Simultaneous determination of five aristolochic acids and two aristololactams in Aristolochia plants by high-performance liquid chromatography

An HPLC method was developed for the simultaneous determination of five aristolochic acids (AAs) and two aristololactams (ALs) in the following six Chinese drugs derived from Aristolochia species. Samples were analyzed on a C(18) column with acetonitrile and 3.7 mm phosphoric acid buffer gradient elution, detected at 260 nm. Assay was linear over the range (microg/mL) 0.386-38.6 for aristolochic acid Va, 0.632-63.2 for aristolochic acid IVa, 0.200-20.0 for 9-hydroxy aristolochic acid I, 0.352-35.2 for aristololactam II, 0.296-29.6 for aristolochic acid II, 0.274-27.4 for aristololactam I and 3.12-312 for aristolochic acid I. Average recoveries (%) of samples were 102.0, 95.9, 99.2, 102.2, 97.2, 97.1 and 97.8 for these seven constituents, respectively. The detection limit and retention time for the seven constituents ranged from 10.0 to 15.8 ng/mL and from 12 to 21 min. As a result of drug determination, contents (in mg/g) were as follows: AA-I, 0.69-1.77; AA-II, 0.02-0.18; 9-OH AA-I, 0.04-0.12; AA-IVa, 0.76-3.36; AA-Va, 0.04-0.31; AL-I, 0.07-0.36; and AL-II, 0.01-0.09 in Madouling; AA-I, 0.03-0.41; AA-II, 0.01-0.11; 9-OH AA-I, 0.00-0.60; AA-IVa, 0.00-0.77; AA-Va, 0.00-0.14; and AL-I, 0.00-0.04 in Tianxianteng; AA-I, 1.19-4.71; and AA-II, 0.24-1.69 in Qingmuxiang; AA-I, 2.79-5.48; AA-II, 1.06-1.86; 9-OH AA-I, 0.01-0.09; AA-IVa, 0.38-0.69; AA-Va, 0.00-0.61; AL-I, 0.00-0.02; and AL-II, 0.00-0.02 in Bei-madouling-gen; AA-I, 0.64-4.23; AA-II, 0.06-0.40; and AA-IVa, 0.08-0.25; in Guangfangji; and AA-I, 1.88-9.72; AA-II, 0.26-1.88; and AA-IVa, 0.09-0.52 in Guanmutong. The other constituents were not detected in Tianxianteng, Qingmuxiang, Guangfangji and Guanmutong.