A useful quality control using herbal volatiles of Artemisia princeps Pamp. cv. ssajuari (ssajuari‐ssuk; Korean mugwort) according to air‐drying time by fast gas chromatography with uncoated surface acoustic wave sensor (Electronic zNose)

Abstract

Introduction Korean mugwort has been used as a traditional medicine. Specifically, air‐dried Artemisia princeps Pamp. cv. ssajuari (ssajuari‐ssuk; Korean mugwort) has been used as moxa in moxibustion therapy. Thus, the evaluation of high quality ssajuari‐ssuk containing herbal volatiles is of great interest in clinical therapy and the food industry. Objective The aim of this study is to determine whether fast gas chromatography with uncoated surface acoustic wave (fast GC/SAW) sensor can be a useful technique for performing quality control using herbal volatiles of ssajuari‐ssuk air‐dried for different times. Methodology Fast GC/SAW sensor, called “Electronic zNose”, is also a headspace sampling method and is an effective simple analytical method with a second unit analysis providing on‐line measurements without the need for pretreatment of the sample. Headspace solid‐phase microextraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS‐SPME‐GC–MS) was employed to confirm the identification of the volatiles and compared to fast GC/SAW sensor. Results Artemisia princeps Pamp. cv. ssajuari air‐dried for 2 years and 4 months (the third year), containing the highest total amount of herbal volatiles, was superior to the others (the first year, the second year, the fourth year) in quality. Moreover, fast GC/SAW sensor shows a high repeatability (relative standard deviation 0.77% ∼ 6.23%), excellent sensitivity (limit of detection value of 0.47 pg/mL), and good linearity (correlation coefficient r2 = 0.997) over the range of nanogram for α‐thujone. Conclusion Therefore, the fast GC/SAW sensor can be a useful analytical method for the discrimination and quality control of volatiles of herbal and medicinal plants according to air‐drying time, as it provides a simple and second unit analysis.

A useful species identification and quality control using volatile patterns of ssajuari‐ssuk and sajabal‐ssuk (Artemisia princeps Pamp. cv. ssajuari and Artemisia princeps Pamp. cv. sajabal; Korean mugwort) according to air‐drying term by fast gas chromatography with uncoated surface acoustic wave sensor

“…The uncoated piezoelectric quartz crystal SAW sensor consists of 500‐MHz acoustic resonator, bonded to a thermoelectric heat pump to heat or cool the quartz substrate. The fast GC‐SAW sensor is especially sensitive to low concentrations 2,5–10 …”

“…Various concentrations of standard solution were prepared by diluting with anhydrous methanol, and then each measurable vial of α‐thujone (15, 75, 150, 300, 600, 900, and 1200 ng) 2 and 1,8‐cineole (600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 6000, 9000, and 17,000 ng) was prepared. After the vial has been equilibrated at 26°C for 1 h, the headspace vapour was trapped for 30 s by the fast GC‐SAW sensor.…”

“…cv. sajabal, respectively, are aromatic herbs belonging to the Compositae family that are native to Ganghwa Island in South Korea 1,2 …”

“…Korean mugwort has many clinical benefits, including antimicrobial properties; stronger free radical scavenging effects; anti‐bacterial properties; spasmolytic action on respiratory disease due to anti‐inflammatory properties; gastroprotective and pain‐relieving effects; decreases in elevated cholesterol and triglycerides; antiobesity properties; and anticancer effects 2 …”

“…However, an uncoated SAW sensor is used in the fast GC‐SAW sensor to detect common organic volatiles. The fast GC‐SAW sensor also allows high repeatability and good sensitivity at high picogram to nanogram levels and enables pattern recognition by a visual volatile pattern that is referred to as a “chromatographic fingerprint” derived from the frequency of a SAW sensor 2,5–10 …”