Quantitative determination of atractylon in Atractylodis Rhizoma and Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma by 1H-NMR spectroscopy

H-1-NMR spectroscopy was successfully applied to the quantitative determination of atractylon in Atractylodis Rhizoma (dried rhizomes of Atractylodes ovata and A. japonica) and Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma (dried rhizomes of Atractylodes lancea and A. chinensis). The analysis was carried out by comparing the integral of the H-12 singlet signal of atractylon, which was well separated in the range of delta 6.95-7.05 ppm in the NMR spectrum, with the integral of a hexamethyldisilane (HMD) signal at delta 0 ppm. The atractylon contents obtained by the H-1-NMR spectroscopy were consistent with those obtained by the conventional HPLC analysis. The present method requires neither reference compounds for calibration curves nor sample pre-purification. It also allows simultaneous determination of multiple constituents in a crude extract. Thus, it is applicable to chemical evaluation of crude drugs as a powerful alternative to various chromatographic methods.