title: [Fingerprint of Curcuma phaeocaulis by LC-MS].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study and establish the fingerprint of Curcuma phaeocaulis by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
  
  
  METHODS
  LC-MS analysis was carried out in a Hewlett Packard model 1100 liquid chromatograph coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry. The analysis was performed on a ZORBAX RX-C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) with a mobile phase of methanol-isopropanol-water (mathanoic acid 0.4%) in a gradient mode at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min(-1), and the column temperature of 35 degrees C. The wavelength of the UV detector was set at 254 nm. RSD values of precision, repeatability and stability of this LC-MS method were less than 5%. The total 10 batches of C. phaeocaulis from the different places of Sichuan province were detected, and different commodities and preparative methods were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The standard fingerprint of the extract of C. phaeocaulis, which collected in the different places of Sichuan province, was originated from the Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of TCM 2004' software, and 15 common peaks existed in the fingerprint. Each peak in the fingerprint was separated well under the above analysis condition and similarities of the extracts of C. phaeocaulis samples of the ten batches were all above 0.90. By comparison of the retention time and the on-line UV spectra and their molecular weights of the chemical standards, peaks 4-6 and 9 were identified as curcumin (4), demethoxycurcumin (5), curcumenol (6), and curcumone (9), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This LC-MS fingerprint and quantitative assessment can be used in the quality control of C. phaeocaulis.
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Quality Control of Natural Medicine, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, China. alice9800@sina.com
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hua-Guo
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiao-Jian
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D030024:Curcuma / Q000737:chemistry*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D036381:Diarylheptanoids; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D036381:Diarylheptanoids; D003474:Curcumin; C050229:demethoxycurcumin