[FTIR spectra-principal component analysis of roots of Polygonum cuspidatum from different areas].

Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc. is an important Chinese traditional medicine, and has wide distribution in China. Based on their infrared fingerprint spectra, Polygonum cuspidatum root samples from 7 geographical origins could be divided into 6 classes with principal component analysis. The classification was well correlated to their geographical origins and weather. In the same class, the chemical components of P. cuspidatum are similar to each other, which can be considered as the criterion for evaluating the quality of P. cuspidatum. The results showed that their characteristic infrared spectra were similar in the range of 4000-1700 cm(-1), but varied significantly for different groups and kinds of P. cuspidatum samples in the range of 1700-900 cm(-1). The method is rapid and simple, and could be applied to evaluate the quality of this traditional Chinese medicine. It is one of the methods in the quality control of traditional Chinese medicines.