高效率液相層析/紫外光可見光偵測器與電灑法質譜儀相銜接(HPLC/UV/ESI-MS)對於中藥中所摻加的合成西藥提供了一個高可信度的分析方法。電灑法離子化過程在溶液中進行，樣品離子化前不需先熱揮發成氣態分子，因此適合高極性、熱不穩定樣品。可疑的西藥添加物經由其滯留時間的對照、分子離子以及利用離子化室內碰撞引致裂解法(in source CID)所產生的特徵碎片離子得到高可信度的鑑定。

High performance liquid chromatography / ultraviolet (HPLC / UV) coupled to electro-spray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) provides a highly reliable method for the qualitative analysis of synthetic chemical drugs in adulterated traditional Chinese medicine. Electrospray is most suited to compounds of high polarity or thermolabile because the ionization is performed in solution and vaporization of analyte before ionization is not necessary. The dubious adulterants were identified by their retention times, molecular ions and specific fragment ions produced from the in source collisional induced dissociation.