Determination of alkaloids in Sophora flavescens ait. and Sophora viciifolia hance by capillary zone electrophoresis

Capillary zone electrophoretic (CZE) separation of pharmacologically active alkaloids, matrine, sophocarpine, sophoridine, oxymatrine, and oxysophocar pine, was systematically optimized, and their contents in different parts o f Sophora species were quantitatively determined within 16 min under the fo llowing optimized conditions: 0.04 mol/L citrate buffer system at pH 4.5, a pplied voltage 30 kV, capillary temperature 25 degreesC, and diode array de tection at 201 nm. The recoveries are from 90 to 108%, with repeatability r anging from 0.7 to 4.2% (relative standard deviation) and the detection lim its ranging from 0.032 to 0.070 mg/mL (signal to noise ratio = 3). The prop osed CZE method is suitable for routine analysis and quality control of her bal medicines that contain these alkaloids. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc .