Simultaneous Quantitative Analysis of Five Alkaloids in Rhizoma of Coptis chinensis by Multi-Components Assay by Single Marker

OBJECTIVE To establish a new method of quality evaluation and validate its feasibilities by the simultaneous quantitative assay of five alkaloids in rhizome of Coptis chinensis.METHODS The new quality evaluation method,quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker(QAMS),was established and validated with rhizoma of Coptis chinensis.Five main alkaloids,berberine,palmatine,coptisine,epiberberine and jatrorrhizine,were selected as analytes to evaluate the quality.Their contents in 28 batches of samples,collected from different areas,were determined by both external standard method and QAMS.The method was evaluated by comparison of the quantitative results between external standard method and QAMS.RESULTS No significant differences were found in the quantitative results of five alkaloids in 28 batches of Coptis chinensis determined by external standard method and QAMS(RSD5%).CONCLUSION It is feasible and suitable to evaluate the quality of rhizome of Coptis chinensis by QAMS.