Determination of Dencichine in Panax notoginseng in the Forest and Field Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Dencichine is a nonprotein amino acid, an effective ingredient in Panax notoginseng with hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effects. There are few studies on the effects of regions and cultivation models on the accumulation of dencichine. In the current study, the content of dencichine in P. notoginseng collected from its global cultivation and trading center Yunnan, China, (>640 samples) was determined using an optimized high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled with a diode array detector but without derivatization. The recovery rate of this method was 80-110%, the relative standard deviation was <10%, and the limits of detection and quantification were 0.003% (w/w) and 0.01% (w/w), respectively. The content of dencichine in each part of P. notoginseng was as follows: rootlets (39.59%) > main roots (29.91%) > leaves (16.21%) > stems (14.29%). For leaves, P. notoginseng in the forest (5.52 ± 2.26 mg/g) was significantly higher than that in the field (3.93 ± 1.72 mg/g) but opposite for main roots. The origins and altitudes made different contributions to the accumulation of dencichine in P. notoginseng. This study provides an effective analytical method to determine dencichines in various parts of P. notoginseng from different origins and altitudes and supports quality control and product development of P. notoginseng.