Separation and quantitation of notopterol enantiomers in notopterygii rhizoma et radix using solid-phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

In this study, a specific, sensitive, and reliable high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for the quantitative determination of notopterol enantiomers in Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix. Solid-phase extraction was used for the extraction of notopterol enantiomers from Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix. Enantiomeric separation of notopterol was achieved on a Chiralpak IA column with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-water (50:50, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. Quantification was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry equipped with an electrospray ionization source in the positive ionization and multiple reaction monitoring mode. The lower limit of quantification and lower limit of detection were 0.09 and 0.04 mg/g for each enantiomer in NRR samples. And each enantiomer showed good linearity (R2≥0.999) in the range of 0.09-9.55 mg/g. The precision, repeatability, and stability were all within satisfaction. The average recoveries of (-)-notopterol and (+)-notopterol were demonstrated to be 99.3 % and 101.1 %, respectively, with the relative standard deviations less than 5.0 %. Finally, the validated method was successfully applied to the quantification of notopterol enantiomers in Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix from different sources.

[Chemical constituents from rhizome of Menispermum dauricum and their anti-hypoxic activities].

To study the chemical constituents from the rhizome of Menispermum dauricum,fifteen compounds,N-methylcorydaldine( 1),thalifoline( 2),stepholidine( 3),acutumine( 4),daurisoline( 5),acutumidine( 6),dauricicoline( 7),bianfugecine( 8),6-O-demethylmenisporphine( 9),bianfugedine( 10),dauricoside( 11),eleutheroside D( 12),aristolactone( 13),aristoloterpenateⅠ( 14) and aristolochic acid( 15) were isolated from 75% ethanol extract of Menispermi Rhizoma by using thin layer chromatography and column chromatography methods. Their structures were identified based on their physicochemical properties and spectral data. Among them,compounds 12-15 were obtained from the genus Menispermum for the first time. Six alkaloids with higher contents were subjected to evaluate the anti-hypoxic activities by using MTT method. As a result,six alkaloids exhibited significant anti-hypoxia activities.

Simultaneous quantification of Schisandrin B enantiomers in rat plasma by chiral LC-MS/MS: Application in a stereoselective pharmacokinetic study.

Schisandrin B (Sch B) has received much attention owing to its various biological activities. Schisandrin B exists as a racemate in "wuweizi", a traditional Chinese medicine in China. In the present study, a novel chiral LC-MS/MS method was developed for enantioselective separation and determination of Schisandrin B in rat plasma. The plasma samples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). Schisandrol B was used as internal standard. Chiral separation was obtained on a Chiralpak IC column using 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in mixture of methanol and water (90:10, v/v) as a mobile phase. Parameters including the selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, extraction recovery, matrix effect and stability were evaluated. The method described here is simple and reproducible. The lower limit of quantification of 5.0 ng/mL for each Sch B enantiomer permits the use of the method in investigating the stereoselective pharmacokinetics of Sch B. Following racemic Sch B and "wuweizi" extracts, the area under the curve of (8R, 8'S)-Sch B was statistically higher than the one of (8S, 8' R)-Sch B, with a ratio of 1.16-1.40 in three cases. This study firstly reports the development and validation of enantioselective behavior of Sch B in vivo, and provides a reference for clinical practice and encourages further research into Sch B enantioselective metabolism and drug interactions.

A novel UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of 10 effective constituents in the Jixingshizhen preparation.

A novel, reliable and reproducible UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated to determine simultaneously the 10 bioactive constituents (baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, wogonin, luteoloside, dictamnine, fraxinellone, obacunone, geniposidic acid and glycyrrhizic acid) in Jixingshizhen (JXSZ) preparation. Briefly, chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters BEH C18 column with gradient elution employing a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. All analytes containing internal standard (verapamil) were detected without interference in the multiple reaction monitoring mode with positive electrospray ionization. Further, a comprehensive validation of the method was rigorously executed according to the guidelines of the International Conference on Harmonization and Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 Edition). The results indicated that the validated method afforded desired linearity, precision, accuracy, sensitivity and stability. At length, the newly established method was successfully applied to quantify the 10 effective ingredients in JXSZ granules from different production batches, indicating the proposed method in this paper was particularly preferable for the routine analysis of JXSZ preparation as well as the quality control, particularly in situations where high sample throughput and fast analytical speed are required.

