Chemical profiling of Geranium wilfordii Maxim. by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract Geranium wilfordii Maxim., a perennial herb belonging to the genus Geranium (Geraniaceae), is a valuable ethnic medicinal herb widely applied in clinical practice for the treatment of rheumatic pain and enteritis. Current available studies on G. wilfordii Maxim. are predominantly confined to pharmacological efficacy verification, while systematic and comprehensive characterization of its complex chemical compositions remains insufficient, which greatly restricts the in-depth exploration and modernization of this ethnomedicine. Clarifying the constituent characteristics of this medicinal plant is a core prerequisite for establishing scientific quality control standards and exploring its underlying pharmacological mechanisms. In the present study, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS strategy was employed for the first time to conduct a full-scale chemical profiling of G. wilfordii Maxim. A total of 29 chemical constituents were identified, including 8 organic acids, 3 phenylpropanoid derivatives, 3 tannins, 3 phenols, 1 alkaloid, and 11 flavonoids. This study systematically elucidates the material basis of G. wilfordii Maxim. Beyond providing fundamental data for subsequent pharmacodynamic substance exploration and quality evaluation, the obtained chemical component information also lays a critical foundation for revealing the potential quality markers, screening key therapeutic targets, and deciphering the molecular regulatory pathways of this ethnic medicine. Furthermore, the findings fill the research gap in the chemical basic study of G. wilfordii Maxim., offer valuable theoretical support for its modern pharmacological research, and rational clinical application, and facilitate the modernization research of traditional ethnic medicinal resources.