Chromatographic fingerprint study on Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth by HPLC/DAD/ESI-MS(n) technique.

The LC-ESI-MS(n) method was developed for the analysis and characterization of alkaloids in the extract of E. rutaecarpa (called Wuzhuyu in Chinese). Thirty-six batches of Wuzhuyu from different locations of China were investigated and the common fingerprinting profile was established with a professional analytical software recommended by the State Food and Drug Administration. Fifteen chemical components of the common peaks were identified by multi-stage MS. The effects on the chromatographic profile resulting from different collecting locations, harvesting times or storage times were studied. Hierarchical clustering analysis and principal components analysis were also performed to classify and differentiate the 36 batches of the samples. As a result, those which had same chemical properties were sorted into one cluster, which was very useful in evaluating and controlling the quality of Wuzhuyu.