Determination of the carbohydrates from Notopterygium forbesii Boiss by HPLC with fluorescence detection

A sensitive pre-column derivatization method was developed for analysis of carbohydrates by HPLC with fluorescence detection. The introduction of 2-(12-benzo[b]acridin-5(12H)-yl)-acetohydrazide (BAAH) with excellent fluorescence property into the molecules of monosaccharides greatly enhanced the HPLC sensitivity of the analytes. Meanwhile, derivatization with BAAH also greatly increased the hydrophobicity of the monosaccharides and made them elute at increased retention times. The monosaccharides with similar properties therefore could be completely separated due to the increased interaction between the analytes and the column. Component monosaccharides of the polysaccharides obtained from the roots, stems and leaves of Notopterygium forbesii Boiss (NF) were analyzed by the developed method. The results indicated that the polysaccharides of NF were mainly composed of d-galactose and d-glucose. This is the first systematic study of the sugar composition of the polysaccharides of NF. It will be helpful for the quality control of NF.