Determination of Biflavones from Selaginella by HPLC

bjective: To establish a HPLC method for the determination of biflavones from herbs of Selaginella Spring. Methods: The column was Elite - ODS (5μm, 150 mm ×4. 6 mm) ; the mobile phase consisted of methanol and phosphate buffer, the gradient condition was 0→6 min, methanol 47. 5%→70. 0% ; the column temperature was 40℃ ; the flow rate was 1. 5 mL · min-1 and the detection was done at 330 nm. Results: The average recoveries of amentoflavone, hinokiflavone and ginkgetin were 97. 05% , 98. 45% and 96. 88% ( RSD = 2. 1% , 2. 8% , 2. 3% , n =3) respectively. Amentoflavone was a common component and its contents from 12 species of Selaginella Spring were markedly different. It also showed from HPLC the difference in distributions and contents of hinokiflavone and ginkgetin from Selaginella Spring. Conclusion: This method was simple, sensitive and rapid and was very suitable for the determination of biflavones.