The validated SSDMC and ESM methods were employed to assay 33 batches of CIF from different origins. The total contents of six analytes were listed in Table 4. From the Box plot in Fig. 2, the six major components were detected in all CIF samples, whereas their contents differed greatly from each other especially for linarin (component 16), probably due to the differences of harvest time, geographical climate, process and storage. In addition, the SSDMC method could obtain accordant values compared with the traditional external standard method for assay of the different CIF samples (P = 0.318).