OBJECTIVETo evaluate the bio-activity of Qinlian Siwu decoction on in vitro uterus contraction model and exploit the relationship between chemical components and the bio-activity.

METHODThe samples were prepared by macroporous adsorptive resins. The in vitro uterus contraction model was adopted to appraise the bio-activities of Qinlian Siwu decoction and its different separated fractions. HPLC-DAD- ESI -MS method was applied to analyze and identify the components in the fraction QL-3.

RESULTIt was found that five active fractions (QL-1, QL-3, QL-5, QL-7 and QL-11) were separated from Qinlian Siwu decoction, mainly contributed to the observed antagonismto the contraction of the mouse uterus. 28 compounds in the fraction QL-3 were identified as malic acid, gallic acid, catalpol, protocatechuic acid, aucubin, chuanxiongzine hydrochloridum, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, paeoniflorin, berberastine, albiflorin, tetrahydropalmatine, coptisine, jatrorrhizine, leonuride, worenine, ferulic acid, palmatine, berberine, scutellarin, baicalin-7-0-glucoside, baicalin, rehmannioside C, wogonoside, chrysin-7-glucuronide, ttetuin, baicalein, wogonin and oroxylin-A.

CONCLUSIONIn vitro inhibiting the contraction of the isolated mouse uterine of Qinlian Siwu decoction was mainly attributed to the fraction QL-1 and QL-3. The active fractions (QL-5, QL-7 and QL-11) were obtained from QL-3 on the macroporous adsorptive resins by the gradient elution using ethanol.