Integration of SIMCA and near-infrared spectroscopy for rapid and precise identification of herbal medicines

The recognition, control, and monitoring of herbal medicinal materials is a crucial work and challenge in the pharmaceutical industry. Consequently, the development of a rapid and accurate inspection method and model is an important goal and job. The raw materials of a variety of herbal medicines were measured using nondestructive near-infrared spectroscopy with soft independent modeling of class analogy to build up the classification model. The adulterated samples could be eliminated by the analysis of the model, and identification rates were demonstrated in the range of 98–100%. The method could be applied not only to the pharmaceutical industry but also to the food industry. Food materials can be measured with the inspection model for effective identification and determination of adulteration.