Quality grade evaluation of Nvjin Pills based on traditional Chinese medicine reference drug and network pharmacology of target-focused compounds

To improve the effectiveness of marketed drugs related to active ingredients, it is necessary to designate a more unified quality evaluation standard. Taking Nvjin Pills as an example, this study reported the development of a novel principle of analysis in traditional Chinese medicine. The core of the experiment is to prepare three batches of traditional Chinese medicine reference drugs by high-quality Chinese materia medica. The active ingredients identified in the herbal formula including glycyrrhizic acid, cinnamaldehyde, paeonol, baicalin, hesperidin, paeoniflorin, and ferulic acid were analyzed in traditional Chinese medicine reference drugs by the high-performance liquid chromatography method combined with wavelength switching. The simple prediction results of network pharmacological analysis verified the feasibility and reliability of the established quantitative analysis method for seven target-focused compounds in Nvjin Pills, which were recommended as candidate indicators for quality evaluation ultimately. Using the seven target-focused compounds as the scientific ruler, quality grade specifications of Nvjin Pills were proposed by comprehensive analysis. Accordingly, 16, 47, and 13 batches of samples were primarily graded as first grade, second grade, and unqualified grade, respectively. This study will provide a chemical basis for quality control of Nvjin Pills, which is necessary for the production process of pharmaceutical development.