산초나무(Zanthoxylum schinifolium) 종자는 동아시아에서 향신료 및 약용 자원으로 널리 활용되고 있으나, 화학적으로 규정된 지표물질을 기반으로 한 체계적인 품질평가 기준은 아직 확립되지 않았다. 본 연구에서는 HPLC–DAD와 LC–MS/MS 분석을 통합적으로 적용하여 산초나무 종자의 품질평가를 위한 지표물질로서 hesperidin을 확인하고 검증하였다. 산초 종자의 메탄올 조추출물에 대해 크로마토그래피 분석을 수행한 결과, 주요 플라보노이드 성분들은 UV 흡수 특성과 음이온 ESI–MS/MS 단편화 패턴을 통해 동정되었다. 특히 m/z 609.6[M–H]–의 주요 전구체 이온은 hexose (162Da)와 rhamnose (146Da)의 순차적 중성손실을 거쳐 각각 m/z 463.4 및 301.3의 단편 이온을 생성하였으며, 이러한 단편화 거동은 표준물질 hesperetin-7-O-rutinoside (hesperidin)의 스펙트럼과 완전히 일치하였다. 이후 정량분석을 위해 확립된 HPLC–DAD 분석법은 우수한 직선성(R2 > 0.999), 높은 민감도(LOD 및 LOQ가 허용 범위 내), 그리고 재현성과 정밀도를 나타내어 분석법의 신뢰성을 확인하였다. 또한 여러 배치의 산초나무 종자 시료에서 hesperidin 함량이 일관되게 검출되어, 본 성분이 품질관리 지표물질로서 적합함을 확인하였다. 종합적으로, HPLC–MS/MS 기반 구조 규명과 정량 분석 결과는 hesperidin이 산초나무 종자의 주요 플라보노이드 배당체이며, 화학적 표준화 및 품질평가를 위한 적절한 지표성분임을 명확하게 보여준다. 본 연구는 산초나무 유래 기능성 소재의 산업적 활용과 표준화, 품질 보증을 위한 분석 기반을 제공하는 데 중요한 의의가 있다.

Ainsliaea acerifolia, a perennial herbaceous plant endemic to forested regions of the Korean Peninsula, has drawn attention for its bioactive properties and potential as a functional food and medicinal resource. Despite its ecological and economic value, little is known about its spatial distribution or habitat preferences under changing climatic conditions. This study aims to quantify the current and future habitat suitability of A. acerifolia in southeastern Korea—including Gyeongsangnam-do, Busan, and Ulsan—using the MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) species distribution model. A total of 217 presence records were compiled from both GBIF data and field surveys, and seven key environmental variables were selected through multicollinearity screening. Model performance was robust (mean AUC = 0.845), and key predictors included topographic roughness (TRI), precipitation of the driest month (Bio14), and mean diurnal range (Bio2). Under current climate conditions, 31.5% of the study area was identified as suitable habitat (≥0.222), with only 4.7% categorized as core habitat (≥0.6). Future projections under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios indicated substantial habitat contraction, particularly in coastal and lowland areas, with refugial zones likely to persist in mid-elevation inland mountains (500–900 m). These findings suggest that A. acerifolia is highly sensitive to climatic variability and emphasizes the urgent need for conservation strategies focused on climate-resilient refugia and ecological corridors. The study provides a spatial framework for species conservation planning under future climate uncertainty.

Ainsliaea acerifolia leaves are registered with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as edible herbal materials in Korea, and research is underway to explore their potential in developing functional foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. In this study, we developed an analytical method using HPLC-DAD to quantify three key compounds—chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, and 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid—in A. acerifolia leaves extract. This method has been optimized and validated for specificity, accuracy, precision, limit of quantification (LOQ), and linearity. The correlation coefficients (r²) for the calibration curves exceeded 0.9962. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.3012 and 0.9128 μg/mL for chlorogenic acid, 0.1182 and 0.3582 μg/mL for isochlorogenic acid A, and 0.2342 and 0.7098 μg/mL for 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, respectively. The net recovery rates for accuracy testing were 105.13% for chlorogenic acid, 105.37% for isochlorogenic acid A, and 100.37% for 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid. All parameters assessed with this newly developed method fell within the acceptable ranges specified by ICH guidelines. These findings demonstrate that the method is robust and reliable for accurately identifying and quantifying chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, and 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid in both routine analysis and large-scale extraction process of A. acerifolia leaves.