Counterfeit Drug Validation via UHPLC-MS/MS

The anti-counterfeiting validation experiment was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF–MS/MS), an analytic technology inferior to UHPLC-Q-orbitrap MS/MS. The chromatography analysis protocol was based on our previous studies [25 (link), 26 (link)]; while the MS spectra monitoring was achieved using a Q − TOF − MS/MS apparatus (i.e., Triple TOF 5600^plus mass spectrometer, AB SCIEX, Framingham, MA, U.S.A.) [27 (link)]. However, the analytes were 6 counterfeit Wushicha Granules, i.e., CWG 1–CWG 6. For comparison, the Wushicha sample solution was also prepared for this analysis, under the same conditions.