Analysis of three lupane type triterpenoids in Helicteres angustifolia by high-performance liquid chromatography

Kang-chih-ma is the dried roots and stems of Helicteres angustifolia (Sterc uliaceae) and a commonly used folk herbal drug in Taiwan. It possesses anti -dotal, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects and is also known as a kind of tumor inhibitory plant. To evaluate the quality of H. a ngustifolia, a simple, rapid and accurate high-performance liquid chromatog raphic (HPLC) method was developed for the assay of three lupane type trite rpenes: 3 beta -acetoxy-27-benzoyloxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid methyl ester (methyl helicterate), 3 beta -acetoxy-27-benzoyloxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic ac id, and 3 beta -acetoxy-27-(p-hydroxyl) benzoyloxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid methyl ester. The present HPLC system used an Inertsil ODS-2 column by gra dient elution with acetonitrile and water as the mobile phase and detected at UV 230 nm. Regression equations revealed good linear relationships (corr elation coefficients: 0.9922-0.9997). The relative standard deviations of t hese three constituents ranged between 1.05-3.14% (intraday) and 2.12-4.38% (interday). The contents of these three constituents of the heartwood and the bark of the roots of H. angustifolia in five different samples have als o been determined. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.