[Quality standard of Gentiana rhodantha]

Based on the approaches of TLC identification, HPLC for assaying managiferin, and of the determination of water, total ash and acid-insoluble ash in 12 samples, collected from southwest of China, the quality standard of Gentiana rhodantha has been established. The results show the reference materia medica and mangiferin can be both well used as reference substances for TLC identification; the mass fractions of mangiferin is 0.7%-4.4% (average 2.8%), water 6.1%-8.6% (average 7.2%), total ash 3.7%-10.8% (average 6.6%) and acid-insoluble ash 0.2%-2.7% (average 1.3%). The recommended standards of quantitative indexes are that the mass fractions of mangiferin is not less than 2.0%, and the water, total ash and acid-insoluble ash are not more than 9.0%, 8.0% and 3.0% respectively.