OBJECTIVETo establish fingerprints for Poecilobdella manillensis from Guangxi province using the high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) method.

METHODElectrophoresis was performed on a fused silica capillary column (75 microm x 56 cm), with 25 mmol x L(-1) Na2HPO4-120 mmol x L(-1) Tris-16 mmol x L(-1) SDS (adjusted to pH 12.0 with 1 mol x L(-1) NaOH ) as the running buffer. The applied voltage was 17 kV, the temperature was 25 degrees C and the detection wavelength was 254 nm. The sample's hydrodynamic injection was 3.4 kPa x 6s and the duration was 27 min.

RESULTHPCE fingerprint was established with 13 common peaks. The similarity between fingerprints of P. manillensis in 10 batches and control fingerprints was more than 0.98.

CONCLUSIONThe method is so precise, reproducible and stable that it could be used as a new means for the quality control of P. manillensis.

Animals ; China ; Electrophoresis, Capillary ; methods ; Leeches ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; standards ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results