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Table 4 Comparison of herbal drugs with different methods for “Assay” in European Pharmacopoeia and Chinese Pharmacopoeia

From: Quality standard of traditional Chinese medicines: comparison between European Pharmacopoeia and Chinese Pharmacopoeia and recent advances

European Pharmacopoeia

Chinese Pharmacopoeia

Latin Name

Method

Limit

Latin name

Method

Limit

Traditional Chinese medicines in both EP and ChP

 Angelicae Sinensis Radix

LC

trans-Ferulic acid (≥ 0.050%)

Angelicae Sinensis Radix

SD

HPLC

Essential oil (≥ 0.4%)

Ferulic acid (≥ 0.050%)

 Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma

SD

Essential oil (≥ 14 mL/kg)

Atractylodis Rhizoma

HPLC

Atractylodin (≥ 0.30%)

 Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma

SD

Essential oil (≥ 9 mL/kg)

Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma

Not included

 

 Bistortae Rhizoma

UV–Vis

Tannins (≥ 3.0%, expressed as pyrogallol)

Bistortae Rhizoma

HPLC

Gallic acid (≥ 0.12%)

 Carthami Flos

UV–Vis

Total flavonoids (≥ 1.0%, expressed as hyperoside)

Carthami Flos

HPLC

Hydroxysafflor yellow A (≥ 1.0%), kaempferol (≥ 0.050%)

 Clematidis Armandii Caulis

LC

Oleanolic acid (≥ 0.30%)

Clematidis Armandii Caulis

Not included

 

 Houttuyniae Herba

LC

Qquercitrin (≥ 0.10%)

Houttuyniae Herba

Not included

 

 Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma

SD

Essential oil (≥ 3.5 mL/kg)

Chuanxiong Rhizoma

HPLC

Ferulic acid (≥ 0.10%)

 Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix

SD

Essential oil (≥ 5.0 mL/kg)

Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix

HPLC

Ferulic acid (≥ 0.050%)

 Lycii Fructus

Not included

 

Lycii Fructus

UV–Vis

HPLC

Polysaccharide (≥ 1.8%, expressed as glucose)

Betaine (≥ 0.50%)

 Lycopi Herba

LC

Rosmarinic acid (≥ 0.15%)

Lycopi Herba

Not included

 

 Piperis Fructus

SD

LC

Essential oil (≥ 25 mL/kg)

Piperine (≥ 3.0%)

Piperis Fructus

HPLC

Piperine (≥ 3.3%)

 Piperis Longi Fructus

SD

LC

Essential oil (≥ 6.0 mL/kg)

Piperine (≥ 3.0%)

Piperis Longi Fructus

HPLC

Piperine (≥ 2.5%)

 Sanguisorbae Radix

UV–Vis

Tannins (≥ 5.0%, expressed as pyrogallol)

Sanguisorbae Radix

UV–Vis

HPLC

Tanninoids (≥ 8.0%, expressed as gallic acid)

Gallic acid (≥ 1.0%)

 Uncariae Rhynchophyllae Ramulus cum Uncis

LC

Total alkaloids (≥ 0.2%, expressed as isorhynchophylline)

Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis

Not included

 

Other herbal drugs in both EP and ChP

 Aloe Barbadensis

UV–Vis

Hydroxyanthracene derivatives (≥ 28.0%, expressed as barbaloin)

Aloe

HPLC

Barbaloin (≥ 16.0%)

 Aloe Capensis

UV–Vis

Hydroxyanthracene derivatives (≥ 18.0%, expressed as barbaloin)

Aloe

HPLC

Barbaloin (≥ 6.0%)

 Benzoe Tonkinensis

Titration

Total acids (35.0%-55.0%, expressed as benzoic acid)

Benzoinum

HPLC

Total balsamic acid (≥ 27.0%, expressed as benzoic acid)

 Caryophylli Flos

SD

Essential oil (≥ 150 mL/kg)

Caryophylli Flos

GC

Eugenol (≥ 11.0%)

 Chelidonii Herba

UV–Vis

Total alkaloids (≥ 0.6%, expressed as chelidonine)

Chelidonii Herba

HPLC

Chelerythrine (≥ 0.020%)

 Curcumae Longae Rhizoma

SD

UV–Vis

Essential oil (≥ 25 mL/kg)

Dicinnamoyl methane derivatives (≥ 2.0%, expressed as curcumin)

Curcumae Longae Rhizoma

SD

HPLC

Essential oil (≥ 7.0%)

Curcumin (≥ 1.0%)

 Hyperici Herba

UV–Vis

Total hypericins (≥ 0.08%, expressed as hypericin)

Hyperici Perforati Herba

HPLC

Hyperoside (≥ 0.10%)

 Lini Semen

Not included

 

Lini Semen

GC

Sum of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid (≥ 13.0%)

 Myrrha

Not included

 

Myrrha

SD

Essential oil (≥ 4.0% for natura myrrh, ≥ 2.0% for colloidal myrrh)

 Polygalae Radix

Not included

 

Polygalae Radix

HPLC

Tenuifolin (≥ 2.0%), polygalaxanthone III (≥ 0.15%), 3,6′-disinapoyl sucrose (≥ 0.50%)

 Polygoni Avicularis Herba

UV–Vis

Flavonoids (≥ 0.30%, expressed as hyperoside)

Polygoni Avicularis Herba

HPLC

Myricitrin (≥ 0.030%)

 Rhei Radix

UV–Vis

Hydroxyanthracene derivatives (≥ 2.2%, expressed as rhein)

Rhei Radix et Rhizoma

HPLC

Total anthraquinone (≥ 1.5%, hydrolysis and expressed as sum of aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion), free anthraquinone: sum of aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion (≥ 0.20%)

 Taraxaci Officinalis Herba cum Radice

Not included

 

Taraxaci Herba

HPLC

Cichoric acid (≥ 0.45%)

 Trigonellae Foenugraeci Semen

Not included

 

Trigonellae Semen

HPLC

Trigonelline (≥ 0.45%)

 Zingiberis Rhizoma

SD

Essential oil (≥ 15 mL/kg)

Zingiberis Rhizoma

SD

HPLC

Essential oil (≥ 0.8%)

6-Gingerol (≥ 0.60%)

  1. GC gas chromatography, HPLC high performance liquid chromatography, LC liquid chromatography, SD steam distillation, UV–Vis ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy