Objective: To establish a method for the determination of the papaverine content in Qiangli Pibalu by HPLC.
Method: A C18 column with a solvent system of acetonitrile-0.02 mol x L(-1) sodium dihydrogen phosphate (0.2% triethylamine, phosphoric acid, at pH 3) (25:75) and UV detection 240 nm were used. The flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1). The column temperature was maintained at 40 degrees C.
Result: There was a good linear relationship between the absorption value and the concentration in the range of 0.020 2-0.100 5 microg for papaverine. The average recovery rates were 99.1% (RSD 2.3%).
Conclusion: The method is simple, accurate and can be used to determine the contents in Qiangli Pibalu.