Objective: To establish an HPLC method for determining nine triterpenes contained in Ganoderma lucidum.
Method: Chromatography conditions: Alltima C18 (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm) was adopted as the chromatographic column, with acetonitrile-0.04% formic acid solution as the mobile phase. The detective wavelength was set at 254 nm, and the column temperature was 15 degrees C.
Result: The linearities of ganoderic acid C2, ganoderic acid G, ganoderenic acid B, ganoderic acid B, ganoderenic acid A, ganoderic acid A, lucideric acid A, ganoderenic acid D, and ganoderic acid C1 ranged between 6.81-40.88, 6.38-38.25, 6.75-40.50, 6.38-38.25, 5.95-35.65, 5.90-35.25, 7.00-42.00, 6.20-37.15 and 6.05-36.4 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.999 4, 0.999 2, 0.999 4, 0.999 2, 0.999 2, 0.994 5, 0.999 0, 0.999 2 and 0.998 4). Their recoveries were 102.1%, 102.3%, 100.6%, 103.3%, 104.1%, 103.2%, 96.42%, 102.5% and 101.5%, with RSD being 1.5%, 0.96%, 1.9%, 1.3%, 1.7%, 2.5%, 0.62%, 2.9% and 1.3%. The content of triterpenes contained in G. lucidum samples from 31 different areas and under different cultivation conditions.
Conclusion: The method is so feasible and highly reproducible that it can be used for quantitatie determination of the content of triterpenoid acid contained in G. lucidum.