Analysis of amino acids in Meconopsis quintuplinervia by HPLC-MS and exploration of geographical distribution pattern

The amino acids in Tibetan medicine herb Meconopsis quintuplinervia from sixteen different populations on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) with derivative reagent 10-ethyl acridine-2-sulfonyl chloride (EASC). Among all the amino acids, phenylalanine was the most abundant, followed by glycine, tryptophan, and lysine. These results suggest that the use of EASC provided a fast and sensitive method for amino acid detection and that the concentrations of essential amino acids were relatively high. Mass spectrometry results verified the accuracy of the HPLC results. To reveal the influence of the ecological environment on the contents and type of amino acids, we analyzed the HPLC determination results in combination with environmental factors. Specifically, cluster analysis was used to classify groups, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis methods were used to quantify and analyse the influence of environmental factors on the types and contents of amino acids. The results show that the sixteen populations were divided into 4 groups, with the distribution of amino acid components in M. quintuplinervia affected by the content of total N (A-N), available K (S-K). Pearson correlation analysis shows that soil organic matter (OR), A-N, available P (S-P) and available N (S-N) in soil positive correlation between most amino acids, and negative correlation between A-K and most amino acids. The derivatization method established in this study can be used for rapid determination of various amino acids, and the influence of environmental factors on amino acid content in M. quintuplinervia was revealed. The research results can provide basic data for the protection, development, and utilization of M. quintuplinervia .