Simultaneous determination of shanzhiside methyl ester, 8-O-acetylshan- zhiside methyl ester and luteolin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside in rat plasma by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its application to a pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of Lamiophlomis rotata Pill.

A rapid, sensitive and specific ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of shanzhiside methyl ester, 8-O-acetylshanzhiside methyl ester and luteolin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside of Lamiophlomis rotata Pill in rat plasma was developed and validated. After liquid-liquid extraction with n-butyl alcohol/ethyl acetate (70:30, v/v), analytes and paeoniflorin (internal standard, IS) were separated on an Acquity BEH UPLC C18 column (100 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 µm) with gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. All calibration curves had good linearity (r>0.9929) over the concentration ranges of 1-1000 ng/mL for shanzhiside methyl ester and 8-O-acetylshanzhiside methyl ester, 0.3-150 ng/mL for luteolin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside. The intra- and inter-day precisions were all within 11.1% and the accuracy (relative error, RE%) all ranged from -13.6% to 5.3%. The method also guaranteed an acceptable selectivity, recovery and stability, which was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of the three analytes in rats after oral administration of Lamiophlomis rotata Pill.

Microwave-assisted extraction in combination with HPLC-UV for quantitative analysis of six bioactive oxoisoaporphine alkaloids in Menispermum dauricum DC.

A novel and reliable method based on microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) followed by HPLC-UV was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of six pharmacologically important oxoisoaporphine alkaloids in the total plants of Menispermum dauricum DC. The optimal MAE extraction condition was performed at 60°C for 11 min with ethanol-water (70:30, v/v) as the extracting solvent, and the solvent to solid ratio was 20:1. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a reversed-phase YMC C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, i.d., 5 µm) with a gradient mobile phase consisting of A (1% aqueous formic acid) and B (acetonitrile containing 1% formic acid) at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. The detection wavelength was set at 422 nm. Excellent linearity over the investigated concentration ranges was observed with values of r >0.999 for all analytes. The method developed was validated with acceptable sensitivity, intra- and inter-day precision and extraction recoveries. It was successfully applied to the determination of six alkaloids in Menispermum dauricum DC from different sources and different parts of Menispermum dauricum DC. The results obtained indicated that the method is suitable for the quality control of Menispermum dauricum DC.

A sensitive and selective UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of 10 alkaloids from Rhizoma Menispermi in rat plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for simultaneous quantitation of 10 alkaloids (dauricine, daurisoline, N-desmethyldauricine, dauricicoline, dauriporphinoline, bianfugecine, dauricoside, stepholidine, acutumine and acutumidine) from Rhizoma Menispermi in rat plasma. After addition of internal standard (verapamil), plasma samples were pretreated by a single-step protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters BEH C18 column with gradient elution using a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and water (containing 0.1% formic acid) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The analytes were detected without interference in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with positive electrospray ionization. The validated method exhibited good linearity over a wide concentration range (r≥0.9914), and the lower limits of quantification were 0.01-5.0 ng/mL for all the analytes. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (RSD) at three different levels were both less than 13.4% and the accuracies (RE) ranged from -12.8% to 13.5%. The mean extraction recoveries of analytes and IS from rat plasma were all more than 77%. The validated method was successfully applied to a comparative pharmacokinetic study of 10 alkaloids in rat plasma after oral administration of Rhizoma Menispermi extract.

Disposition of Astragaloside IV via Enterohepatic Circulation Is Affected by the Activity of the Intestinal Microbiome.

Astragaloside IV (ASIV) is a typical bioactive constituent of Radix Astragali. The study aimed to investigate the enterohepatic circulation of ASIV and evaluate the impact of activity of intestinal microbiota on the deposition of ASIV. The amounts of ASIV and its metabolites were quantified by an LC-MS/MS method. ASIV was metabolized by intestinal bacteria to form brachyoside B (Bra B), cyclogaleginoside B (Cyc B), cycloastragenol (CA), iso-cycloastragenol (iso-CA), and dehydrogenated metabolite of CA (CA-2H). CA and iso-CA circulated in blood besides ASIV when rats received ASIV intragastrically or intravenously. After rats were intragastrically administered 10 mg/kg ASIV, the AUC0-t values of ASIV, CA, and iso-CA were 109 ± 55, 26.8 ± 17.9, and 77.9 ± 35.1 nM·h, respectively. The plasma distribution of ASIV was significantly affected by bile duct drainage when ASIV was administered through the duodenum. ASIV, Bra B, and Cyc B were secreted from bile after duodenal administration of ASIV. Antibiotics markedly inhibited the metabolism of ASIV in intestinal microbiota. After rats were pretreated with antibiotics, the AUC0-t of iso-CA was 4.8 times less than that in control rats and the concentration of CA became undetectable. Variations in intestinal microbiota may change the disposition of ASIV and subsequently influence its potential health benefits.

