Aconitum, also known as monkshood, wolfʼs bane, or devilʼs helmet, has been widely used in folk medicine in China, India, and certain parts of Europe [1-4]. The genus Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) comprises 300 species distributed all over the world [5]. The most common species are Aconitum carmichaelii Deb. and Aconitum kusnezoffii Rchb. in China, Aconitum japonicum Thunb. in Japan, Aconitum napellus L. in Europe, Aconitum ferox Wall. ex Ser. in India, and Aconitum noveboracense A. Gray ex Coville in the United States [5]. Several classes of secondary metabolites, especially alkaloids, have been isolated from different Aconitum sp. [6]. The type of the isolated major alkaloids may vary depending on the species such as aconitine, hypaconitine, and mesaconitine from A. carmichaelii, aconitine from A. napellus, hypaconitine from A. septentrionale Koelle, mesaconitine from A. kusnezoffii, bikhaconitine from A. ferox, talatisamine from A. kongboense Lauener, atisine from A. anthora L., and A. heterophyllum Wall. ex Royle, and lycaconitine from A. vulparia Rchb. [6]. Several isoquinoline alkaloids and phenethylamine derivatives have also been isolated, such as higenamine from A. japonicum, magnoflorine from A. vulparia and A. napellus, coryneine from A. carmichaelii, and N-methyl adrenaline from A. nasutum Fisch. ex Rchb. [6]. Lipo-alkaloids including lipoaconitines, lipomesaconitines, lipodeoxyaconitines, and lipohypaconitines were also isolated [7, 8]. The efficacy of Aconitum sp. in resolving critical clinical conditions has been proven by doctors practicing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. However, the long history of Aconitum sp. misuse in homicide cases has shaken the faith in the potential safe application of this herb in therapy [9, 10]. The recent developments in analytical techniques which can identify and determine the concentrations of toxic compounds in herbal products with impressive accuracy and reliability have rekindled the interest in Aconitum preparations [1, 5, 6, 11, 12].

Aconitum and its products have been used in Asia for centuries to treat various ailments, including arthritis, gout, cancer, and inflammation. In general, their preparations and dispensing have been restricted to qualified folk medicine healers due to their low safety index and reported toxicity. In the past few decades, official guidelines have been introduced in Asian pharmacopeias to control Aconitum herbal products. However, these guidelines were based on primitive analytical techniques for the determination of the whole Aconitum alkaloids and were unable to distinguish between toxic and nontoxic components. Recent advances in analytical techniques, especially high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrophoresis coupled with highly sensitive detectors, allowed rapid and accurate determination of Aconitum secondary metabolites. Reports focusing on liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of Aconitum and its herbal products are discussed in the current review. This review can be used by the health regulatory authorities for updating pharmacopeial guidelines of Aconitum and its herbal products.