Fingerprinting profile of polysaccharides from Lycium barbarum using multiplex approaches and chemometrics

Techniques including ultraviolet–visible spectra (UV), high performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and pre-column derivatization high-performance liquid chromatography (PCD-HPLC) were used in the fingerprinting analysis of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) from different locations and varieties. Multiple fingerprinting profiles were used to evaluate the similarity and classification of different LBPs with the help of chemometrics. The results indicated that sixteen batches of LBPs had good consistency, and fingerprinting techniques were simple and robust for quality control of LBPs as well as related products. In addition, fingerprinting techniques combined with chemometrics could also be used to identify different cultivation locations of LBPs samples. Finally, four monosaccharides (galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose and arabinose) and the absorptions of stretching vibration of ester carbonyl groups as well as NH variable angle vibration of CONH could be selected as herbal markers to distinguish different samples.