OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality of Rubi Fructus from different production areas by establishment of fingerprint spectrum of Rubi Fructus combined with multi-index quantitative analysis methods.

METHODS  The contents and corresponding fingerprint sprctra of flavonoids, kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-rutinose, tilirosid, goshonoside-F5, ellagic acid and total organic acids in 10 batches of Rubi Fructus from different regions were determined using ultraviolet spectrophotometry, HPLC and potentiometric titration. And the quality assessment of Rubi Fructus was carried out.

RESULTS  There were significant differences in the components of the 10 batches of Rubi Fructus from different regions. The total flavonoids content(calculated as rutin) in Rubi Fructus exhibited the highest among those from the Chun’an region of Zhejiang Province, as determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The fingerprints of 10 batches of Rubi Fructus marked 20 common peaks, among which the lowest similarity was 0.576 in that of Chaohu, Anhui production area, and the highest similarity was 0.913 in that of Jinhua, Zhejiang production area. The results of the multi-index content determination by HPLC showed that the highest content regions of kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-glycoside, silverthornin, raspberry glycoside-F5, and ellagic acid were Qichun, Hubei, Xinchang, Zhejiang, Xinchang, Zhejiang, Shangrao, Jiangxi, and Chun'an, Zhejiang production area, respectively. In addition, the total organic acids in Rubi Fructus(calculated as succinic acid) were determined by potentiometric titration, with the highest contents found in Deyang, Sichuan Province, Chun'an, Zhejiang Province and Kunshan, Jiangsu Province with contents of 1.58%, 1.59% and 1.60%, respectively.

CONCLUSION  The established quantitative analysis method for Rubi Fructus is stable, reliable, and efficient, which provides effective reference for its quality evaluation.