Fingerprint analysis of Hawk-tea by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A novel, efficient and accurate fingerprint method based on high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD) for the quality control of the leaves of Litsea coreana were firstly described and optimized. Ten batches of L. coreana obtained from different harvest seasons were used to establish the fingerprint. The feasibility and advantages of the used chromatographic fingerprint were verified for its evaluation by systematically comparing chromatograms with professional analytical software recommended by State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) of PR China. The results indicate that the chromatographic fingerprint as a characteristic distinguishing method combining similarity evaluation could efficiently identify and distinguish L. coreana Levl. Var. Lanuginose from other plants.