ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:To establish a method for the simultaneous determination of 5 xanthones in Swertia chirayita. METH-ODS:HPLC-EST-MS was conducted. The chromatographic conditions:the column was Waters Symmetry-C18 with mobile phase of water (5 mmol/L ammonium acetate- 0.1% formic acid)-methanol (gradient elution) at a flow rate of 0.8 ml/min,the detection warelength was 254 nm,column temperature was 30 ℃,and the injection volume was 10 μl;MS conditions:it was detected by positive ion,ion source ejection voltage was 4.5 kV,capillary temperature was 200 ℃,capillary voltage was 25 V,sheath gas flow rate was 35 arb,auxiliary gas flow rate was 20 arb,collision gas was helium,and detection method was multi-stage full scan mass spectrometry. RESULTS:The linear ranges for 1-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyxanthone,1-hydroxy-3,4,5-trimethoxyxanthone,1, 8-dihydroxy-3,dimethoxyxanthone,1-hydroxy-2,3,4,5-tetramethoxyxanthone and 1-hydroxy-2,3,4,7-tetramethoxyxanthone were all 0.5-15.00 μg/ml(r>0.999 0);RSDs of precision,stability and reproducibility tests were lower than 2%;recoveries were 100.03%-103.59%(RSD=0.99%,n=9)for 1-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyxanthone,97.41%-100.89%(RSD=1.15%,n=9)for 1-hy-droxy-3, 4, 5-trimethoxyxanthone, 99.13% -101.68%(RSD=1.40% , n=9) for 1, 8-dihydroxy-3, 5-dimethoxyxanthone, 100.21%-103.51%(RSD=1.33%,n=9)for 1-hydroxy-2,3,4,5-tetramethoxyxanthone,100.56%-103.92%(RSD=1.37%,n=9) for 1-hydroxy-2,3,4,7-tetramethoxyxanthone. CONCLUSIONS:The method is simple,stable and reproducible,and can be used for the simultaneous determination of 5 xanthones in S. chirayita.