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Greenhouse technology is crucial for combating climate change and enhancing off-season produce and crop yield. Dust build-up on greenhouse roofs remains a significant problem, significantly reducing light transmission and affecting plant growth. Therefore, this study aims to classify dust build-up on greenhouse roofs and to address it by designing, manufacturing, operating, and evaluating a solar-powered cleaning robot system. Water and cement removal agent (CRA) with different mixing ratios were selected to clean the greenhouse roof. The initial findings demonstrate the greenhouse cover's ability to allow light to pass through can differentiate between different levels of dust accumulation. This study reveals that 88 %–93 % of transmittance levels indicate a clean roof, 82 %–87 % reveal minor dust accumulation, 81 %–75 % denote moderate dust accumulation, and below 75 % signify major dust accumulation. This increased the efficiency of the light intensity for minor dust roofs from 39,285 to 41,731 lux ((CRA) 1:3 water), moderate dust roofs from 36,777 to 39,383 lux ((CRA) 1:1 water), and major dust roofs from 30,585 to 35,525 lux (CRA). The results show a substantial improvement in light transmittance from 88 % to 93 % for clean roofs, compared to much lower levels for dust-accumulated roofs.

Background: The quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the prerequisite for ensuring its safe and effective clinical application. With the increasing popularity of TCM worldwide, the quality control of TCM products has become increasingly crucial. Tianma toutong tablet (TMTTT) is mainly used for migraine caused by external wind and cold, blood stasis, or deficiency of blood and nourishment. However, the mechanism of action of TMTTT is still unclear, and there has been a lack of in vitro antioxidant activity research and migraine treatment mechanism research. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a set of comprehensive and effective evaluation methods., Results: three fingerprint profiles were established using HPLC, UV, and DSC analysis methods, and established three digital parameters simple complexity index (SX), simple clarity index (SY), simple complexity clarity ratio (S ω ), 22 batches of samples were evaluated using a comprehensive linear quantitative fingerprint method (CLQFM). In addition, the antioxidant activity of the samples was determined using the DPPH method, and the relationship between fingerprint peaks in different fingerprints and antioxidant capacity was explored using Pearson correlation coefficients. Finally, network pharmacological research was conducted to investigate the potential targets, compounds, and pathways involved in the treatment of migraines with TMTTT. The results showed that the 22 batches of samples were classified into different quality grades. TMTTT exhibited good antioxidant activity, the fingerprint-efficacy relationship showed that gastrodin, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, imperatorin and isoimperatorin had strong antioxidant capacity, providing directions for the identification of active compounds. A total of 36 core targets were identified and screened by network pharmacology, which AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), albumin (ALB), insulin (INS), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and compounds such as β-sitosterol, chrysophanol, vanillin are the key to the treatment of migraine, providing references for subsequent clinical research and new drug development., Significance: This study examined the consistency of the quality of TMTTT and the mechanism of action in treating migraines from both quality and efficacy perspectives, providing a favorable direction for further research on TMTTT and offering new ideas for the quality control of TCM compound formulations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, some insects have become foods due to their high nutritional value. In order to solve the problem of the lack of quality control methods for insect foods, this study proposes a comprehensive control model using silkworm chrysalis (SC) as an example. Firstly, five-wavelength mean fusion fingerprints (FWMFF) and UV quantum fingerprints of 21 batches of SC were established. And the 21 batches of SC were classified into different grades from different perspectives by using the comprehensive linear quantified fingerprint method (CLQFM) as a quality evaluation method for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Secondly, this paper fully considered the issue of the reliability of fingerprint evaluation, which guaranteed the accuracy of the evaluation results. On this basis, the antioxidant capacity of the samples was used in vitro 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazylradical (DPPH) scavenging assay using IC 50 . The relationship between fingerprints and antioxidant activity was also discussed. Finally, the content of endogenous neurotransmitter (ACh) in SC determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) in the range of 0.25-2.11μg/g. Overall, the present study proposes a comprehensive quality control strategy for functional foods based on the quality assessment of