Determination of aristolochic acid in traditional Chinese medicinal prescriptions, containing Radix Aristolochiae Fangchi, by HPLC

A high performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of aristolochic acid, a nephrotoxicant in traditional Chinese medicinal prescriptions containing Radix Aristolochiae Fangchi, was established. (The prescriptions included Mu-Fang-Ji-Tang, Fang-Ji-Huang-Qi-Tang, Shu-Jing-Huo-Xue-Tang, Xiao-Xu-Ming-Tang, Sliang-Zhong-Xia-Tong-Yong-Tong-Feng-Fang, and Fang-Ji-Fu-Ling-Tang.) The samples were analyzed by HPLC on a LiChrospher 100 RP-18e column and detected at 395 nm with acetonitrile water and 2% (v/v) acetic acid (45: 55, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The regression equations of aristolochic acid I was Y=2.85e+ 004X- 5.20e + 003 (r = 0.9999). The intraday and interday relative standard deviations of aristolochic acid I were at the levels of 0.31-2.01% and 0.09-1.85%, respectively. The recoveries of aristolochic acid I added in the six kinds of blank prescriptions were between 93.0 and 102.0%. Thirty four samples of commercial concentrated preparation containing Fang-Ji were analyzed and the results showed that fourteen samples contained aristolochic acid I. The contents of aristolochic acid I in samples were between 0.30 to 1.84 mg/g.