Chemometric analysis and chemical characterization for the botanical identification of Glycyrrhiza species (G. glabra, G. uralensis, G. inflata, G. echinata and G. lepidota) using liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-QToF)

Licorice is obtained from the roots of several species Glycyrrhiza (Fabaceae), a genus containing about 20 species. The Chinese Pharmacopeia specifies three (G. glabra, G. uralensis, inflata). In an effort to unambiguously differentiate five inflata, echinata, and lepidota), LC-QToF method integrated with chemometric tools has been applied, based on chemical profiling two major classes saponins phenolics. Multivariate statistical analysis, together mass fragmentation protonated/deprotonated molecular species, resulted in diagnostic fragment ions which were helpful identification core structural skeletons as well functional groups appended structures. Roots named showed higher content triterpene saponinglycyrrhizinalong phenolics including species-specific components. Most components confirmed by comparison reference standards utilized models aerial root parts. This study investigated 105 licorice samples 11 dietary supplements using data combined PCA PLS-DA models. Species-specific markers glabridin, glycybridins, hispaglabridins, glabrol glycycoumarin, licoflavonol, licoisoflavone A/B licochalcones A-E inflata identified. Additionally, macedonosides yunganosides identified lepidota echinata. found contain glabra. Furthermore, this demonstrated usefulness these for quality assessment products