ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the contents of tetrahydropalmatine and dehydrocorydaline in corydalis, broken cell wall corydalis and its different processed products.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The broken cell wall technique was used to corydalis, and then both the corydalis and broken cell wall corydalis were processed. The method of chromatography which was used to determine the contents of tetrahydropalmatine and dehydrocorydaline in corydalis broken cell wall corydalis and its different processed products was performed by RP-HPLC with Kromasil ODS-C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column was used at 35 degrees C, acetonitrile-acetate buffer solution (pH 6.0) (30:70) as mobile phase of 1 mL x min(-1) flow rate, detection wavelength was set at 280 nm.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The contents of the two active components in broken cell wall corydalis were higher than that in corydalis, while that in broken cell wall and vinegar-fried corydalis was highest in the products of breaked cell wall corydalis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Breaking the cell wall of corydalis can help to dissolute alkaloids.</p>