ABSTRACT
ObjectTo develop the reliable RP-HPLC methods for the determination of salidroside, tyrosol, rosavin, rosin, and rosarin in the plants of Rhodiola L. and to evaluate their species from different habitats. Methods Method Ⅰ: methanol-water (0.5 mmol/L SDS in 1% acetic acid aqueous solution) system for the analysis of salidroside; method Ⅱ: acetonitrile-water system for rosavin; method Ⅲ: aqueous acetonitrile-phosphoric gradient system for salidroside, tyrosol, rosavin, rosin, and rosarin. Results The contents of salidroside in different species range from 0.021% to 1.420%, and those of rosavin in all species are very limited or undetected except in Rhodiola rosea L. and R. sachalinensis. The contents of the five marker ingredients are significantly species- and habitat-dependent. Conclusion Three RP-HPLC methods are established for quantitative analysis of the above five marker ingredients in the meantime, respectively. Evaluation of the quality of varied species of Rhodiola L. shows that R. rosea growing in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and R. sachalinensis growing in Jilin province are the two better species contained with abundant above-mentioned ingredients in China.