Multiple chromatographic and chemometric methods for quality standardisation of Chinese herbal medicines

Quality standardisation of complementary medicine is fundamental for industry and practice as it strengthens their quality, safety and efficacy. Current herbal standardisations are often based on the quantitative analysis of a single compound, which may not reflect the total characteristic, bioactive and toxic nature of the herbs or products. Therefore, there is a need to establish internationally recognised methodology for quality standardisation of Chinese herbal medicines. The analytical methods reviewed in this article are pharmacognosy, TLC, HPLC, LCMS, CE and chemometrics. This article covers their developments and applications in quality standardisation. Recent advances show that a combination of these methods can create an overall chemical profile for each herb. This is supported by results reviewed in this article and obtained in our laboratories on medicinal herbs including Hypericum perforatum, Morinda officinalis and Centella asiatica. Significant variations in active ingredients have been observed between herbal samples and products. It is proposed that the identification of active ingredients, pharmacological activities and eventual clinical applications are required for a comprehensive quality standardisation system. The findings of this article indicate that the combination of various chromatographic and chemometric methods could advance the methodology of quality standardisation and enhance the overall confidence in herbal medicine for the health practitioner and the public.