Identification Analysis of Angelicae sinensis radix and Angelicae pubescentis radix Based on Quantized “Digital Identity” and UHPLC-QTOF-MSE Analysis

Angelicae sinensis radix (ASR) and Angelicae pubescentis radix (APR), as traditional herbal medicines, are often confused and doped in the material market. However, the traditional identification method is to characterize the whole herb with a single or a few components, which do not have representation and cannot realize the effective utilization of unknown components. Consequently, the result is not convincing. In addition, the whole process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. To avoid the confusion and adulteration of ASR and APR as well as to strengthen quality control and improve identification efficiency, in this study, a UHPLC-QTOF-MSE method was used to analyze ASR and APR. Based on digital representation, the shared data with high ionic strength were extracted from different batches of the same herbal medicine as their "digital identity". Further, the above "digital identity" was used as the benchmark for matching and identifying unknown samples to feedback on matching credibility (MC). The results showed that based on the "digital identities" of ASR and APR, the digital identification of two herbal samples can be realized efficiently and accurately at the individual level. And the matching credibility (MC) was higher than 94.00%, even if only 1% of APR or ASR in the mixed samples can still be identified efficiently and accurately. The study is of great practical significance for improving the efficiency of the identification of ASR and APR, cracking down on adulterated and counterfeit drugs, and strengthening the quality control of ASR and APR. In addition, it has important reference significance for developing nontargeted digital identification of herbal medicines at the individual level based on UHPLC-QTOF-MSE and "digital identity", which is beneficial to the construction of digital Chinese medicine and digital quality control.