In the present study, a rapid fingerprint analysis of Ligusticum chuanxiong (L. chuanxiong) was developed based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (UFLC-DAD). The analysis time was shortened from approximately 75 min on conventional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to 40 min on UFLC. This method was validated in terms of stability [<4.40% relative standard deviation (RSD)], precision (<4.26% RSD) and repeatability (<2.82% RSD). Six batches of L. chuanxiong from different sources were analyzed by UFLC-DAD, and the results were systematically processed using professional analytical software that was recommended by the State Food and Drug Administration of China. The similarities of these six batches of samples were evaluated. Compared to conventional HPLC, the UFLC-DAD method was fast and sensitive and consumed less solvent, and is widely applicable for quality monitoring of traditional Chinese medicine.
