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. 2012:2012:936131.
doi: 10.1155/2012/936131. Epub 2012 Apr 11.

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Aconitum Alkaloids in Raw and Processed Chuanwu and Caowu by HPLC in Combination with Automated Analytical System and ESI/MS/MS

Aimin Sun  1 , Bo Gao, Xueqing Ding, Chi-Ming Huang, Paul Pui-Hay But
Affiliations

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Aconitum Alkaloids in Raw and Processed Chuanwu and Caowu by HPLC in Combination with Automated Analytical System and ESI/MS/MS

Aimin Sun et al. J Anal Methods Chem. 2012.

Abstract

HPLC in combination with automated analytical system and ESI/MS/MS was used to analyze aconitine (A), mesaconitine (MA), hypaconitine (HA), and their benzoyl analogs in the Chinese herbs Caowu and Chuanwu. First, an HPLC method was developed and validated to determine A, MA, and HA in raw and processed Caowu and Chuanwu. Then an automated analytical system and ESI/MS/MS were applied to analyze these alkaloids and their semihydrolyzed products. The results obtained from automated analytical system are identical to those from ESI/MS/MS, which indicated that the method is a convenient and rapid tool for the qualitative analysis of herbal preparations. Furthermore, HA was little hydrolyzed by heating processes and thus it might account more for the toxicity of processed aconites. Hence, HA could be used as an indicator when one alkaloid is required as a reference to monitor the quality of raw and processed Chuanwu and Caowu. In addition, the raw and processed Chuanwu and Caowu can be distinguished by monitoring the ratio of A and MA to HA.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
HPLC chromatograms of aconitine (A), mesaconitine (MA), hypaconitine (HA), and their corresponding semi-hydrolyzed products benzoylaconitine (BA), benzoylmesaconitine (BMA), and benzoylhypaconitine (BHA) in different gradient programs (a)–(d) (see Table 1).
Figure 2
Figure 2
HPLC chromatograms of raw Chuanwu (a) and processed Chuanwu (b).
Figure 3
Figure 3
A chromatogram of A, MA, and HA obtained by automated analytical system (S1, S2 are internal standards).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The ESI/MS spectra of (a) the mixture of A, MA, and HA standards at 1 μg/mL level; (b) the decocted Chuanwu (the time of decoction was 0.5 h).
Figure 5
Figure 5
ESI/MS/MS spectra of A standard (a), HA standard (c), MA standard (b), and HA in decocted Chuanwu (d).
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