ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:To explore the content variation rule and influencing factors of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(5-HMF)in the extraction process of the herbs Schisandra chinensis and improve the quality of monitoring the extract of Schisandra chinensis. METHODS:High performance liquid chromatography was adopted to determine the contents of 5-HMF in the extracts during the extraction process (decoction,vacuum concentration,alcohol precipitation,vacuum drying,alkali adjustment),and the content variation rule was found out. For vacuum drying during which the content of 5-HMF reduced obviously,the effects of the tempera-ture and time of drying on the content of 5-HMF were studied,and the effects of vacuum drying and freeze drying on the 5-HMF contents were compared. RESULTS:The content variation trend in the extraction process of Schisandra chinensis was as follows as a large amount of 5-HMF was produced in the herbs decoction process;the content of 5-HMF increased during concentration,re-duced during the alcohol precipitation and the vacuum drying of the extracts by three times concentrate,and maintained substantial-ly unchanged during alkali adjustment. In the process of vacuum drying,the content of 5-HMF decreased with temperature rise and time extension. Freeze drying had no effect as good as that of vacuum drying in the reduction in the content of 5-HMF. CON-CLUSIONS:It is suggested that the vacuum drying of the extracts by three times concentrate at higher temperature,which may pro-duce the extract of Schisandra chinensis with lower content of 5-HMF and thus improve the quality of Schisandra chinensis extract.