An HPLC Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Marker Compounds of Aloe and Scutellariae Radix
in Cosmetics
KUO-CHING WEN1, SHU-LING CHAN2, I-LING LIU2, PEI-YUAN LAI2, YA-TZE LIN3,
SU-LAN HSIU4 AND HSIU-MEI CHIANG1*
1. Department of Cosmeceutics, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
2. Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
3. Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health, Executive Yuan, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
4. School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
(Received: August 30, 2009; Accepted: May 2, 2010)
ABSTRACT
The Department of Health in Taiwan has announced mandatory labeling of the whole composition of cosmetics since May 5, 2002. Chinese herbal extracts are commonly added to cosmetics to attract consumers. To follow the earlier-mentioned regulation, it is important to develop a quantitative method to examine the contents of products to which Chinese herbal extracts have been added. This study attempted to establish a quantitative method for aloe and Scutellariae Radix (SR) in cosmetics. An HPLC/UV method using gradient elution was established to analyze marker compounds in herbal extracts and spiked blank cosmetic bases. The calibration curves of the marker compounds were linear (r > 0.99) in the range of 1.6 to 50.0 μg/mL. The analytical method was validated and commercial products were assayed. The results indicated that aloin, aloe-emodin and chrysophanol were not detected in all four aloe extracts. Baicalin and wogonin were detected in the two SR extracts. However, marker compounds of these two herbs were not detectable in the 26 commercial product samples.
Key words: cosmetics, aloe, Scutellariae Radix, HPLC