Authentication of a Thai crude drug "Kot-chula-lumpa" using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Multivariate Data Analysis

Kot-chula-lumpa is a crude drug of Thai traditional medicine for fever remedy. To authenticate its botanical origin, gas chromatogram of its non-polar constituents was analysed and compared with those of authentic samples by using chemometric tools. Fingerprints of Kot-chula-lumpa and Artemisia pallens were similar, and they were clustered into the same group on the basis of principal component analysis (PCA). The major common peaks of the fingerprint were identified by Kovats Index (KI) calculation and by comparing their mass spectra to those in libraries database. The qualitative analysis of the essential oil of Kot-chula-lumpa was performed to confirm the authentication. The study also showed that some samples of Kot-chula-lumpa used for other therapeutic use and the moxibustion sticks were identified as A. argyi.