ABSTRACT
A quantitative analytical method for multi-components with a single-marker (QAMS) was established for simultaneous determination of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid in Artemisia capillaris Thunb standard decoction. The separation was performed on a Waters CORTECS T3 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 2.7 μm), with the mobile phase consisting of 0.05% phosphate acid solution-acetonitrile for gradient elution. The column temperature was 30 ℃, and flow rate was 0.5 mL·min-1. Using chlorogenic acid as an internal reference, the relative correlation factors of neochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid were calculated following UHPLC, as 0.928 0, 0.546 2, 1.099 8, 0.872 1, 1.086 8, 0.739 2, 1.056 6, respectively. The results were compared with those obtained by the external standard method to verify the feasibility, rationality and repeatability of QAMS method. There was no significant difference in assay results between QAMS and the external standard method. In conclusion, the QAMS method is accurate and feasible, and could be used to determine the content such as neochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid in Artemisia capillaris Thunb standard decoction.