Simultaneous determination of icariin, naringin and osthole in rat plasma by UPLC-MS/MS and its application for pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of Gushudan capsules.

A rapid, sensitive and selective ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of icariin, naringin and osthole in rat plasma. Plasma samples pretreatment involved a one-step liquid-liquid extraction with a mixture of ethyl acetate-methyl tert-butyl ether (3:1, ν/ν). The separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC™ BEH C18 column with a gradient mobile phase system of methanol and water. The detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization (ESI) by multiple reactions monitoring (MRM), with the transitions at m/z 513.3→366.8 (icariin), m/z 579.3→150.9 (naringin), m/z 245.1→189.0 (osthole) and m/z 237.1→194.1 (IS), respectively. A good linear response was observed over the concentration ranges of 1.06-424ng/ml, 2.10-525ng/ml and 1.05-1.05×10(3)ng/ml with lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 1.06, 2.10 and 1.05ng/ml for icariin, naringin and osthole, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precisions (R.S.D.) were within 14.3%, and the accuracy (R.E.) ranged from -4.1% to 4.6% at three quality control levels. The sensitive and selective method was applied to a pharmacokinetic study of icarrin, naringin and osthole in rats after oral administration of Gushudan capsule.

Simultaneous quantification of 10 saponins in Chinese Shizhu Panax by UPLC-ESI-MS.

A simple and rapid method was established and validated for the simultaneous quantification of 10 saponins, namely ginsenosides-Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Rg1, Rg2, Re, Rf and Notoginsenside R1, in Chinese Shizhu Panax by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with an electrospray mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS). In addition, the contents of the analytes in different parts of Chinese Shizhu Panax were also analysed. The results showed that the concentration of saponins had a reference to the different parts of Chinese Shizhu Panax. The established method could be used as a new analytical approach for assessment of the quantity of Chinese Shizhu Panax.

Comparative pharmacokinetics study of a kaurane diterpenoid after oral administration of monomer and Siegesbeckiae pubescens Makino extract to rats.

In this paper, a sensitive, rapid and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to analyze 16α-hydro-ent-kauran-17,19-dioic acid in rat plasma. First, this study compared the pharmacokinetics of 16α-hydro-ent-kauran-17,19-dioic acid after oral administration of monomer and Siegesbeckiae pubescens Makino extract in rat plasma with approximately the same dosage of 6.0 mg/kg. Second, chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters Symmetry C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 3.5 µm) with isocratic elution using methanol-water containing 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate (70:30, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 30-12000 ng/mL for monomer. At different time points (0, 0.083, 0.25, 0.75, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 h) after administration, the concentrations of monomer in rat plasma were determined and main pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated. The double absorption presented in this study indicates that the pharmacokinetics of monomer in rat plasma have significant differences between different groups.

Simultaneous determination of three purines in Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC. by hollow fiber-based liquid-phase microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography.

In this paper, a three-phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) method combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the determination of hypoxanthine (HX), xanthine (Xan) and adenine (A) and then for the first time successfully applied to the analysis of HX, Xan and A in Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC. medicinal materials. Different factors affecting the HF-LPME procedure were investigated and optimized. Under optimal extraction conditions (1-octanol as organic solvent, pH of the donor and acceptor phase 10.0 and 3.5, respectively, extraction time 40 min, stirring rate 800 rpm and salt addition 10%, w/v), HX, Xan and A could be determined within the test ranges with a good correlation coefficient (r(2) > 0.9992). The limit of detection for HX, Xan and A was 153, 173 and 97 ng/mL, respectively, and the intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were no more than 9.8%. The content of HX, Xan and A in Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC. medicinal materials was 120.40, 18.37 and 62.75 µg/g, respectively. This procedure afforded a convenient, sensitive, accurate and inexpensive method with a high extraction efficiency for determination of HX, Xan and A.

