Study on Stability of Volatile Oil Extracted fromYinqiaosan Decoction / 中国中医药信息杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the factors affecting the stability of the volatile oil extracted fromYinqiaosan Decoction.Methods The main chemical compositions and the extraction repetitiveness of the compound volatile oil were determined by GC-MS, and the stability of multiple extracted volatile oil was studied. Absorbance of the compound volatile oil was used as the evaluation index, and the factors affecting the stability of the of the compound volatile oil were investigated, such as illumination, temperatures and pH values of volatile oil solution and metal ions.Results The results of the GC-MS chromatograph indicated that the main chemical compositions of the compound volatile oil extracted fromYinqiaosan Decoction twice were the same. The results of the stability of the volatile oil showed that the preservation temperature and illumination affected the stability of the volatile oil to a certain extent. The absorbance values of the compound volatile oil changed slowly when it was stored at a relatively low temperature (4℃) and shielded from light, and it was less stable when stored in normal temperature and under illumination. Meanwhile, the absorbance of the compound volatile oil changed quickly in acid or alkaline solutions and was in instability. The metal ions, such as Cu2+ and Fe3+, have chemical reactions with the compositions of the compound volatile oil and there was a big change in the UV-Vis spectrum of the compound volatile oils.Conclusion The compound volatile oil should be stored at a relatively low temperature (4℃) and shielded from light. At the same time, it should be stored avoiding acids, alkaline and the metal ions, such as Cu2+ and Fe3+, to guarantee its stability. This study provides a reference for the preservation conditions and the preparation conditions of the compound volatile oil extracted fromYinqiaosan Decoction.