RESUMEN
To develop the HPLC method for simultaneous determination of febrifugine and isofebrifugine in Dichroa febrifuga root, and on the basis of this, the feasibility of quantitative analysis of multi-component by a single-marker (QAMS) model for the determination of the two alkaloids was investigated. The chromatographic separation was performed on an octadecyl bonded silica gel column with mixed solvent consisting of acetonitrile-water-glacial acetic acid-triethylamine (9∶91∶0.36∶0.745) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL•min⁻¹. The detection wavelength was set at 225 nm, and the column temperature was set at 30 ℃. The linear range of febrifugine and isofebrifugine were 10.7-426 ng and 10.6-424 ng, respectively. Their average recovery were 98.33% (RSD 2.7%) and 100.4% (RSD 1.8%), respectively. On the basis of this established method, febrifugine was used as the internal reference substance to calculate the relative correction factors (RCF) and the relative retention values (RRV) of isofebrifugine to febrifugine. Through a series of methodology evaluations, the two alkaloids were simultaneously assayed only by quantitative determination of febrifugine. This result played the part of demonstration role for the application of QAMS model in the determination of isomers.