Non-targeted Chemical Analysis of Consumer Botanical Products Labelled as Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), or Yohimbe Bark (Pausinystalia johimbe) by NMR and MS

Giovanni O. Quiroz-Delfi¹²³, Cynthia V. Rider³, Stephen Ferguson ³, Scott A. Gabel¹, Alan K. Jarmusch², Geoffrey A. Mueller¹

1 Genome Integrity and Structural Biology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
2 Immunity, Inflammation, and Disease Laboratory, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
3 Division of Translational Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22427/NTP-DATA-500-006-001-000-2

Publication

Abstract

There is unprecedented access to botanical dietary supplements through on-line retailers, making it difficult to ensure product quality and authenticity. Therefore, methods to survey and compare chemical compositions across botanical products are needed. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and non-targeted mass spectrometry (MS) were used to chemically analyze commercial products labelled as containing one of three botanicals: blue cohosh, goldenseal, and yohimbe bark. Aqueous and organic phase extracts were prepared and analyzed in tandem with NMR followed by MS. We processed the non-targeted data using multivariate statistics to analyze the similarity of the extracts. In each ingredient category, several outliers were identified using principal component analysis. Evaluation of select known constituents proved useful to explain subgroups, which in some cases supported or countered product authenticity. The NMR and MS data reached similar conclusions independently but were also complementary.