Analysis of the fingerprint profile of bioactive constituents of traditional Chinese medicinal materials derived from animal bile using the HPLC-ELSD and chemometric methods: An application of a reference scaleplate.

•Bile acids are the major bioactive constituents of animal bile.•We established a fingerprint chromatogram method using HPLC coupled with ELSD.•We successfully implemented reference scaleplate for peak alignment.•Seventeen bile acids can be detected simultaneously using the method.