title: [Investigation of constituents in siwu tang fractions by chromatographic and ESI-MS methods].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to discuss the chemical foundation of hematopoietic effect of Siwu Tang, three fractions of different polarities (C1, C2 and C3) were prepared from Siwu Tang and the characteristics of these fractions' constituents were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fraction C1, C2 and C3 of Siwu Tang and corresponding fractions of Siwu Tang's four ingredient drugs were analyzed and compared, synthetically using the three methods of high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fraction C1 of Siwu Tang contained various types of compounds, including ferulic acid, paeoniflorin and supposedly ligustilide, etc. Saccharide content in fraction C1 was very little. The major constituents in fraction C2 of Siwu Tang were paeoniflorin, monosaccaride and disaccharide. The major constituents in fraction C3 of Siwu Tang were monosaccaride and disaccharide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With synthetical chromatographic and direct infusion ESI-MS methods, abundant information on composition of fractions of traditional Chinese medicine formulas can be obtained. The results gained with different methods can be compared with each other and corroborate each other, so that the obtained information can be more comprehensive and more definite than that gained with single method. The results of this study are important as references for the discussion of the chemical foundation of hematopoietic effect of Siwu Tang.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China.
authors.forename: Qian-de
authors.initials: QD
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Bai-ping
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Wei-hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong-xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shou-guo
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kai-hua
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Sheng-qi
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D029971:Angelica sinensis / Q000737:chemistry; D001565:Benzoates / Q000032:analysis*; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005960:Glucosides / Q000032:analysis*; D030004:Ligusticum / Q000737:chemistry; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D039821:Monoterpenes; D029596:Paeonia / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D032267:Rehmannia / Q000737:chemistry; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D006027:Glycosides
chemical_list: D001565:Benzoates; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D003373:Coumaric Acids; D004187:Disaccharides; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005960:Glucosides; D009005:Monosaccharides; D039821:Monoterpenes; C403258:si-wu-tang; C015423:peoniflorin; D006027:Glycosides; C004999:ferulic acid