ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of three major sesquiterpene lactones in Radix Linderae.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Diamonsil C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) using isocratic elution of acetonitrile-water (containing 0.1% H3 PO4) (45 : 55) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1). Detection was carried out using a photodiode array detector at 220 nm.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.001 8-0.036 0 g x L(-1) for hydroxylinderstrenolide (R2 = 0.999 8), 0.016 2-0.323 2 g x L(-1) for neolinderalactone (R2 = 0.999 9), 0.010 5-0.209 9 g x L(-1) for linderane (R2 = 0.999 9), respectively. The average recoveries were 100.0% for hydroxylinderstrenolide, 98.8% for neolinderalactone and 98.9% for linderane with RSD not more than 3.3%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The established method was proved to be simple, sensitive and credible, and can be applied to quality control of Radix Linderae.</p>