Evaluation of the Quality of Different Batches of Terminalia Chebula Retz. Based on HPLC Fingerprint Technology and Grey Relational Analysis

OBJECTIVE To establish the HPLC fingerprint and determine four index components of 10 batches of Terminalia chebula Retz. from different origins, and establish a quality evaluation method by grey relational analysis. METHODS The fingerprints of 10 batches of Terminalia chebula Retz. from different origins and the components of gallic acid, methyl gallate, corilagin and chebulinic acid were determined by HPLC. Agilent Eclipse Plus C₁₈ column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) was adopted with 0.03% phosphoric acid water-methanol as mobile phase, gradient elution. The flow rate was 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature was 30℃, determination wavelength was 270 nm. The "Chinese Medicine Chromatographic Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System(2012 version)" established a HPLC fingerprint. Based on the grey relational degree, the data of each index component of different batches were analyzed, and the relational degree of each evaluation unit sequence with respect to the reference sequence as a measure, and the sample was comprehensively evaluated. RESULTS The fingerprints of the samples were established to determine 19 common peaks. The peak number 3 was gallic acid, the peak number 8 was methyl gallate, the peak number 10 was corilagin, the peak number 19 was chebulinic acid, and the gallic acid was linear at 5.625-180 μg(r=1, n=6), methyl gallate had a good linear relationship between 2 μg and 68 μg(r=0.999 2, n=6), corilagin had a good linear relationship at 25-800 μg(r=0.999 2, n=6). The linear relationship of chebulinic acid at 5.718-183 μg(r=0.999 9, n=6), which precision, repeatability and stability were good. The average recovery rate of gallic acid methyl gallate, corilagin, chebulinic acid were 97.92%, 98.24%, 100.35%, 101.82%, RSD were 2.23%, 1.98%, 2.19%, 1.87%, respectively. The similarity of most batches of Terminalia chebula Retz. met the requirements. CONCLUSION The grey relational analysis combined with fingerprint and multi-index component quantitative evaluation method is simple and comprehensive, and can be used for the quality evaluation of Terminalia chebula Retz., which provides a reference for resource development and utilization and screening of high-quality Terminalia chebulia Retz..