Objective: To establish high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints of aqueous extract of unripe Forsythiae Fructus and its different polar parts

to clarify the contribution of fingerprints peaks in different parts of unripe Forsythiae Fructus to inhibit inflammation

and to reveal the pharmacodynamic material basis. Method: HPLC was introduced to analyze fingerprint of different parts of unripe Forsythiae Fructus with the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and water including 0.1% formic acid for gradient elution.The anti-inflammatory activity of different polar parts of unripe Forsythiae Fructus was evaluated via the variety of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)

interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1β concentrations of the lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury model in rats.Grey relational analysis and bivariate correlation analysis were used to establish the spectrum-effect relationship. Result: Seven components with greater contribution rate of effect were obtained by grey relational analysis

the different peaks ranked as No.23

25

31

29

24

26 and 30.Bivariate correlation analysis showed that there was a significant negative correlation between the No.23 peak content and TNF-α

between the No.18 and 13 peaks contents with IL-6

between No.22 peak content with IL-1β

between the No.7

13 and 6 peaks contents with IL-1β.That was to say

the higher contents of chemical components of these peaks

the lower of TNF-α

IL-6 and IL-1β

and the better was the anti-inflammatory effect. Conclusion: According to the results of two kinds of analysis

it is concluded that No.23

13

25

31 and other peaks have the greatest contribution to the anti-inflammatory effect of unripe Forsythiae Fructus.The established HPLC fingerprint method is simple and reproducible.The anti-inflammatory substances of unripe Forsythiae Fructus mainly concentrate in ethyl acetate part

which is the middle polar composition.Moreover

the anti-inflammatory effect is the combined action of these components.