Chemical profiling and quantitative analysis on the aqueous extract of Pimpinella anisum fruit by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry

Anise fruit (Aniseed) has been used for many years as a traditional medicine in various countries throughout the world; however, the chemical material basis of Aniseed water extract (AWE) has not been examined in detail, limiting our understanding of its pharmacological mechanism and methods for practical quality control. A high-efficiency and high-sensitivity LC-triple time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis method using data processing method combined with product ion and neutral loss filtering for systematic screening and identification of the constituents of AWE was established. A quantitative method was established by using LC-MS/MS with multiple reaction monitoring for 10 min to determine the concentration of 17 representative constituents. A total of 89 compounds were discovered in AWE, of which 31 were confirmed by the reference standards, while 24 were found in Aniseed for the first time. The qualification analysis results showed that chlorogenic acids and luteolin derivatives were the major compounds. The linearity, sensitivity, precision, stability, repeatability, and accuracy of the method were verified, which demonstrated that the method could meet the requirements for quantification. This work contributes to a better understanding of the chemical material basis of Aniseed and assists in the development of effective analytical methods for natural medicines.