Objective: To develop a RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of five components including ligustrazine, ferulic acid, butylphthalide, ligustilide and butene-NBP in Rhizoma Chuanxiong, a Chinese herbal medicine.
Method: The chromatographic analysis was carried out by using a grace smart RP C18 column with the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acid (volume fraction), which was in gradient elution. A DAD detector was used to detect the components. The peak area was chosen under their maximum absorption wavelength for different components, and quantitated by using the external standard method.
Result: The calibration curves were linear within the range of 0.008 35-0.668, 0.020 6-1.648, 0.012 2-0.976 , 0.050 75-4.06, 0.015 7-1.256 microg for ligustrazine, ferulic acid, butylphthalide, ligustilide and butene-NBP, respectively. The average recoveries of the five components were 101.98%, 99.91%, 96.94%, 100.85% and 99.04%, respectively.
Conclusion: This method is simple, quick, reproducible, with high recovery, and has been successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of the five components in Rhizoma Chuanxiong. This method can be used to control the quality of Rhizoma Chuanxiong and its preparations.