Determination of protoberberine alkaloids in medicinal plants based on acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence system

A simple method was established to determine protoberberine alkaloids in Cortex Phellodendri and Rhizoma Coptidis based on an acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence (CL) system. The optimum conditions for the CL reaction between protoberberine alkaloids and potassium permanganate were studied in detail. Under the optimum conditions, the linear response ranges for berberine, palmatine and jatrorrhizine were 0.038–7.27, 0.031–18.1 and 0.012–3.61 μg/mL with detection limits of 0.005, 0.004 and 0.0007 μg/mL, respectively. This method was successfully applied to determine the content of protoberberine alkaloids (calculated using berberine as an index) in Cortex Phellodendri and Rhizoma Coptidis. In addition, a possible mechanism of this CL reaction was proposed on the basis of the investigation of CL, UV and fluorescent spectra of protoberberine alkaloids in acidic solution containing potassium permanganate. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.