Relative quantification of multi-components in Panax notoginseng (Sanqi) by high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry using mobile phase compensation

Relative quantification of multi-components in complex mixture is significantly affected by the ionization variance caused by mobile phase composition in high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) analyses. The normalization methods for eliminating the variance are still less investigated. Herein, the mobile-phase compensation (MPC) method was applied to overcome the above problem. The developed method was firstly used for convenient evaluation of the coeluent interference and subsequently applied for relative quantification of the identified multi-components in Panax notoginseng (Sanqi) samples. The good linearity, precision and low limit of quantification of targeted analytes confirmed that the MPC-HPLC-ESI-MS method in gradient elution could achieve the isocratic test results compared with classical HPLC-ESI-MS. The established method was used for relative quantification of the minor Sanqi saponins by their detected peak areas divided by that of ginsenoside Rd. The results demonstrated the potential of the newly developed method for obtaining the normalized data shared in different laboratories.