For example, the description of "qi fragrance" and "burnt aroma" in the pharmacopoeia is too subjective and vague, while the electronic nose can better quantify the "smell" in the processing process of traditional Chinese medicine. The electronic nose (also known as the odor fingerprint analysis system) is a kind of olfactory bionic system that mainly uses multiple metal oxide semiconductor sensors with different properties to combine into a sensor array, combined with specific intelligent self-learning and self-recognition pattern recognition algorithms. It mainly distinguishes and identifies different gas samples, and can characterize the comprehensive quality information of samples under the influence of multiple variables such as different raw material origins, different receiving times, different processing conditions, and different storage environments. The electronic nose is used to detect various samples such as liquids, solids, and semi-solids containing volatile substances.
The odor characteristics of red ginseng, fresh ginseng and steamed ginseng were comprehensively analyzed by using three methods: Shanghai Baosheng CNOSE electronic nose, gas chromatography technology and manual evaluation, and the changes in the aroma characteristics of red ginseng during the production process were tracked. The electronic nose technology was used to quickly and accurately identify Turmeric, Coptis wine and Coptis chinensis, and the recognition rate was as high as 964%。The electronic nose was used to collect and analyze the odor of traditional Chinese medicine made from 8-flavor liquor before and after processing, and the odor difference of different processed products was digitized and visualized, and the positive judgment rate of the established discriminant model reached 967%。
The electronic nose technology of Baosheng CNOS was used to distinguish the Yizhi Rensheng product and its cannon roasting product (stir-fried in water and salt-broiled). Since many studies have shown that electronic noses can identify the "odor" differences between different processed products of the same variety, the correlation research between the "odor" and the "intrinsic composition" of processed products is bound to become a hot topic in the next stage. After frying the same batch of hawthorn samples at different times, the electronic nose was used to obtain the response value of the odor sensor, and it was found that the change of odor in the processing process of hawthorn was related to the change of 5-hmf content, and it was inferred that the sugar degradation reaction and the Maillard reaction may be one of the mechanisms of the odor change in the processing process of hawthorn. It can be seen that the objective quantitative research on the "heat" of traditional Chinese medicine processing is not only helpful to improve the quality-related trait indicators and the inspection and determination of processing excipients, but also helps to establish quality standards suitable for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, that is, to fill the gap in the pharmacopoeia.
The applications of CNEX electronic nose in the field of traditional Chinese medicine are:
1. The quality control of Chinese herbal medicines includes the establishment of odor fingerprints of Chinese herbal medicines, the study of the harvest period of Chinese herbal medicines, the identification of the origin of Chinese herbal medicines, and the identification of the growth environment of Chinese herbal medicines.
2. Evaluate the processing process of Chinese herbal medicines.
3. Quality evaluation of Chinese patent medicines and their intermediates.
4. Evaluation of the odor masking effect of traditional Chinese medicine.
5. Assist in the research and development of placebo in traditional Chinese medicine.