In-depth profiling, nontargeted metabolomic and selective ion monitoring of eight chemical markers for simultaneous identification of different part of Eucommia ulmoides in 12 commercial products by UPLC/QDa

Despite Eucommia ulmoides to be served as a crucial source for food additives and healthcare products, unclarity of the metabolomic differences among four different plant parts (bark, leaf, flower, seed) seriously restricts the comprehensive quality control of the herb and its related commercial products. In this study, a strategy integrating in-depth profiling, nontargeted metabolomics, and selected detection was established and exemplarily applied to authenticate E. ulmoides related products. UPLC/Q-TOF Fast DDA approach was utilized for in-depth profiling among four parts to characterize 222 compounds. In addition, 38 batches of different parts of E. ulmoides were compared by metabolomics method, and multi-step chemometrics analysis to unveil 25 chemical markers. Finally, an UPLC/QDa-SIM method was established based 8 most important diagnosis components to identify 12 commercial products. This study provides a novel and comprehensive strategy for the quality assessment of foods and dietary supplements.