OBJECTIVETo separation and determine the contents of puerarin, daidzin and daidzein in the stems and the leaves of Pueraria thomsonii, and to provide scientific basis for developing and using of the stems and the leaves.

METHODA RP-HPLC method was applied with a Diamonsil C18 column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm) by gradient elution using methanol-1% glacial acetic acid solution as the mobil phase. The flow rate was 1 mL x min(-1) and the detective wavelength was 250 nm, the column temperature was 25 degrees C.

RESULTAll of the three compounds showed good linearities (r >0.9995) and the recoveries were in the range of 99.0% - 101.6%. The contents of puerarin, daidzin and daidzein in the stems are higher than those in the leaves.

CONCLUSIONThe method was accurate and could be used to contral the quality of the stems and leaves of P. thomsonii.