SC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Developing a reliable and effective quality evaluation system for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is both challenging and crucial for its advancement. This study employs fingerprinting techniques to establish precise and comprehensive quality control for TCM, taking Xuezhikang capsules as an example and aiming to facilitate the internationalization of TCM. The "double wavelength absorption coefficient ratio fingerprint" and "Reliability theory" are developed to determine the fingerprint peak purity and fingerprint reliability respectively. Subsequently, the dual-wavelength fusion fingerprint was obtained to avoid the limitations of a single wavelength. In addition, an electrochemical fingerprint (ECFP) was obtained to assess the similarity of electroactive components in the sample, and the Differential Scanning Calorimetry quantized fingerprint (DSC QFP) was introduced for thermal analysis. Fingerprint-efficacy correlations between P L-EC * and dual-wavelength fusion fingerprint (DWFFP) provided valuable insights that there are 76.6 % of the fingerprint compounds exhibited electroactivity. Finally, samples were classified into grades 1∼3 by combining DWFFP, ECFP and DSC QFP through the mean method, meeting the evaluation standard (S L- M > 0.9, P L-M between 80 % and 120 %). This study provides valuable information for ensuring the quality of TCM products, which represents a significant step forward in enhancing the reliability and authenticity of TCM products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Keteling capsule (KC) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) made from the dried extract of Ficus microphylla and an appropriate amount of chlorpheniramine maleate. It is widely used to treat cough and relieve asthma. Despite its extensive usage, a rapid and comprehensive quality evaluation strategy for KC remains a challenge. This study introduces an electrochemical fingerprint analysis technique, in addition to the commonly employed HPLC fingerprints, for efficient and convenient quality evaluation. Moreover, a cost-effective, rapid, and accurate multi-component quantification technique known as the "Multi-markers assay by the monolinear method (MAML)" and the "FT-IR quantitative model" were explored. The HPLC fingerprints were evaluated using a systematically quantified fingerprint method, while the electrochemical fingerprints, based on the Belousov-Zhabotinsky oscillation reaction principle, were effectively analyzed and characterized using oxidation induction times and oscillation lifetimes. Multi-component quantitative analysis was carried out through the MAML and FT-IR quantitative models. The HPLC fingerprint successfully classified the 22 samples into eight grades with excellent discrimination. Active ingredient content analysis was achieved using reliable parameters obtained from electrochemical fingerprinting. The no significant difference in the quantitative results proves the accuracy of the MAML method. Additionally, successful FT-IR quantitative prediction models were developed for chlorogenic acid, isovitexin, and chlorpheniramine maleate. This study offers a dependable and effective approach for enhancing the quality control of KC, and it can provide new insights for improving the quality analysis methods in the field of TCM., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, traditional analytical methods have failed to meet the widespread use of multi-component Chinese pharmaceutical formulations. To solve this problem, this study proposed a comprehensive analytical strategy using compound liquorice tablets (CLTs) as an example, both in terms of chemical quality and dissolution curve consistency. Firstly, the peak purity of the two wavelengths was checked using dual-wavelength absorbance coefficient ratio spectra (DARS) to avoid the fingerprint bias caused by peak purity. Secondly, liquid-phase dual-wavelength tandem fingerprint (DWTF) of 38 batches of CLTs was established for the first time. The two analytical methods were also evaluated using the systematically quantified fingerprint method (SQFM), and the 38 batches of samples were classified into two grades with good quality consistency. Quantitative analysis of the five markers of CLTs was performed simultaneously using the standard curve method (SCM) and the quantitative analysis of multiple components by single marker (QAMS). The results showed no significant differences between the two analytical methods (p > 0.5). In addition, the in vitro dissolution of CLTs in two media (pure water and pH = 4.5 medium) was determined by the total UV fingerprint dissolution assay. The similarity of the dissolution curves was also analyzed by combining the f 2 factor and the dissolution-systematically quantified fingerprint method (DSQFM). The result showed that most of the samples had f 2 > 50 and P m satisfied the range of 70-130%. Finally, a principal component analysis (PCA) model was developed to combine the evaluation parameters of chemical fingerprint and dissolution curves for comprehensive analysis of the samples. In this study, a chromatographic and dissolution-based quality analysis method was proposed, which effectively overcomes the shortcomings of previous analytical methods and provides a scientific analytical method for the quality control of natural drugs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Guoxiang Sun reports was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The growing global popularity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has generated a growing interest in the quality control of TCM products. Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid (SHL) is a commonly used TCM formula for treating respiratory tract infections. In this study, we present a thorough evaluation method for the quality of SHL and its intermediates. We assessed the quality through multi-wavelength fusion high-performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC) fingerprints of 40 batches of SHL samples and 15 batches of intermediates. Meanwhile, we introduced a new method called multi-markers assay by monolinear method (MAML) to quantify ten components in SHL, and revealed quality transmitting of ten components from intermediates to formulations. This information allowed us to establish a quality control system for intermediates, ensuring their quality consistency. Furthermore, we proposed UV quantum fingerprinting as an orthogonal complement to the quality evaluation by HPLC fingerprint. The relationship between fingerprinting and antioxidant capacity was also established. Overall, this study presented a novel and integrated approach for the quality evaluation of TCM products, providing valuable information for ensuring the safety and efficacy of TCM products for consumers., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The antiviral oral liquid (AOL) was an antiviral drug currently in clinical trials against coronavirus disease 2019. This study aimed to improve its quality consistency evaluation method using fingerprint techniques from several aspects. First, the five-wavelength matched average fusion fingerprint (FMAFFP) for HPLC, electrochemical fingerprint (ECFP), and ultraviolet spectral quantum fingerprint (UVFP) was established for 22 samples, respectively. Their quality was then assessed using the average linear quantitative fingerprint method, and 22 samples were classified into eight quality grades. OPLS and PCA were then used further to explore the characteristic parameters of these three fingerprints. Five compounds were quantified simultaneously for the first time, and then the relationship between the average linear quantitative similarity (P L ) and the sum of the five quantitative components (P 5c ) was investigated. A linear correlation (r ≥ 0.9735) between P L and P 5c suggested that P L may be used to predict chemical content. Finally, to investigate the antioxidant potential of the AOL, correlation analyses were performed for FMAFFP peaks-P EC and UVFP peaks-P EC , respectively, where the P EC value was defined as the quantitative similarity of ECFP. The Pearson correlation coefficient and gray correlation analysis were consistent, allowing us to initially explore the antioxidant capacity of the unidentified components of the samples. This study researched AOL using multidimensional fingerprints to provide a comprehensive and reliable method for quality consistency control of herbal compound preparations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Improving the quality standard system of herbal preparations (HPs) is an arduous task for the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). At present, an urgent task is to establish a comprehensive, scientific and effective evaluation method for improving the safety, effectiveness and quality consistency of HPs. In this study, Hu Gan capsules (HGCs) were used as an example. Firstly, the three quality markers (Q-markers) in 21 batches of HGCs from 4 manufacturers were determined by HPLC and great difference in content of each sample was found. Furthermore, four-wavelength fusion profiling (FWFP) was established and evaluated by systematically quantified fingerprint method (SQFM). Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to make a preliminary analysis of the FWFP and distinguish the fluctuation of differences in chemical composition and content. Then, 9 characteristic parameters were recorded through the B-Z oscillating system, and the electrochemical fingerprint (ECFP) was constructed for jointing evaluation with the FWFP, using the equal weight of SQFM results to comprehensively evaluate the sample quality. The 21 batches of samples were divided into four groups and six grades, which indicated that there were significant differences in the content of indicator components and electrochemical active substances in samples. Finally, taking vitamin C as a positive control, 2, 2'-azino-bis (3 - ethyl -benzthiazoline - 6 - sulfonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging assay was applied to study the antioxidant activity of samples. Partial Least Squares (PLS) and bivariate correlation analysis (BCA) were used to analyze the fingerprint-efficacy relationships of FWFP-ABTS and FWFP-ECFP. Consequently, it was found that there were similar antioxidant capacities in electrochemistry and ABTS tests, and 31 of the 40 HPLC fingerprint peaks of HGCs were discovered to have antioxidant activity. The two methods supported each other, to effectively and corporately reflect the antioxidant components in HGCs. In this research, the FWFP and ECFP established could realize the quality detection of HGCs, and provide a novel direction for the improvement of the quality standard of HPs and the research of the quality standard method of TCM., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The study aimed to provide a reliable and feasible strategy for the comprehensive quality control of medicine food homology materials (MFHM). The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints and Fourier transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) quantized fingerprints were successfully developed to comprehensively evaluate overall quality of Citri Reticulata Pericarpium (CRP) by applying comprehensive quantified fingerprint method (CQFM). All samples were well distinguished and divided into 5 grades. In addition, through principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), the identification ability of HPLC fingerprints and FT-MIR fingerprints on CRP with different storage years was discussed. The results showed that HPLC fingerprints combined with PCA had good discrimination ability, and the PLS-DA model established by the preprocessed FT-MIR fingerprint data could accurately distinguish and predict the storage period of CRP. Finally, based on 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•) scavenging assay, combined with bivariate correlation analysis, the fingerprint-activity relationship of offline antioxidant activity of CRP samples with the fingerprints peak were studied. In general, the comprehensive strategies provide a reliable and scientific reference scheme for the quality control of MFHM in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study was undertaken to establish an integrated quality control method based on the fingerprint of different testing instruments and a four-dimensional antioxidant activity profile. Firstly, the comprehensive ratio quantitative fingerprint method was used to rapidly calculate the similarity of GC fingerprint, UV-vis quantized fingerprint, HPLC fingerprint and ATR-FT-IR quantized fingerprint. In addition, a comprehensive evaluation strategy was proposed using the variation coefficient weighting algorithm, incorporating four complementary inputs, to achieve highly accurate analysis. At the same time, multi-markers assay by monolinear method was used for the first time for the quantitative analysis of multiple components. Based on this, the fingerprint-efficacy relationship was investigated, and substances that might be biologically active and the wavelength range of their distribution were predicted using the online-HPLC-DPPH-FIA method in conjunction with a PLS model built from individual and combined data matrices. The results showed that all 20 batches of samples were within 1-3 grades, with good quality consistency. According to index E, the samples' overall antioxidant capacity was also highly correlated with the year of production. The four-dimensional antioxidant activity profile also led to the conclusion that variations in antioxidant characteristics were caused by differences in the concentration and volatility of particular bioactive chemicals. Finally, mid-level data fusion produced better classification results than a single technique, further demonstrating the synergistic effects that may occur when the four types of data were combined. This study demonstrated that the combination of GC, UV-vis, ATR-FT-IR and HPLC can be used for the consistency control of herbal preparations and can elucidate the potential in predicting the antioxidant capacity of herbal preparations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cigarette has a history of more than 40 years and once sold well all over the country. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality consistency of 30 batches of cigarettes. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectra and terahertz time-domain spectra of 30 batches of cigarettes were collected. In this paper, a new quality evaluation method was explored, the obtained fingerprints were quantized, the t-test was used to analyze the correlation between the original fingerprint and the quantum fingerprint. The quantized fingerprints were evaluated by the systematically quantitative fingerprint method (SQFM), the macro qualitative similarity and the macro quantitative similarity were used to reflect the internal differences of the samples. Finally, the antioxidant activities of 30 batches of samples were investigated, and the correlation between quantum fingerprints and IC 50 values were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient (r).The result shows that there was no significant difference between the quantum fingerprint and the original fingerprint; SQFM can effectively calculate the similarity of sample curves and classify samples into different grades; the FT-IR fingerprints had a good correlation with the IC 50 value. 