Objective To establish a method for multi-index quantitative analysis and quality difference evaluation of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium from different producing areas. Methods A UPLC-MS/MS method was developed for simultaneous determination of saikosaponin a, saikosaponin d, saikosaponin c, saikosaponin b₂, and saikosaponin f in B. scorzonerifolium. The separation was performed with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min under gradient elution. Alcohol-soluble extractives, total ash, and acid-insoluble ash were also determined. Cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and SIMCA 14.1 software. The variable importance in projection (VIP) was used to identify markers contributing to quality differences. The CRITIC method was employed for objective weighting of each evaluation index, and a comprehensive quality assessment model was constructed by coupling with the TOPSIS method. Results Methodological validation results demonstrated good linearity and satisfactory accuracy for all analytes. The quantitative results showed that the contents of the five components in B. scorzonerifolium from different areas were: saikosaponin a (1.916 ± 1.338) mg/g, saikosaponin c (0.753 ± 0.445) mg/g, saikosaponin d (3.442 ± 2.351) mg/g, saikosaponin b₂ (2.083 ± 1.424) mg/g, and saikosaponin f (0.463 ± 0.322) mg/g. The amounts of alcohol-soluble extractives, total ash, and acid-insoluble ash were (29.2 ± 2.1)%,( 6.0 ± 0.6)%, and (1.2 ± 0.3)%, respectively. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that the 10 batches of B. scorzonerifolium were clearly classified into two groups. Three quality difference markers with relatively high contribution were screened, and the order of contribution was saikosaponin d > saikosaponin b₂ > saikosaponin a. The results of the CRITIC-TOPSIS analysis indicated that samples S10 (from Bozhou, Anhui), S8 (from Longnan, Gansu), and S5 (from Dingxi, Gansu) possessed relatively superior overall quality. Conclusion There are quality differences among B. scorzonerifolium samples from different producing areas. The established multi-index quantitative analysis, chemometrics, and CRITIC-TOPSIS method provide an experimental basis for improving the quality evaluation system of B. scorzonerifolium.

Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd.  /  CRITIC-TOPSIS method  /  chemometrics  /  UPLC-MS/MS  /  saikosaponin a  /  saikosaponin d  /  saikosaponin c  /  saikosaponin b₂  /  saikosaponin f