Phytochemical Composition Profile and Space-time Accumulation of Secondary Metabolites for Dracocephalum moldavica Linn via UPLC-Q/TOF-MS and HPLC-DAD Method.

The aerial parts of Dracocephalum moldavica L. is extensive used to traditional ethnic medicines in China as a remedy for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular damage. However, the chemical composition and the content accumulation of main secondary metabolites of D. moldavica in different natural environments were remaining unclear. The study aimed to conduct a qualitative and quantitative analysis of main secondary metabolites to explore the quality variation of D. moldavica in market. The evaluation of space-time accumulation of main secondary metabolites in D. moldavica was carried out from different growth period and geographical location. A total of 35 ingredients were detected out and 24 identified, including 21 flavonoids, 2 phenolic acids, and 1 coumarin by UPLC-Qtof-MS method. Furthermore, a simple and convenient HPLC method was successfully developed for the simultaneous determination of lutelin-7-O-glucuronide and tilianin and rosmarinic acid in D. moldavica. The results of space-time accumulation analysis showed the distinct variation of secondary metabolites of D. moldavica with the growth period and geographical location. Finally, the current study provided a meaningful and useful approach for comprehensively evaluating the quality of D. moldavica.