Characterization of Fritillariae cirrhosae bulbus from multiple sources by potential Q‐marker based on metabolomics and network pharmacology

Rationale Fritillaria cirrhosae bulbus (BFC), a typical traditional Chinese medicine with multiple botanical sources, has been used for relieving cough and reducing sputum. Studies have shown that there were obvious differences in the chemical compositions and clinical efficacy of different sources of BFC. How to characterise BFC from botanical sources accurately and quickly is vital for drug quality evaluation and clinical applications. Methods In the present study, an integrated strategy of plant metabolomics combined with the target network pharmacology was developed to characterise BFC. Plant metabolomics analysis was performed to screen out the chemical markers of six species of BFC. Then, target network pharmacology was applied to explore the relationship between chemical markers and related diseases. Finally, potential Q‐markers for species characterization were selected by combined analysis of plant metabolomics and the target network pharmacology. Results A total of 67 Fritillaria alkaloid compounds were identified. Six species showed clear characterization by multivariate statistical analysis, resulting in 12 chemical markers. Meanwhile, a total of nine components related to asthma were screened out based on the target network pharmacology. Taking content difference and pharmacological activity into consideration, nine constituents were selected as potential Q‐markers. Conclusion The method developed provided not only a standard protocol for characterising different species of BFC directly, but also an effective approach for multisource medicines discrimination.