Danggui Shaoyao San (DSS), a famous prescription, has been clinically proved to be effective in treating primary dysmenorrhea (PD). Currently there is no valid quality control data available for DSS. The main aim of the current research was to explore quality markers (Q-markers) of DSS. The chemical constituents of DSS were qualitatively identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) technology. On this basis, the targets of DSS and PD were predicted and screened using the TCMSP, SwissTarget-Prediction, GeneCards, OMIM and TTD databases. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis was performed on the core intersection targets using string and Cytoscape 3.7.1 software. Then molecular docking was conducted to screen the Q-markers of DSS in PD. A total of 126 chemical constituents, including 22 organic acids, 14 phthalides, 24 monoterpenoids, five sesquiterpene lactones, 22 triterpenoids, four phenylpropanoids and 35 other compounds were preliminarily characterized. According to network pharmacology prediction analysis, six compounds containing polyporenic acid C, senkyunolide P, alisol B 23-acetate, naringenin, gallic acid, ferulic acid and albiflorin were regarded as Q-markers of DSS. The present research established an integrative UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and network pharmacology method to discover the latent Q-markers of DSS and provided a theoretical data for the follow-up quality control of DSS. | INTRODUCTIONPrimary dysmenorrhea (PD) is characterized by lower abdominal pain, swelling and waist acid before and after menstruation or during menstruation, and refers to the absence of organic lesions in the reproductive organs. In severe cases, nausea and vomiting, sweating and even fainting may occur, which can affect the normal life of patients, which is mostly seen in adolescent women (Sharghi et al., 2019). The pathogenesis of PD is complex, and is considered to be mainly related to the fluctuation of prostaglandin (PG), estrogen and progesterone in the endometrium during menstruation (Dawood, 2006). In modern medicine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, oral contraceptives, calcium channel blockers, vitamins and other drugs are used to regulate the endocrine system and alleviate abnormal contractions of