Simultaneous Quantification of Seven Caffeoylquinic Acids in Ecotypes of Blumea balsamifera at Various Life Stages by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

ABSTRACTBlumea balsamifera is a traditional Chinese medicine containing various bioactive caffeoylquinic acids and usually used for the treatment of rheumatism, eczema, and dermatitis. An accurate and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography method was established for simultaneous determination of 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 1,3-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid in B. balsamifera. The method was rigorously verified and was successfully applied to simultaneous quantification of seven caffeoylquinic acids in four ecotypes of B. balsamifera at five life stages. The results showed that the highest concentrations of seven compounds were present in September, October, and November, indicating that the optimal harvest time of B. balsamifera is in the autumn. Therefore, this method is suitable for the quantification of the seven compounds and quality control for B. balsamifera.