OBJECTIVETo suggest a method for discriminating quality control indicators of concentrated solution before traditional Chinese medicine ethanol precipitation.

METHODThe second ethanol precipitation (SEP) of Guanxinning was taken as an example, with the concentrated supernatant of first ethanol precipitation (CSFEP) prepared with same dry matter content and the same amount of ethanol as raw materials, to conduct the ethanol precipitation test under the same conditions. The experimental data was analyzed by stepwise regression and partial least squares regression. Both of them selected the parameters which affect phenolic compounds retention ratios in SEP supernatant as the key indicators.

RESULTPhenolic compounds contents in SEP supernatant were mainly affected by the contents of danshensu, caffeic acid and salvianolic acid B in CSFEP.

CONCLUSIONThe discrimination method can be used to discover key quality control indicators of concentrated solution before ethanol precipitation.