Analysis of fingerprints features of infrared spectra of various processed products of Rhizoma Coptidis and their different extracts

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) associated with second derivative infrared spectroscopy (SD-IR) and two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy (2D-IR) are employed to analyze various processed products and different extracts of Rhizoma Coptidis. There is a shift of the peak of 1641cm−1 of raw Rhizoma Coptidis after processed, which drifts to lower wave number. Peaks at 1508, 1387, 1363, 1332, 1274 and 1234cm−1 barely change in most samples, except an obvious enhancement of these peaks after processed, suggesting that processed Rhizoma Coptidis may have higher content of berberine than raw material, which is corresponding to the results of correlation coefficients analysis. There are some differences in the absorption peaks in the range of 1800–1000cm−1 in the SD-IR spectra, which have better resolution, of different processed products. 2D-IR spectra, which elevate the resolution further, can present more differences among the products in the range of 1300–800cm−1 and 1800–1300cm−1. Analysis of aqueous, ethanol and petroleum ether extracts of various processed products proves that there are distinctive differences of all auto-peaks in shapes and intensities in all of them. With the advantages of high resolution, high speed and convenience, FT-IR combined with 2D-IR can quickly and precisely distinguish various processed products of Rhizoma Coptidis and can be applied to predict the tendency of transformation of the complicated chemical mixture systems under heat perturbation.