30 samples performed a good quality consistency within an acceptable grades range. In addition, quantum fingerprints have broad application prospects in spectral analysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, three-wavelength fusion fingerprint (TWFFP) combined with electrochemical fingerprint (ECFP) and antioxidant methods were used to jointly explore the quality consistency of Mingmu Dihuang Pill (MMDHP). The TWFFP fully demonstrated the maximum ultraviolet absorption characteristics at multiple wavelengths, supplemented the defects brought by the single-wavelength evaluation. ECFP was established to analyze the characteristic parameters in more depth, and all samples had inhibitory effects on the electrochemical oscillation system. Using 2,2-diaza-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazole-6-sulfonic acid) antioxidant test, combined with ECFP, the fingerprint-efficacy relationship was established with the peak areas of the TWFFP. As a result, 15 of the 36 common peaks made important contributions to both efficacy relationships at the same time. The TWFFP and ECFP were evaluated by a systematically quantified fingerprint method, and the ability of HPLC and electrochemical to distinguish samples was discussed by hierarchical clustering analysis. Content percentage was introduced to calculate the relationship between marker components and macro quantitative similarity. The method of quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker was explored to analyze the accuracy of evaluating the marker components. This study provided a comprehensive and reliable method for the quality consistency control of complex Traditional Chinese Medicine and its compound preparations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Amomum villosum (AMV), as a 1300-year-old medicine and food homology, has been lack of comprehensive quality evaluation for a long time. This study established the fingerprints of AMV by chromatographic, spectroscopic and thermal technologies and investigated the antioxidant activity to assess holistically the quality of 22 batches of AMV samples. GC-HPLC tandem fingerprints, FTIR and DSC quantum fingerprints were first developed respectively and fused for evaluating qualitatively and quantitatively, in which the contents of eight compounds were determined simultaneously. Especially, the equal-weight method was used to fuse the different analytical techniques mentioned above and to evaluate the quality of AMV samples with the help of systematically quantified fingerprint method. As a result, all samples were well differentiated and classified into five grades. Moreover, the correlation between the chromatographic fingerprint peaks and antioxidant activity was confirmed by the gray relational analysis. In summary, the proper fusion of multidimensional fingerprint techniques and multidimensional analytical techniques provides a reliable and comprehensive method for the evaluation of AMV and their related products., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study focused on developing a set of quality evaluation methods that can reflect the multi-levels and multi-characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Taking licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) as the method development sample, the feasibility of multi-markers assay by monolinear method (MAML) was explored through the standard curve relationship among active components for the first time. Using glycyrrhizic acid as measurement marker, MAML can simultaneously quantify five components of licorice, including isoliquiritigenin, isoliquiritin apioside, liquiritigenin, liquiritin and liquiritin apioside. Comparing MAML and quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker (QAMS) to the external standard method (ESM) respectively, it was found that there was no significant difference in the content of components that were calculated by MAML and ESM (the relative error (RE) was generally less than 2.00%). However, the RE of the component content calculated by QAMS fluctuated greatly, indicating that the MAML was more accurate than QAMS. In addition, UV and THz quantum fingerprints were initiated by the interval erasure method. Taking the systematically quantified fingerprint method as the core, a "Trinity" fingerprint quality evaluation system based on HPLC, UV and THz was developed. The system successfully distinguished the quality differences of licorice samples from 13 producing areas and two ecological models by the comprehensive evaluation results. Simultaneously, the quality information of licorice at different technical levels was revealed. Finally, bivariate correlation analysis was used to examine the linkage between UV/HPLC and antioxidant spectrum efficacy, and the two-dimensional activity spectrum of licorice was provided. It may furnish a more thorough and objective analytical technique for licorice and even other TCMs in chemical fingerprint features, chemical bond vibration characteristics and biological activity information., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Keteling capsules (KCs), as a kind of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), have been widely used in curing cough and relieving asthma. However, the complicated compositions make it challenging to evaluate their quality consistency by common methods. Herein, we explored comprehensive and efficient strategies by combining the multiple techniques to monitor and assess the