Determination of bioactive compounds in the nonmedicinal parts ofScrophularia ningpoensisusing ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry and chemometric analysis

Although Scrophulariae Radix (root ofScrophularia ningpoensis) has received much attention, little is known about the nonmedicinal parts ofS. ningpoensis. A comprehensive evaluation of the multibioactive constituents in the flowers, rhizomes, leaves, and stems ofS. ningpoensisduring different growth stages would be of value to fully understand the potential medicinal properties of all parts of the plant. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry was performed for accurately determining nine compounds inS. ningpoensis. The results indicated the content of total analytes inS. ningpoensiswas in the order of flowers (81.82 mg/g) > roots (31.95 mg/g) > rhizomes (26.68 mg/g) > leaves (16.86 mg/g) > stems (14.35 mg/g). The chemometric analysis showed that these plant parts were rich in iridoids and should not be discarded during the processing of medicinal materials. Dynamic accumulation analysis suggested that the early flowering stage was the optimum time for harvesting flowers and appropriate amounts of stems and leaves. Moreover, considering the accumulation of constituents and biomass of medicinal materials, the medicinal parts should be harvested around December with the rhizomes attached. This research provides a theoretical basis and scientific evidence for comprehensive development and utilization ofS. ningpoensisresources.