Profiling and characterization of the constituents of taibai ginseng using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry

Taibai ginseng (roots of Pedicularis decora Franch.) has been reported to possess anti-Alzheimer's disease (anti-AD) activity and can be potentially used for treating AD. However, the chemical constituents of taibai ginseng have not yet been elucidated because of the paucity of relevant studies, which hinders further research on the pharmacological mechanism and utilization of taibai ginseng. In this study, a rapid and efficient method for comprehensively analyzing the chemical constituents of taibai ginseng was established for the first time. We used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry in combination with the UNIFI data-processing platform to automatically characterize and identify the chemical profile of taibai ginseng. As a result, more than 76 compounds were detected, and their structures were characterized. These compounds include 24 iridoid glycosides, 24 phenylethanol glycosides, 15 terpenoids, and 13 other components. More than fifty of these compounds from taibai ginseng were reported for the first time. Our results provide a reference for the quality control of taibai ginseng and establish a higher quality standard for pharmacodynamic research. Appropriate modification of the method reported herein can enable its use for the screening and characterization of taibai ginseng and other compounds from the Pedicularis genus.