Study on specific chromatograms of Crocus sativus and authenticity identification / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective: To establish the method for the specific chromatograms analysis of Crocus sativus, so as to distinguish the active constituents between saffron and gardenia. Methods: HPLC with ZorBax XDB-C18 column was used, the mobile phase was a linear gradient of methanol containing 0.5% acetic acid and water containing 0.5% acetic acid in 45 min, the detection wavelength was set at 254 nm and the flow-rate was 1.0 mL/min. Results: Multi batches of samples were analyzed to establish the specific chromatograms. Eight marked peaks were separated. The methodological evaluation showed that the method had a good repeatability. The active constituents between saffron and gardenia could be significantly distinguished by this method. Conclusion: The method is simple, rapid, and accurate with good reproducibility and can be used for the quality control and identification of C. sativus.