The chemical constituents differences among three origins of Tibetan medicine Dali were analyzed. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-four-stage rod-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with multivariate statistical methods were used to detect a total of 12 batches of different parts of Rhododendron anthopogonoides Maxim., Rhododendron. cephalanthum Franch. and Rhododendron. primuliflorum Bur. et Franch. The positive and negative ion scanning modes of the electrospray ionization source were used to collect information, and the data results were imported into PeakView 1.2 software. Formula Finder, Mass Calculators, and XIC manager and other functions and secondary fragment cracking rules were used for qualitative analysis, and the qualitative results were compiled into a screening table of known components. Then, the data were substituted into SIMCA-P 13.0 software for visual processing, and the mathematical models of principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discrimination-analysis (PLS-DA) were constructed. A total of 61 constituents were identified in R. anthopogonoides and 49, 50 and 49 constituents were identified in its branches, leaves and flowers respectively. A total of 61 constituents were identified in R. cephalanthum, and 42, 43 and 52 constituents were identified in its branches, leaves and flowers respectively. A total of 67 components were identified in R. primulaeflarum, and 49, 62 and 59 components were identified in its branches, leaves and flowers, respectively. The results of PCA and PLS-DA were consistent and allowed for the clustering of the strongly R. anthopogonoides into one group, and R. cephalanthum and R. primulaeflarum into one group. This study clarified the differences in the chemical constituents of branches, leaves and flowers of the Dali which laid a foundation for the rational development and utilization of different parts of the Dali from different origins.

Rhododendron anthopogonoides Maxim., Rhododendron cephalanthum Franch., Rhododendron primulaeflarum Bur. et Franch., UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, chemical constituents