High-speed Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Drugs. V. Rapid Estimation of Paeoniflorin in Paeony Root

Abstract

A method for the rapid estimation of paeoniflorin in paeony root crude drugs was established by the use of a high-speed liquid chromatography. Paeoniflorin is separated by a 25 cm column of Zorbax CN, using liquid chromatograph of Shimadzu-Du Pont Model LC-2, with 0.1 M HClO4 (pH 3.5)-CH3CN (9:1, vol/vol) as the desorption solution, and the separation is completed within 10 min. Crude paeoniflorin is extracted with water and the aqueous extract is injected into the column. The content of paeoniflorin was calculated from the calibration curve previously prepared using a standard. Precision of the determination is .apprx. .+-. 1% and detection limit is 15 ng (S/N ratio, 3). This method is presumably useful for the evaluation of paeony root.