Studies On Fingerprint For Herba Ephedrae And Determination For Alkaloids Contents In Herba Ephedrae With HPLC

Ephedra, including Ephedra sinica Stapf., Ephedra intermedia Schrenk ex C.A. Mey and Ephedra equisetina Bge, belongs to the family Ephedraceae. Planted Herba Ephedrae is used as medicine more and more. Fingerprint methods with HPLC for Herba Ephedrae reported have no the indexs of ephedrine alkaloids. Because ephedrine alkaloids are the active ingredients for Herba Ephedrae, the fingerprint of Herba Ephedrae with the characteristic signs for ephedrine alkaloids should been established.Ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and methylephedrine are the principal active ingredients in Herba Ephedrae. Ephedrine in Herba Ephedrae is determined with HPLC in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. And there are assay methods reported for Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine in Herba Ephedrae. An HPLC method for the determination of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and methylephedrine in Herba Ephedrae is better than others for evaluation of the quality of Herba Ephedrae.OBJECTIVES1) To establish an HPLC fingerprint method for Herba Ephedrae with the characteristic signs for ephedrine alkaloids.2) To establish an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of Ephedrine, Pseudoephedrine and Methylephedrine in Herba Ephedrae.METHODSFingerprint for Herba Ephedrae with HPLC: 20% ethanol as...