A new comprehensive procedure for the quality control of Semen Cassiae and its application in evaluating commercially available material in China

Aim: To establish a more comprehensive and suitable procedure for the quality control of Semen Cassiae which can be used to supplement the evaluation procedure adopted by the Pharmacopoeia of the Peoples Republic of China.

Methods: A HPLC assay-based comprehensive quality evaluation procedure for Semen Cassiae using three bioactive compounds including Anthraquinones and naphthopyrones, i.e., chrysophanol-1-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), rubrofusarin-6-O-β-D-gentiobioside (2) and toralactone-9-O-β-D-gentiobioside (3) as the index components was established. The resultant data were further analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) and data distribution methods using software SPSS 16.0.

Results: Sixty-six batches of Semen Cassiae obtained from various regions of China were analyzed with the procedure. Based on the test results of these batches, the content limits of the three bioactive compounds in Semen Cassiae were proposed.

Conclusion: The procedure established herein is more comprehensive and appropriate for the quality evaluation of Semen Cassiae commercially available in China, and can be used as a useful supplement to the current official method in China for the quality evaluation of Semen Cassiae.