Simultaneous quantification of Kirenol and ent-16ß,17-dihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid from Herba Siegesbeckiae in rat plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its application to pharmacokinetic studies.

A rapid and specific liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of two active diterpenoids: Kirenol and ent-16ß,17-dihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid (DHKA) from Herba Siegesbeckiae in rat plasma using osthole as an internal standard (IS). Plasma sample pretreatment involved a one-step liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters Symmetry C18 column (2.1mm×100mm, 3.5µm) with isocratic elution using methanol-5mmol/L aqueous ammonium acetate (80:20, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.2mL/min. The detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode under positive and negative electrospray ionization. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 50.0-25,000ng/mL for Kirenol, and 25.0-12,500ng/mL for DHKA. The extraction recoveries of the two analytes and the IS were all over 85%. The intra- and inter-day precision (relative standard deviation) values were less than 16.8% and the accuracy (relative error) ranged from -10.7 to 10.6% at four quality control levels. The validated method was successfully applied to a comparative pharmacokinetic study of the two diterpenoids in rat plasma after intragastric administration of Kirenol, DHKA and Herba Siegesbeckiae extract. The results showed that there were obvious differences between the pharmacokinetic behaviors after oral administration of Herba Siegesbeckiae extract compared with each of the substances alone.

Simultaneous determination of seven major diterpenoids in Siegesbeckia pubescens Makino by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light scattering detection.

A novel HPLC method with evaporative light scattering detection was developed for the simultaneous quantification of seven major diterpenoids of two types, including ent-pimarane type: Kirenol, Hythiemoside B, Darutigenol, and ent-kaurane type: ent-16ß,17,18-trihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid, ent-17,18-dihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid, ent-16ß,17-dihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid, 16α-hydro-ent-kauran-17,19-dioic acid in the aerial parts of Siegesbeckia pubescens Makino, an important traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters Symmetry Shield(TM) RP18 column (250 mm× 4.6 mm id, 5 µm) with a gradient mobile phase (A: 0.3% v/v aqueous formic acid and B: acetonitrile) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The drift tube temperature of evaporative light scattering detection was set at 103°C, and nitrogen flow rate was 3.0 L/min. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, LOD, and LOQ. All calibration curves showed a good linear relationship (r > 0.999) in test range. Precision was evaluated by intra- and interday tests that showed RSDs were less than 3.5%. Accuracy validation showed that the recovery was between 96.5 and 102.0% with RSDs below 2.8%. The validated method was successfully applied to determine the contents of seven diterpenoids in the different parts of Siegesbeckia pubescens Makino from two sources and to determine the contents of ent-pimarane, ent-kaurane, and total diterpenoids.

Qualitative analysis of the chemical constituents in Hedyotis diffusa by HPLC-TOF-MS.

A high performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (HPLC-TOF-MS) method was developed for analysing the chemical constituents in Hedyotis diffusa, which is widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the field of cancer treatment. The compounds were identified either by comparing the retention time and mass spectrometry data with those of reference compounds or by analysing mass spectrometry data and retrieving reference literature. Among the detected chromatographic peaks, nine components were unambiguously identified, most of which were iridoids. This study is expected to provide an effective and reliable pattern for comprehensive and systematic characterisation of the complex TCM systems.

Simultaneous quantification of eight major constituents in Herba Siegesbeckiae by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry.

A simple and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of the major diterpenoids and flavonoids in the aerial parts of Herba Siegesbeckiae, including Kirenol, hythiemoside B, ent-16ß,17,18-trihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid, ent-17,18-dihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid, ent-16ß,17-dihydroxy-kauran-19-oic acid, 16α-hydro-ent-kauran-17,19-dioic acid, Rhamnetin, 3',4'-dimethoxy quercetin. The separation of eight compounds was performed on a Waters Symmetry Shield TM RP18 column (250mm×4.6mm i.d., 5µm) with gradient elution using a mobile phase consisting of 0.1% aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid in selected ion monitoring mode. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r>0.999) within the test ranges. The precision was evaluated by intra- and inter-day tests, which revealed relative standard deviation (RSD) values less than 3.7%. The recoveries for the quantified compounds were between 97.4 and 101.2% with RSD values below 2.4%. According to the literatures, this study represents the first investigation of the simultaneous analysis of multiple components and the method can be applied to determine the amounts of the major compounds in Herba Siegesbeckiae.

