ABSTRACT Smilax glabra Roxb. (SGR) is the dried rhizome of Smilax glabra Roxb., a member of the Liliaceae family. As evidenced by ancient Chinese medical texts, the efficacy of this substance in the elimination of toxins, the eradication of dampness, and the promotion of joint mobility has been well documented. Modern pharmacological studies indicate that it possesses activities such as lowering uric acid, treating gouty arthritis, addressing immune system disorders, and exhibiting antitumor effects. In this paper, chemometric methods were used to construct the spectral effect relationship between the fingerprints of 15 batches of SGR extracts from different origins and varied in vitro antigouty arthritis activities. The results showed that the chemical composition of the samples from different sources varied significantly, with the samples from Guangxi, Hunan, and Yunnan provinces exhibiting comparatively higher quality. Among the nine common peaks, neoisoastilbin and isoastilbin were considered to be significantly correlated with the antigouty arthritis activity of SGR. The results of this study will offer reference guidelines for the quality control of SGR, thereby providing a scientific basis for its pharmacodynamic foundation and quality assurance.
Zhong et al. (Sun,) studied this question.