Simultaneous Determination of Matrine and Oxymatrine in Xianning Linimentum by UPLC-MS-MS

Objective: A method for simultaneous determination of matrine and oxymatrine in Xianning Linimentum was established by ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry( UPLCMS-MS). Method: The UPLC separation was performed on C18column( 2. 1 mm × 50 mm,1. 8 μm) by using methanol and water containing 0. 1% formic acid as mobile phase with the gradient elution at a rate of 0. 30 mL· min- 1. The analytes were detected by tandem mass spectrometry under the positive ion mode with the ESI source and carried out in the multiple reaction monitoring( MRM) mode. Result: Under the optimum conditions,the calibration curves were linear in the range of 0. 000 5-0. 6 mg ·L- 1for matrine,0. 000 4-0. 5 mg ·L- 1for oxymatrine. The detection limits were 0. 2,0. 2 μg·L- 1respectively. The average recoveries of the three effective components were between 95. 8% and 98. 6% with all relative standard deviations not more than 1. 9%. Conculsion: The developed method is simple,rapid and accurate,and suitable for the quality control of the two components in Xianning Linimentum.