An aptameric molecular beacon-based "Signal-on" approach for rapid determination of rHuEPO-alpha.

The aim of this work is to describe the first example of aptameric molecular beacon (MB)-based probe for the detection of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO-alpha) in physiological buffer, using a novel 35 nt ssDNA aptamer (807-35 nt) originally isolated by Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment (SELEX) technique in our laboratory. Both "Signal-on" and "Signal-off" MB modes were developed, respectively, in which the conformational alteration of aptamer before and after binding to rHuEPO-alpha can be demonstrated in terms of the correspondingly fluorescent changes. Comparing with "Signal-off" mode, "Signal-on" mode provided higher sensitivity, while with the addition of target rHuEPO-alpha, quenching between fluorescent 807-35 nt aptamer (F-Apt) and a short quencher-labeled complementary sequence (QDNA) was disturbed by the specific binding between rHuEPO-alpha and F-Apt. QDNA was thus loosened and released from F-Apt, leading to a consequently full fluorescent restoration. Systematic optimization of parameters in "Signal-on" mode were carried out, the choice of QDNA length, the hybridization site of a small supplementary DNA (SDNA) stabilizer, and the existence of Mg(2+) cation played essential roles for the performance characterization. A convenient and sensitive determination of rHuEPO-alpha with a LOD of 0.4 nM was achieved.

[Simultaneous determination of four components in Hedyotis diffusa oral solution by reversed-phase HPLC].

OBJECTIVE: A new method for simultaneous determination of four methyl-3, 4-dihydroxybenzoate ( I ), P-coumaric acid (II), ferulaic acid (III) and E-6-O-P-coumaroyl scandoside methyl ester (IV) in Hedyotis diffusa oral solution by reversed-phase HPLC was developed. METHOD: The separation was performed on a Diamonsil C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) with gradient elution. A-acetonitrile, B-methonal-water-glacial acetic acid (5: 95: 0.25), 0-20 min, 1% -16% A; 2042 min, 16% A; 42-46 min, 16%-20%A; 46-65 min, 20% A. The UV detection was set at 265 nm; flow rate 1.0 mL x min(-1). RESULT: There was good linearity between the peak area and concentration at the ranges of 2.1-105 (r = 0.999 8), 3.5-175 (r = 0.999 8), 1.72-86 (r = 0.999 9), 4.0-200 mg x L(-1) (r = 1.000 0) for I, II, III and IV respectively. The average recoveries of I, II, III and IV were 99.9%, 97.9%, 98.6% and 98.1%. CONCLUSION: The method is rapid, simple and accurate, and it can be used for the evaluation of H. diffusa oral solution.

[Determination of p-coumaric acid in Hedyotis diffusa Willd. from different sources by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography].

A method for the determination of p-coumaric acid in Hedyotis diffusa Willd. from different sources by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) has been developed. p-Coumaric acid was successfully separated on a Diamonsil ODS column (4.6 mm i.d. x 250 mm, 5 microm) at ambient temperature, using a mixture of CH3CN-20 mmol/L NH4Ac (pH 4.0) (15:85, v/v) as mobile phase and detection at 308 nm. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min. There was good linear relationship (r = 0.9996) between the mass concentration and the peak area of p-coumaric acid in the range of 4.04 - 202 mg/L. The recoveries were found to be in the range of 97.4% - 102.2%. The results of the experiments have demonstrated that the established method is rapid and simple with good accuracy and reproducibility. The method is suitable for use in quality control of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. from different sources.

[Determination of the content of geniposide in xinxue granules by high performance liquid chromatography].

A high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of geniposide in Xinxue granules. Geniposide was extracted by ultrasonic extraction for 30 min. The chromatographic separation was carried out on a Diamonsil C18 column (200 mm x 4. 6 mm i.d., 5 microm) with a mobile phase consisting of an acetonitrile-water (15:85, v/v) mixture. The detection wavelength was set at 238 nm. The calibration curve was linear in the ranged of 25 - 400 mg/L for geniposide. The average recovery of geniposide was 101.2% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 1.6% and contents of geniposide in the granules ranged from 0.841 to 0.923 mg/g. This method is simple, reliable and suitable for quality control of Xinxue granules.