assessed by hierarchical cluster analysis. The proposed method was applied to analyze 21 batches of samples with acceptable linearity (R², 0.9930–0.9998), precision (relative standard deviation, RSD, 0.45–4.73%) repeatability (RSD, 1.14–9.41%), stability (RSD, 1.29–12.88%) and recovery (RSD, 1.80–12.15%) of the 14 compounds. Furthermore, the hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to classify 21 samples on the basis of characteristics of the 14 compound markers. The developed method was demonstrated to be simple, sensitive and reproducible, and has significant importance and comprehensive evaluation for quality control of RPM and related preparations. Hierarchical cluster analysis clearly indicated that the RPM from the same province was similar, whereas samples of RPM from different provinces were significantly different. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.