characteristics of KCs. We employed the fingerprints and corresponding quantum fingerprints by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet (UV), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The antioxidant activity profiles were also studied combined with the result of three-dimensional quantum fingerprints and showed a good correlation with the internal structure and physical-chemical state. Furthermore, the 17 samples were separated and identified simultaneously by HPLC quantitative fingerprint, of which four active ingredients (chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, vitexin and isovitexin) were quantitatively determined. The 17 samples were successfully classified into different grades by the systematically quantified fingerprint method (SQFM) and the quality of the samples was integrated according to the mean algorithm. The mean algorithm fusion of different evaluation techniques was compared to reveal the relationship between them, which indicated the effective improvement in accuracy and integrality. The combination of multiple analytical techniques developed in this study would effectively improve the existing single analytical methods and provide new strategy for drug quality consistency control., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Loblolly fruit (LBF) is mainly used as raw material for beverage, but there are few researches on its quality evaluation or control. The aim of this study was to develop comprehensive evaluation methods for the quality control of Loblolly fruit. firstly, double wavelength coefficient ratio spectrum was used to identify the purity of chromatographic fingerprint peak. It is very important to identify the purity of fingerprint peaks because only the quantitative determination of pure chromatographic peaks is meaningful for its efficient quality control. Then, multi-wavelength fusion fingerprint was established to avoid one-sidedness of a single wavelength for further evaluation by systematically quantified fingerprint method (SQFM). According to the outcome of P m , 25 batches of LBF were classified into two classifications by hierarchical cluster analysis, which was consistent with the SQFM evaluation results. Two active components, gallic acid (GAC) and ethyl gallate (EGA) in LBF, were quantitatively determined by quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS). In addition, the fingerprint efficacy relationship was established using an off-line antioxidant system and partial least-squares model to explore the connection between chemical components and antioxidant activities. Finally, the evaluation results of high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography were integrated by the mean algorithm, which could reduce the error caused by single method. The results showed that the proposed strategy could provide a method for quality evaluation of LBF and even other traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Quality consistency control of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is often essential for providing reference and procedure to guarantee the safety and effectiveness of TCM. Taking Rong'e Yishen oral liquid (REYS) as an example, five-wavelength maximization profilings (FWMPs) of 21 samples were constructed to fully manifest the maximum UV absorption characteristics at multi-wavelength. The preliminary analysis of FWMPs by principal component analysis (PCA) suggested us focusing on evaluating the quality consistency qualitatively and quantitatively by systematically quantified fingerprint method (SQFM). Meanwhile, electrochemical fingerprints (ECFPs) were established and the related characteristic parameters were deeply analyzed. All the samples had inhibitory effect on the electrochemical oscillation system, and the oscillation life (t ol ) was linear with the added volume and temperature in a certain range, respectively (r > 0.94). The merging point method was first introduced to process ECFP to facilitate its evaluation with SQFM. The evaluation results of FWMPs and the merged ECFPs were integrated in an equal weight for assessing the sample quality completely, and 21 samples were classified into two grades with good quality consistency. Furthermore, 2, 2-azino-bis (3 - ethyl - benzthiazoline - 6 - sulfonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging assay was applied to study the antioxidant activity of samples using vitamin C as a positive control. Partial least squares (PLS) model and bivariate correlation analysis (BCA) was used for FWMP-ABTS efficacy relationship and FWMP-merged ECFP efficacy relationship respectively. 