Chromatographic fingerprint, as extended progress of conventional identification of Chinese herbal medication, is nowadays gradually applied to quality assessment of TCM preparations and at the same time it is under heat debate. It should be significant to define the integrity and fuzziness is the fundamental attributions of chromatographic fingerprint. As a comprehensive quantifiable identification method, the authenticity, quality consistency and stability of herbal medication can be monitored and evaluated effectively. Obviously defining an herbal specification of chromatographic fingerprints. whichever method is chosen, demands the highly concern on its specificity, reproducibi1ity and applicability. It is understood, only with precision and attention to detail on the implementation of GAP on herbal material cultivation, GMP on manufacture procedure and GLP on experimental laboratories may chromatographic fingerprints be developed successfully as criteria for analysis. As for methodology, criteria on chromatographic experimental, fingerprint recognition, comparison, evaluation, and verification must be carried out . The difficulty of implementing chromatographic fingerprint should be underestimated. Combining pharmacological and clinical study, chromatographic fingerprint would be a most significant approach for assessing the quality of herbal medicinal products.

Objective To establish TLC fingerprint of TGP for assessing the quality consistency of batch- by- batch of commercial product. Methods Silica gel 60 precoated plate (Merck) was used. Solvent system included chloroform- ethyl acetate- methanol- formic acid (40 ∶ 5 ∶ 10 ∶ 0.2); ∶ 5 % vanillin- sulfuric acid reagent was used as visualizing reagent and the heating temperature at 80 ℃ . Results Consistency among ten batches of TGP was demonstrated by TLC fingerprint image and the profiles generated by digital scanning. Conclusion TLC fingerprint of different batches of TGP confirms that TLC is also a powerful tool for developing chromatographic fingerprint, it can be used as a complementary technique for HPLC. 

Objective To study the sample quality of 'whitish' Radix Salvia Miltiorrhiza(the root of a grown-environmental-influenced variant sample of Salvia miltiorrhiza,which cortex and transection is white) grown in Luanchuan Region of Henan Province and normal Radix Salvia Miltiorrhiza by the means of TLC and HPLC chromatographic fingerprints;hence to compare the difference of their constituents.Methods TLC Chromatographic condition: Precoated silica gel F_(254) plate;hydrophilic and lipophilic constituents were developed and derivatizated with different solvent systems and visualization reagents,respectively.HPLC Chromatographic condition: Zorbax SB C_(18) column;hydrophilic and lipophilic constituents were gradient eluted,respectively.Results The 'whitish' Radix Salvia Miltiorrhiza contains lower content of lipophilic compounds,the main diterpene quinones was only trace amount,while the content of hydrophilic constituents was relatively higher.Conclusion The 'whitish' phenomenon suggests that the 'micro'-environmental condition can probably influence negatively the bio-synthesis of diterpene-quinones.The factors of influence still need further study.Such phenomenon would be worth concerning seriously for GAP administration.

Objective To study the standardization of similarity evaluation method of chromatographic fingerprints. Methods Computer simulation and HPLC method were used to investigate the characteristics of different similarity evaluation methods and the criteria of characteristic variables selection in chromatographic fingerprints. Results Cosine ratio and correlation coefficient should be the first choice for similarity calculation based on chromatographic peak area. Peak area is recommend to be used as the characteristic variable for chromatographic fingerprints. Conclusion The features of the commonly used chromatographic fingerprint evaluation methods are described and their range of application are defined.

Objective To evaluate the advantage of uterine appendages lump operation by laparoscopy and the choose of the patient. Methods 215 cases of ovrarian tumor operation and fallpian tubes operation by laparoscopy,50 cases of similar period and similar operation indication were chosen by laparoscopy or by abdorminial operation apiece, blood loss, postoperative analgesic rate, the time of using antibiotics, hospitalization day were compared. Results Uterine appendages lump operation by laparoscopy were all operated successfully, compared with abdorminial operation, the laparoscopy group had less blood loss,less drug after operation,less pain, shortened hospitalization day.Conclusion As long as choosing the appropriate cases before the operation, uterine appendages lump operation by laparoseopy has the advantage of minimal trauma, recovery fastly,less postoperative complication and safety.

Objective: The characteristic smell of the rhizome of Aplinia officinarum is key criteria for quality evaluation by TCM empirical practice. The aim of this study focused consequently on the GC fingerprint of its volatile oil. Method: Gas chromatographic experiment was carried out, and the GC fingerprint was generated. Results: The GC fingerprints of the authentic samples and the commercial samples collected from various sources expressed very close similarity and its congeners can be easily distinguished each other.

