Analysis of Binapacryl and Loganin in Six Ingredient Pills with Rehmannia

Significance of the Topic

Herbal medicines such as Six Ingredient Pills with Rehmannia are increasingly used worldwide. Ensuring their safety and efficacy requires reliable analytical methods to simultaneously quantify pesticide residues and bioactive glycosides. The developed reversed-phase HPLC approach addresses critical quality control needs in herbal pharmaceuticals.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study aimed to establish and validate a robust chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of a pesticide (morocide) and a glycoside (loganin) in a complex herbal matrix. Key goals included achieving baseline separation, adequate sensitivity, and reproducible quantitation suitable for routine quality assurance.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The sample pretreatment involved:

• Grinding 0.7 g of pill powder and transferring it to a flask
• Reflux extraction with 25 mL of 50 % methanol–water for 1 hour
• Adjusting the final volume post-reflux and filtering into vials

The chromatographic system comprised:

• Column Shim-pack GIS C18, 250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm particle size
• Mobile phase A: 0.3 % phosphoric acid; B: acetonitrile
• Gradient program: B from 5 % to 8 % over 20 min, then to 20 % at 35 min, 60 % at 55 min, and re-equilibration to 5 % by 65 min
• Flow rate: 1.3 mL/min; column temperature: 40 °C
• Detection by UV at 240 nm; injection volume 10 µL

Main Results and Discussion

The method delivered sharp, well-resolved peaks for morocide and loganin with retention time reproducibility and a linear response at 20 µg/mL concentration in standards. Chromatograms showed clear separation even in the presence of complex herbal constituents. The extraction procedure afforded consistent recovery and minimal matrix interference.

Benefits and Practical Applications

This validated HPLC protocol offers:

• Efficient simultaneous analysis of pesticide residue and bioactive glycoside
• High sensitivity and reproducibility for quality control laboratories
• Applicability to routine monitoring of herbal formulations to ensure consumer safety

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Emerging directions include coupling this method with mass spectrometry for enhanced specificity, automating sample preparation for higher throughput, adapting green solvent systems to reduce environmental impact, and extending the approach to other herbal and botanical supplements.

Conclusion

The reversed-phase HPLC technique using the Shim-pack GIS C18 column provides a reliable, sensitive, and reproducible tool for the simultaneous quantification of morocide and loganin in Six Ingredient Pills with Rehmannia. Its implementation supports rigorous quality assurance in herbal medicine production.