OBJECTIVETo establish a new method for the determination of fangchinoline and tetrandrine in Stephania tetrandra and Fengtongan capsule by noanqueous capillary electrophoresis.

METHODSeparation was carried out in an uncoated fused capillary (50 cm x 75 microm i.d.) with a running buffer containing 50 mmol x L(-1) ammonium acetate, 1.0% acetic acid and 20% acetonitrile in methanol. A separation voltage of 20 kV and a UV detector wavelength at 214 nm were adopted. Sample was introduced from the anode.

RESULTThe calibration ranges were 1.00, 500 mg x L(-1) for both analytes. Under the optimum conditions, the relative standard deviation (RSD, n = 6) for the migration time of each analyte were 0.09%, 1.9% (intra-day) and 0.63%, 1.9% (inter-day); The RSD for the peak area of each analyte were 0.45%, 5.9% (intra-day) and 2.3%, 5.6% (inter-day), respectively. The contents of the analytes were determined easily with average recoveries 102% for fangchinoline and 105% for tetrandrine in S. tetrandra and 94.6% for fangchinoline and 98.7% for tetrandrine in Fengtongan capsules, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe proposed method is simple, rapid, accurate and higher repeatable, and can be used to control of the quality of S. tetrandra and Fengtongan capsules.