Objective: To establish a method for determination of ten kinds of α-hydroxy acids in cosmetics with quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker(QAMS).
Methods: The analytes were separated by high performance liquid chromatography on a Venusil XBP C_8 column(4. 6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm), with the mobile phases of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate buffer-methonal under a gradient elution. The components were detected at the wavelengths of 214 nm using a diode array detector. Citric acid was used as the internal standard to determine the relative correction factors(RCFs) of the nine other α-hydroxy acids, in order to calculate their contents in samples by their RCFs.
Results: Good linearity with correlation coefficients greater than 0. 9994 was obtained for all the analytes. Stabilities within 24 h and precision of ten α-hydroxy acids were all good. Recoveries of the method were from 89. 3% to 105. 0% at three concentration levels, with the relative standard deviation(RSD) from 1. 0% to 2. 9%. Nine batches of samples were determined by QAMS, as well as the standard curve method(SCM). The relative average deviations(RAD) were below 3. 2% between the result of the two method, which showed good feasibility and accuracy of QAMS.
Conclusion: The method is simple, accurate and beneficial to the saving of reference substances, which is suitable for the determination of ten kinds of α-hydroxy acids in cosmetics.
Keywords: citric acid; cosmetics; quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker(QAMS); α-hydroxy acid.