Table 4.
Comparison of herbal drugs with different methods for “Assay” in European Pharmacopoeia and Chinese Pharmacopoeia
| European Pharmacopoeia | Chinese Pharmacopoeia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latin Name | Method | Limit | Latin name | Method | Limit |
| Traditional Chinese medicines in both EP and ChP | |||||
| Angelicae Sinensis Radix | LC | trans-Ferulic acid (≥ 0.050%) | Angelicae Sinensis Radix |
SD HPLC |
Essential oil (≥ 0.4%) Ferulic acid (≥ 0.050%) |
| Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma | SD | Essential oil (≥ 14 mL/kg) | Atractylodis Rhizoma | HPLC | Atractylodin (≥ 0.30%) |
| Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma | SD | Essential oil (≥ 9 mL/kg) | Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma | Not included | |
| Bistortae Rhizoma | UV–Vis | Tannins (≥ 3.0%, expressed as pyrogallol) | Bistortae Rhizoma | HPLC | Gallic acid (≥ 0.12%) |
| Carthami Flos | UV–Vis | Total flavonoids (≥ 1.0%, expressed as hyperoside) | Carthami Flos | HPLC | Hydroxysafflor yellow A (≥ 1.0%), kaempferol (≥ 0.050%) |
| Clematidis Armandii Caulis | LC | Oleanolic acid (≥ 0.30%) | Clematidis Armandii Caulis | Not included | |
| Houttuyniae Herba | LC | Qquercitrin (≥ 0.10%) | Houttuyniae Herba | Not included | |
| Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma | SD | Essential oil (≥ 3.5 mL/kg) | Chuanxiong Rhizoma | HPLC | Ferulic acid (≥ 0.10%) |
| Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix | SD | Essential oil (≥ 5.0 mL/kg) | Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix | HPLC | Ferulic acid (≥ 0.050%) |
| Lycii Fructus | Not included | Lycii Fructus |
UV–Vis HPLC |
Polysaccharide (≥ 1.8%, expressed as glucose) Betaine (≥ 0.50%) |
|
| Lycopi Herba | LC | Rosmarinic acid (≥ 0.15%) | Lycopi Herba | Not included | |
| Piperis Fructus |
SD LC |
Essential oil (≥ 25 mL/kg) Piperine (≥ 3.0%) |
Piperis Fructus | HPLC | Piperine (≥ 3.3%) |
| Piperis Longi Fructus |
SD LC |
Essential oil (≥ 6.0 mL/kg) Piperine (≥ 3.0%) |
Piperis Longi Fructus | HPLC | Piperine (≥ 2.5%) |
| Sanguisorbae Radix | UV–Vis | Tannins (≥ 5.0%, expressed as pyrogallol) | Sanguisorbae Radix |
UV–Vis HPLC |
Tanninoids (≥ 8.0%, expressed as gallic acid) Gallic acid (≥ 1.0%) |
| Uncariae Rhynchophyllae Ramulus cum Uncis | LC | Total alkaloids (≥ 0.2%, expressed as isorhynchophylline) | Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis | Not included | |
| Other herbal drugs in both EP and ChP | |||||
| Aloe Barbadensis | UV–Vis | Hydroxyanthracene derivatives (≥ 28.0%, expressed as barbaloin) | Aloe | HPLC | Barbaloin (≥ 16.0%) |
| Aloe Capensis | UV–Vis | Hydroxyanthracene derivatives (≥ 18.0%, expressed as barbaloin) | Aloe | HPLC | Barbaloin (≥ 6.0%) |
| Benzoe Tonkinensis | Titration | Total acids (35.0%-55.0%, expressed as benzoic acid) | Benzoinum | HPLC | Total balsamic acid (≥ 27.0%, expressed as benzoic acid) |
| Caryophylli Flos | SD | Essential oil (≥ 150 mL/kg) | Caryophylli Flos | GC | Eugenol (≥ 11.0%) |
| Chelidonii Herba | UV–Vis | Total alkaloids (≥ 0.6%, expressed as chelidonine) | Chelidonii Herba | HPLC | Chelerythrine (≥ 0.020%) |
| Curcumae Longae Rhizoma |
SD UV–Vis |
Essential oil (≥ 25 mL/kg) Dicinnamoyl methane derivatives (≥ 2.0%, expressed as curcumin) |
Curcumae Longae Rhizoma |
SD HPLC |
Essential oil (≥ 7.0%) Curcumin (≥ 1.0%) |
| Hyperici Herba | UV–Vis | Total hypericins (≥ 0.08%, expressed as hypericin) | Hyperici Perforati Herba | HPLC | Hyperoside (≥ 0.10%) |
| Lini Semen | Not included | Lini Semen | GC | Sum of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid (≥ 13.0%) | |
| Myrrha | Not included | Myrrha | SD | Essential oil (≥ 4.0% for natura myrrh, ≥ 2.0% for colloidal myrrh) | |
| Polygalae Radix | Not included | Polygalae Radix | HPLC | Tenuifolin (≥ 2.0%), polygalaxanthone III (≥ 0.15%), 3,6′-disinapoyl sucrose (≥ 0.50%) | |
| Polygoni Avicularis Herba | UV–Vis | Flavonoids (≥ 0.30%, expressed as hyperoside) | Polygoni Avicularis Herba | HPLC | Myricitrin (≥ 0.030%) |
| Rhei Radix | UV–Vis | Hydroxyanthracene derivatives (≥ 2.2%, expressed as rhein) | Rhei Radix et Rhizoma | HPLC | Total anthraquinone (≥ 1.5%, hydrolysis and expressed as sum of aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion), free anthraquinone: sum of aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion (≥ 0.20%) |
| Taraxaci Officinalis Herba cum Radice | Not included | Taraxaci Herba | HPLC | Cichoric acid (≥ 0.45%) | |
| Trigonellae Foenugraeci Semen | Not included | Trigonellae Semen | HPLC | Trigonelline (≥ 0.45%) | |
| Zingiberis Rhizoma | SD | Essential oil (≥ 15 mL/kg) | Zingiberis Rhizoma |
SD HPLC |
Essential oil (≥ 0.8%) 6-Gingerol (≥ 0.60%) |
GC gas chromatography, HPLC high performance liquid chromatography, LC liquid chromatography, SD steam distillation, UV–Vis ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy