Chiral separation and chemical profile of Dengzhan Shengmai by integrating comprehensive with multiple heart-cutting two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

•This study integrated LC × LC-qTOF-MS and MHC-qTOF-MS for global chemical profiling.•283 compounds were characterized and identified in DZSM by comprehensive LC × LC.•12 pairs of isomer compounds were separated and identified in DZSM by MHC-qTOF-MS.•TCMID database was combined with MS1 and MS/MS data to identify the compounds.•Achiral and chiral systems were integrated for DZSM analysis at the first time.

Chemical profile for Chinese medicine formulas composed of several herbs is always a challenge due to a big array of small molecules with high chemical diversity so much as isomers. The present paper develops a feasible strategy to characterize and identify complex chemical constituents of a four-herb traditional Chinese medicine formula, Denzhan Shenmai (DZSM) by integrating comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC × LC-qTOF-MS) with multiple heart-cutting two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MHC-qTOF-MS). DZSM was separated by C8 × C18 HPLC column system for comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography system and 283 compounds most of which belonged to phenolic acid, flavonoid, saponin and lignan families were characterized and identified within 75 min. Some isomers and compounds at low level were analyzed on C8 × Chiral HPLC column system for multiple heart-cutting two-dimensional liquid chromatography system with 1D and 2D optimized gradient elution program. These 1D cutting fractions were successively separated on 2D chiral chromatographic column under extended the 2D gradient elution time from 30 s to 5.0 min. 12 pairs of isomer compounds were separated with good resolution. The combination of LC × LC and MHC system provides a powerful technique for global chemical profiling of DZSM and provided feasible strategy for other complex systems.