Determination of Bitterness of <i>Andrographis Herba</i> Based on Electronic Tongue Technology and Discovery of the Key Compounds of Bitter Substances
Xiao Zhang,
Hongwei Wu,
Xiankuo Yu,
Hanyan Luo,
Yaqi Lu,
Hongjun Yang,
Xin Li,
Zhiyong Li,
Liying Tang,
Zhuju Wang
Affiliations
Xiao Zhang
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No.16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China
Hongwei Wu
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No.16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China
Xiankuo Yu
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No.16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China
Hanyan Luo
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No.16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China
Yaqi Lu
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No.16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China
Hongjun Yang
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No.16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China
Xin Li
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No.16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China
Zhiyong Li
State Key Laboratory of Innovative Natural Medicine and TCM Injections, Jiangxi Qingfeng Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., No. 8 Zhandongdong Ave., Ganzhou 341000, China
Liying Tang
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No.16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China
Zhuju Wang
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No.16 Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China
Andrographis Herba (AH), the dry aerial segments of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees, is a common herbal remedy with bitter properties in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory. Although bitterness is one of the features representing Chinese medicine, it has not been implemented as an index to assess the quality and efficacy of TCM because of peoples’ subjectivity to taste. In this study, 30 batches of AH with different commercial classifications (leaves, stems, or mixtures of both) were collected. Bitterness of AH was quantified by electronic tongue technology. Meanwhile, chemical compositions were characterized through establishing high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprints. The result indicated that the radar curves of the bitterness from different AH commercial classifications displayed different taste fingerprint information. Based on six taste factors, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) score three-dimensional (3D) plot exhibited a clear grouping trend (R2X, 0.912; Q2, 0.763) among the three different commercial classifications. Six compounds (Peaks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8) with positive correlation to bitterness were discovered by a Spearman correlation analysis. Peaks 2, 6, 7, 8 were identified as andrographolide, neoandrographolide, 14-deoxyandrographolide, and dehydroandrographolide, respectively. The electronic tongue can be used to distinguish AH samples with different commercial classifications and for quality evaluation.
