Chemical Identification on the Origins of Phellodendri Cortex
LIH-JENG JUANG1,2 AND SHUENN-JYI SHEU1*
1. Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, 88, Sec. 4, Tingjhou Rd., Wunshan District, Taipei City 116, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
2. Department of Cosmetic Science, Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health, 336, Fusing Rd., Jhongshan District, Keelung City 203, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
(Received: September 3, 2003; Accepted: November 17, 2003)
ABSTRACT
Twenty-eight samples of commercial articles of Phellodendri Cortex, originating from
Phellodendron amurense R
UPRECHT,
P. chinense S
CHNEID,
P. wilsonii H
AYATA et K
ANEHIRA, and
P. chinense S
CHNEID. var.
glabrius culum S
CHNEID, were collected from different herbal markets in Taiwan and Mainland China. The five alkaloids berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, phellodendrine, and magnoflorine were determined by capillary electrophoresis for their contents in the samples, thereby a chemical identification method was established for identifying the sources of the drug materials. As this study turned out,
P. chinense var. glabrius culum was found to be the predominant variety prevailing in Taiwan markets owing to their considerably high alkaloid contents (18~38 mg/g), and was currently introduced into Taiwan. With the analytical results obtained in this study, characteristic fingerprint for the variety of
P. chinense var. glabrius culum was made and the suitability of the previously established chemical identification methods in the identification of other species of the drug materials were further verified. In addition, a facile identification flowchart based on the various chemical identification methods for Phellodendri Cortex was devised.
Key words: Phellodendri Cortex, alkaloid content, capillary electrophoresis, species identification