15 of the 48 co-possessing peaks made important contributions to the two efficacy relationships simultaneously. This study suggested a comprehensive and reliable approach for quality consistency control of complex TCM or herbal medicine., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we explored the quality consistent evaluation method of Yankening Tablets (YKNT) from different manufacturers by using multiple fingerprint profiles, including dual-wavelength ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) serial fingerprint and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) fingerprint, combined with quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS) method. In the Average method of systematic quantified fingerprint method (AMSQFM), three fingerprint parameters of macro qualitative similarity (S m-UPLC-FTIR ), macro quantitative similarity (P m-UPLC-FTIR ), and the variation coefficient of fingerprint homogeneity (α UPLC-FTIR ) were calculated based on the ratio method. The S m-UPLC-FTIR values of all the samples were greater than 0.80, the α UPLC-FTIR values were less than 0.20, and the P m-UPLC-FTIR values range from 72.8% to 119.8%. Method validation results showed the established fingerprint method had good precision, solution stability, and method repeatability, all samples could be roughly divided into different levels. The contents of berberine (BBR) and baicalin (BCL) measured by the calibration curve method (CCM) and QAMS method were compared, and t-test results (Pvalue > 0.05) indicated there was no significant difference between the two methods, which showed that QAMS could accurately quantify the markers of the YKNT. The explanatory ability (R 2 Y) values of BBR and BCL in the PLS model were both greater than 0.94, and the root mean square error of estimation (RMSEE) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) values were both less than 2.5, indicating that the established model was reliable. Hierarchical cluster analysis divided all samples into four categories. This research made a major contribution to the quality consistent evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and food., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Licorice extract (LE) is widely used in food and medicine fields. The detection of single chemical component cannot describe its overall quality. In this paper, the content of five active components and HPLC fingerprint of LE was determined. Firstly, the dual-standard system calibration method was proposed to correct the differences between different chromatographic systems. Then, the five-dimensional profiling method (FDPM) was established to evaluate LE based on the five parameters. 52 batches of LE were divided into four categories, Cluster analysis and Orthogonal projections on the latent structure - discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) showed that the quality and quantity of LE can be reflected by FDPM. In addition, the comparison of different chromatographic system conditions showed that FDPM can dig out the potential information and provide strategies for the monitoring and calibration of fingerprint chromatographic systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Several issues are associated with the use of high-performance liquid chromatography-diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) analysis in the evaluation of the chemical equivalence of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as the choice of representative wavelengths, quick and efficient integration, correct matching of different components, and full use of spectral information. These problems can be addressed by handling raw three-dimensional (3D) data in a different manner, which led to the development of the spectral and chromatographic overall analysis (SCOA) method. In SCOA, the Whittaker smoother is used to eliminate the baseline drift caused by solvents, and the projection profiling is extracted from 3D data as the most informative chromatogram. Peak matching takes advantage of spectral similarity to exclude spectrally dissimilar components in the matching group. Subsequently, the exponential-Gaussian hybrid function (EGH) is used to fit and integrate the projection profiling, thus avoiding the cumbersome and time-consuming integration process. Two data sets were used to validate and demonstrate the SCOA. The results show that the SCOA is more comprehensive and reliable than HPLC-DAD analysis in the chemical equivalence assessment of TCM., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Alkaloids of Sophora flavescens (ASF) has various pharmacological effects, and it is widely used in clinical practice. The aim of this research was to develop an environmentally friendly methodology that enables not only identification but also the quality consistency assessment of Alkaloids of Sophora flavescens. A background electrolyte composed of 50 mmol/L sodium tetraborate solution, 500 mmol/L boric acid and 1.2 mmol/L citric acid was used to conduct the fingerprint analysis coupled with quantitative determination of three components. Linear quantitative profiling method was used for comprehensive quality discrimination of the test samples from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives, and the 27 batches of samples were well differentiated. In addition, the fingerprint-efficacy relationship between chemical components and antioxidant activity in vitro was established using partial least squares regression model, which provided important medicinal efficacy information for quality control., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Isatidis Folium has been known as a valuable traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Little attention, however, has been paid to its quality control. The aim of the present study was to establish a novel strategy to monitor and assess the quality