ABSTRACT
This article is aimed to establish the method of quality standards for highland barley Monascus.Microscopic and TLC were adopted to identify Araliataibaiensis. Referring the relevant method in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition) for the determination of its moisture, total ash, acid insoluble ash and extracts,lovastatin in acid and lactone form was determined using high performance liquid chromatography. The characteristics of highland barley Monascus in microscopic and TLC were obvious and specific. The contents in barley red yeast are: water 6.04%-8.78%, total ash 2.15%-2.92%, acid insoluble ash 0.23%-0.29%, water extracts 27.99%-30.17%; alcohol extracts 14.12%-18.51%. The ranges of lovastatin in acid and lactone form are 0.11%-0.29% and 0.02%-0.08%, respectively. The established method is simple, accurate, reliable and duplicable, and can be used to control the quality of highland barley Monascus.