Objective To reinvestigate the high performance thin-layer chromatography(HPTLC)method for solving the problem of difficulty in separating between ginsenoside-Re and notoginsenoside-R1,and to establish a specific,fast and economic routine identification and quality assessment method for Notoginseng(San Qi).Methods Chromatographic conditions were as follows:stationary phase-precoated HPTLC silica gel 60 plate(20? 10 cm,Merck);developing solvent system:CH2Cl2-absolute ethanol-water(70 ∶ 45 ∶ 6.5);relative humidity:lower than 18 % ;temperature:10～ 25 ℃ ;derivative reagent:10 % H2SO4 ethanolic solution,heating at 105 ℃ for 3 min and observing the fluorescent chromatogram in a UV cabinet at 366 nm.Results The HPTLC fingerprint consisted of 10 fluorescent bands(peaks in the profile)including ginsenoside-Rb1,Rd,Re,Rg1 and notoginsenoside-R1,which presented the relative consistent ratio of the main peaks generated from the image of the chemical components distribution pattern through scanning by TLC scanner or computer-aided similarity evaluation(CASE)software.Conclusion Notoginsenoside-R1,the specific component of San Qi,is spotlighted in the HPTLC image and separated from ginenoside-Re,which indicates HPTLC method being simple,fast,and effective.The HPTLC fingerprints of 24 batches of samples from different locations(Wenshan of Yunnan,Xinyi of Guangdong)and markets,with different grades show the high chemical stabilities of this Dammarane-type saponins distribution.

Objective The High-performance thin-layer(HPTLC) chromatographic fingerprint of Saikosaponin from Chaihu(roots of Bupleurum chinense DC.) was established and fingerprints similarity of different species of Bupleurum spp.were evaluated.Methods High-performance thin-layer chromatography(HPTLC)were carried out.The chromatographic conditions were as follows:pre-coated HPTLC silica-gel plate as stationary phase,dichloromethane-methanol-ethyl acetate-water(30:40:15:3) as mobile phase(solvent system) and 2 %p-DMBA/10 %Sulfuric acid alcoholic solution as derivatization reagent.The common pattern of HPTLC fingerprints were obtained through’Chromafinger’solution software,and authentication and quality assessment were analyzed by similarity and Principle Component Analysis.Results The common pattern of the roots of Bupleurum chinense DC.consists of 19 characteristic peaks,and higher similarities existed between the roots of Bupleurum chinense DC(Bei Chaihu),B.falcatum(San-dao Chaihu) and B.scorzonerifolium Willd.(Nan Chaihu),but Nan Chaihu contains much lower total saponins than that in Bei Chaihu.The other species of Bupleurum demonstrated their different chemical distribution.The toxic species of B.longiradiatum can be easily differentiated from other spp.by comparison with the HPTLC images.Conclusion The survey showed that the main commodities of’Chaihu’in the domestic market can be attributed to’Bei Chaihu fingerprint-pattern’.The toxic species of B.longiradiatum can be easily differentiated from other spp.by comparison with the HPTLC images.

Objective To study the standardization of similarity evaluation method of chromatographic fingerprints. Methods HPLC and computer simulation method were used to analyze the content variation pattern of the characteristic compounds, the construction method of standard fingerprints and the statistical meanings of similarity evaluation respectively. Results The content distribution of characteristic compounds should obey normal probability. It is recommended that content information and median algorism should be used to generate reference fingerprints. The confidence factor of similarity coefficient also should be tested. Conclusion The process of compound sampling, establishment of criteria and result test are described and standardized from statistical aspect.

Due to the scarcity of resources of Ziziphi spinosae semen (ZSS), many inferior goods and even adulterants are generally found in medicine markets. To strengthen the quality control, HPLC fingerprint common pattern established in this paper showed three main bioactive compounds in one chromatogram simultaneously. Principal component analysis based on DAD signals could discriminate adulterants and inferiorities. Principal component analysis indicated that all samples could be mainly regrouped into two main clusters according to the first principal component (PC1, redefined as Vicenin II) and the second principal component (PC2, redefined as zizyphusine). PC1 and PC2 could explain 91.42%of the variance. Content of zizyphusine fluctuated more greatly than that of spinosin, and this result was also confirmed by the HPTLC result. Samples with low content of jujubosides and two common adulterants could not be used equivalently with authenticated ones in clinic, while one reference standard extract could substitute the crude drug in pharmaceutical production. Giving special consideration to the well-known bioactive saponins but with low response by end absorption, a fast and cheap HPTLC method for quality control of ZSS was developed and the result obtained was commensurate well with that of HPLC analysis. Samples having similar fingerprints to HPTLC common pattern targeting at saponins could be regarded as authenticated ones. This work provided a faster and cheaper way for quality control of ZSS and laid foundation for establishing a more effective quality control method for ZSS.