consistency of Isatidis Folium. First, 20 samples were separated and identified simultaneously by high-performance liquid chromatography in an effective, quick and sensitive way. Then, Single-wavelength fingerprint was fused into multi-wavelength fingerprints to show fingerprints' information thoroughly. The similarity analyses of fingerprints were performed by equal weight quantified ration fingerprint method in terms of qualitative and quantitative aspects. The evaluation result showed that 20 batches of samples were classified into different grades. In addition, the relationship between fingerprints and antioxidant activity were investigated by partial least-squares model, which offered significant medicinal efficacy information for quality control. This comprehensive strategy provided a valuable reference for Isatidis Folium to ameliorate their quality control., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This study aims to investigate the effects of ammonia nitrogen loading rates and salinity levels on nutrients removal rates and substrate enzyme activities of constructed wetland (CW) microcosms planted with Salicornia bigelovii treating mariculture wastewater. Activities of urease (UA), dehydrogenase (DA), protease (PrA) and phosphatase (PA) were considered. Using principal component analysis (PCA), nutrient removal index (NRI) and enzyme activity index (EAI) were developed to evaluate the effects. The results revealed that increasing ammonia nitrogen loading rates had positive effects on nitrogen removal rates (i.e. NH 4 -N and DIN) and enhanced substrate enzyme activities. Compared with low salinity (i.e. 15 and 22), high salinity levels (i.e. 29 and 36) enhanced nutrients removal rates, DA and UA, but weaken PA and PrA. In conclusion, CW microcosms with Salicornia bigelovii can be used for the removal of nutrients under a range of ammonia nitrogen loadings and high salinity levels., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

7'(Z)-(8″S, 8‴S)-epi-Salvianolic acid E (compound 1) and (7'R, 8'R, 8″S, 8‴S)-epi-salvianolic acid B (compound 2), two novel analogs of salvianolic acid B (Sal B), have been recently isolated from Salvianolic acid for injection. They both show powerful antioxidant effects, including inducing NQO1 activity and scavenging DPPH free radical, and potential protecting effects for cerebral ischemia. However, no reports have been described the pharmacokinetic study of them. In this study, an ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of compound 1, compound 2 and Sal B in rat plasma, respectively. Plasma samples were pretreated by liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters Acquity UPLC(®) HSS T3 column (1.7μm particles, 2.1mm i.d.×100mm) with the mobile phase of 0.1% aqueous formic acid (A)-acetonitrile (B) (65:35, v/v). Quantification was performed on a triple quadruple tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (ESI) by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in the negative ion mode. Monitored transitions were set at m/z 717.0→519.0, 717.1→519.1, 717.2→518.9 and 320.9→152.1 for compound 1, compound 2, Sal B and chloramphenicol (internal standard, IS), respectively. Linear calibration curves were acquired over the concentration range of 2.0-1000ng/mL for the three analytes in rat plasma. The extraction recoveries, matrix effects, intra- and inter-day precisions and accuracies of the three analytes were all within acceptable limits. The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of compound 1, compound 2 and Sal B after intravenous administration of 6.0mg/kg in rats, respectively. The results indicated that compound 1 and compound 2 were both eliminated more slowly than Sal B. Exposure levels of both compound 1 and Sal B were higher than compound 2 in the same dosage range. This study provided critical reference for the pharmacokinetic study of compound 1 and compound 2., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A sensitive, simple and rapid high performance liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous quantitation of epothilone D and its major metabolite, the hydrolytic metabolite, epothilone C as internal standard in human plasma. Plasma samples were precipitated with acetonitrile, the analysis used a Venusil ASB C(18) analytical column. A tandem mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization source was used as detector and operated in the positive-ion mode. Selected reaction monitoring (SRM) using the precursor to product ion pairs of m/z 492.3-->304.1 (epothilone D), m/z 510.3-->492.3 (metabolite), m/z 478.3-->290.1 (internal standard) was used for quantification. The analytical method was validated in terms of specificity, precision, accuracy, extraction recovery, stability, matrix effect and dilution effect. The linear calibration curves of epothilone D and metabolite were obtained over the concentration range of 0.2-1000 ng/ml and 5.0-1000 ng/ml, respectively. Lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) of epothilone D and metabolite were 0.2 ng/ml and 5.0 ng/ml, respectively. Due to its high sensitivity, specificity and simplicity, the method could be used for pharmacokinetic studies of both epothilone D and its hydrolytic metabolite.