Simultaneous determination method of four marker components, paeoniflorin, loganin, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde and paeonol in traditional herbal medicine, Yukmijihwang tang, was developed to achieve rapidly and systematic quality control by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection. To develop this high performance liquid chromatography method, C(18) column (5 microm, 120 A, 4.6 mm x 150 mm) was used with gradient elution of water and methanol as mobile phase. Validation of the chromatography method was evaluated by linearity, recovery, and precision test. Calibration curves of standard components showed excellent linearity with R(2) > 0.9990. Limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the ranges 0.01-0.02 and 0.04-0.07 microg/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviations of data of the intra-day and inter-day experiments were less than 1.15% and 3.76%, respectively. The results of recovery test were found to range from 94.88 to 107.43% with relative standard deviation values 0.07-2.66%. The results of validation suggested that this method was very accurate and stabilized.

A HPLC-DAD method was established for the simultaneous evaluation of five bioactive compounds in Ssanghwa tang (SHT) including glycyrrhizin, paeoniflorin, cinnamic acid, decursin and 6-gingerol. These compounds were separated in less than 40 min using a Dionex C18 column with a gradient elution system of water and methanol at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. Calibration curve of standard components presented excellent linear regression (R2 > 0.9903) within the test range. Limit of detection and limit of quantification varied from 0.07 to 0.46 μg/ml and 0.13 to 1.11 μg/ml, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of data of the intraday and interday experiments were less than 3.67 and 5.73%, respectively. The accuracy of recovery test ranged from 95.98 to 105.88% with RSD values 0.10– 4.82%.