Comparative study on HPLC-UV specific chromatograms of Paeoniae Radix Alba before and after sulfur-fumigation

Objective:To comparatively analyze HPLC-UV specific chromatograms of Paeoniae Radix Alba before and after sulfur-fumigation,so as to provide reliable methods for scientifically evaluating and effectively controlling the quality of Paeoniae Radix Alba.Methods:RP-HPLC method was employed,and the chromatographic conditions were as follows:Hypersil ODS C18 column(250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm),binary solvent delivery gradient elution of acetonitrile-water(containing 0.5% acetic acid) as mobile phase with a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1,photodiode array detector.The detective wavelength was set at 270 nm,and ten batches of sun-dried and sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba were respectively analyzed using paeoniflorin as the reference compound.Results:A satisfactory method for HPLC-UV specific chromatograms of Paeoniae Radix Alba before and after sulfur-fumigation was established.Totally 23 common peaks were observed in the specific chromatogram of sun-dried Paeoniae Radix Alba,while only 18 common peaks were found in the specific chromatogram of sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba.The 5th,13th,16th and 17th peaks were identified as gallic acid,catechin,albiflorin and paeoniflorin,respectively,by comparisons with the retention times and UV spectra of the reference substances.Conclusion:The constituents in Paeoniae Radix Alba changed remarkably after sulfur-fumigation;moreover,the contents in some common peaks of Paeoniae Radix Alba also changed in different degree before and after sulfur-fumigation.Taken together,sulfur-fumigation makes great impact on the quality of Paeoniae Radix Alba.