ABSTRACT
Objective: To establish a quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS) for the simultaneous determination of six alkaloids in crude and processed Coptidis Rhizoma. Methods: An HPLC method was established to determine the six alkaloids (jatrorrhizine hydrochloride, columbamine hydrochloride, epiberberine hydrochloride, coptisine hydrochloride, palmatine hydrochloride, and berberine hydrochloride) by the external standard method (ESM). With this HPLC method, the berberine hydrochloride was used as the internal standard (IS) to determine five relative correction factors (RCFs) of the five other alkaloids, and their contents in all samples were calculated by their RCFs at the same time. Compared with the content results determined by the ESM and QAMS, the feasibility and accuracy of QAMS method were verified. Results: Within a certain range, the RCFs of jatrorrhizine hydrochloride, columbamine hydrochloride, epiberberine hydrochloride, coptisine hydrochloride, and palmatine hydrochloride to berberine hydrochloride were 1.131, 0.999, 1.011, 1.076, and 1.025, respectively, with the good repeatability in different experimental conditions. There was no significant difference between the QAMS method and ESM method. Conclusion: The QAMS method is feasible and accurate for the simultaneous determination of the six alkaloids in crude and processed Coptidis Rhizoma.