Direct analysis in real time (DART) represents a new generation of ionization techniques that are used to rapidly ionize small molecules under ambient environments. The combination of DART with various mass spectrometry (MS) instruments allows analyzing multiple plant materials, including traditional Chinese herbal medicines (TCHMs), under simple or no sample treatment conditions. This review discussed the DART principles, including devices, ionization mechanisms, and operation parameters. Typical spectra detected by DART-MS were exhibited and discussed. Numerous applications of DART-MS in the fields of plant material and TCHM analysis were reviewed, including compound identification, biomarker discovery, fingerprinting analysis, and quantification analysis. Besides, modifications and improvements of DART-MS, such as hyphenated application with other separation methods, laser-based desorption techniques, and online sampling configuration, were summarized as well.

中文翻译：

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实时质谱直接分析在植物材料分析（重点是中草药）中的最新应用

实时直接分析 (DART) 代表了新一代电离技术，用于在周围环境下快速电离小分子。DART 与各种质谱 (MS) 仪器相结合，可以在简单或无样品处理条件下分析多种植物材料，包括传统中草药 (TCHM)。本综述讨论了 DART 原理，包括设备、电离机制和操作参数。展示并讨论了 DART-MS 检测到的典型光谱。综述了 DART-MS 在植物材料和 TCHM 分析领域的众多应用，包括化合物鉴定、生物标志物发现、指纹分析和定量分析。此外，还总结了DART-MS的修改和改进，如与其他分离方法的联用、基于激光的解吸技术、在线进样配置等。