A Strategy for Selecting “Q-Markers” of Chinese Medical Preparation via Components Transfer Process Analysis with Application to the Quality Control of Shengmai Injection

Chinese medical preparation has complicated chemical constituents. Consequently, the proper quality control methods for these Chinese medical preparations have been great challenges to the traditional Chinese medicine modernization and internationalization. What components should be chosen for quality control is a big challenge in the development of traditional Chinese medicine. A new concept of “Quality Marker” was proposed by Liu et al. to solve this problem and established a new research paradigm for traditional Chinese medicine quality study. Several strategies were proposed by the researchers in traditional Chinese medicine, here, we used Shengmai injection as an example to discuss a strategy for selecting “Quality Markers” of Chinese medical preparation by the components transfer process analysis in the Shengmai injection manufacturing process. Firstly, a total of 87 compounds were identified or partially characterized in shengmai injection. Secondly, referenced to the quality control method in China pharmacopeia and considered the biomarkers in the original medicines and representative components in the manufacturing process, four ginsenosides in Panax ginseng (Hongshen), two compounds in Schisandra chinensis (Wuweizi), and a sugar from Ophiopogon japonicas (Maidong) were quantified. As a result, these seven representative compounds exhibited an acceptable transitivity throughout the Shengmai injection manufacturing process. Finally, combined with the active ingredients, components transfer process analysis, and comprehensive evaluation by “Spider-web” analysis, six compounds were selected as the quality markers for the quality control of Shengmai injection. Through this strategy of optimization for quality markers of Shengmai injection, we found that these six compounds could represent the main bioactive substances and be easily detected in the whole process of production. Furthermore, the quality control method was developed for quality assessment and control of these six quality markers in the Shengmai injection. The total content range of the selected quality markers in the 10 batches of the Shengmai injection is 13.844-22.557 mg/mL.