ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effect factors and rules of the different crushing and sieving methods on the compounds contents of Euodiae Fructus (EF), and to propose an optimized crushing and sieving method which can reflect the sampling representativeness and reduce errors. Methods The bioactive compounds such as chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, dehydroevodiamine, evodiamine, rutaecarpine, and evocarpine were selected as the evaluation markers. The effects of the different crushing and sieving conditions were evaluated by comparing the contents and analytical precisions of EF components under different conditions by HPLC. The influencing factors and the rules were discussed and the suitable crushing and sieving method was then proposed. Results The contents of six components in EF were negatively correlated with the proportions of the endocarps in powders. Most intraday and intermediate precisions of six bioactive compounds don't meet the standards using the current pharmacopoeia method with RSD > 5%. And when all powders passing through 2# sieve, the good analytical precision and repeatability were obtained with RSD < 2%. Conclusion The cellulose particles, such as endocarps, are the key factors during the crushing and sieving process of the herbs. The crushing and sieving method with all powders passing through 2# sieve not only ensures the sampling representativeness, but also solves the analytical precision and accuracy.