Objective To develop the determination methods for the content of vanillic acid, isovanillic acid, rhamnetin, luteolin, quercetin, diosmetin, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, anemarrhenasaponin A2, gracillin, prosapogenin A, dioscin, protogracillin, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, total ash and acid insoluble ash in Smilax riparia, and evaluate the quality of S. riparia by combining multivariate statistical analysis and entropy weight TOPSIS model. Methods HPLC was launched on an Agilent Symmetry C₁₈ chromatographic column（250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm） by gradient elution with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.3% phosphoric acid at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, detection wavelength were 280 nm（for detecting vanillic acid and isovanillic acid）, 345 nm（for detecting rhamnetin, luteolin, quercetin, diosmetin） and 210 nm（for detecting oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, anemarrhenasaponin A2, gracillin, prosapogenin A, dioscin, protogracillin, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol）, column temperature was 30 ℃, and an injection volume was 10 μL. The contents of total ash and acid insoluble ash were detected according to the method of Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2025 edition. Based on the content measurement value, the quality of 18 batches of S. riparia samples was comprehensively evaluated by using the multivariate statistical analysis and entropy weight TOPS model. Results A total of 15 chemical components had good linear relationships in their respective mass concentration ranges, and the average recovery rates were 96.99%—100.14%. The contents of vanillic acid, isovanillic acid, rhamnetin, luteolin, quercetin, diosmetin, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, anemarrhenasaponin A2, gracillin, prosapogenin A, dioscin, protogracillin, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, total ash and acid insoluble ashin in 18 batches of S. riparia were 0.338—1.213, 0.074—0.200, 0.197—0.360, 0.423—0.676, 0.620—1.814, 0.496—1.007, 0.192—0.410, 0.095—0.187, 1.360—2.281, 0.379—0.651, 0.711—1.221, 2.120 —3.657, 0.965—1.652, 0.113—0.275, 0.063—0.123 mg/g, 3.6%—9.5%, 1.4%—3.5%, respectively. Multivariate statistical analysis classified 18 batches of S. riparia into three categories, principal component analysis yielded two principal components, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 88.149%. A total of eight components such as dioscin, quercetin, luteolin, anemarrhenasaponin A2, oleanolic acid, vanillic acid, protogracillin and β-sitosterol were screened by VIP analysis, which could be used as differential markers of S. riparia in different producing areas. The results of entropy weight TOPSIS method showed that the quality of 18 batches of S. riparia was significantly different, and the comprehensive score was 0.230 6—0.706 2. The quality of samples numbered S16 and S15 was ranked in the front. Conclusion The quality evaluation model based on chemometrics and entropy weight TOPSIS is convenient and effective, and can be used for the quality evaluation of S. riparia.

Smilax riparia A. DC.  /  HPLC  /  multivariate statistical analysis  /  entropy weight TOPSIS  /  quality difference evaluation  /  vanillic acid  /  isovanillic acid  /  rhamnetin  /  luteolin  /  quercetin  /  diosmetin  /  oleanolic acid  /  ursolic acid  /  anemarrhenasaponin A2  /  gracillin  /  prosapogenin A  /  dioscin  /  protogracillin