DETERNINATION OF INDOLE ALKALOIDS IN CATHARANTHUSROSEUS TISSUE AND CELL CULTURES BY RPHPLC

AIM: To determine the indole alkaloids tryptamine, serpentine, vindoline, ajmalicine and cathananthine in Catharanthus roseus tissue and cell cultures by RPHPLC and UV detector. METHODS: These indole alkaloids were successfully seperated on a Nucleosil 5 C₁₈ column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) with a mobile phase of methanol — acetonitrile — 0.025 mol·L^-1 ammonium acetate — triethylamine (15∶40∶45∶0.1) by UV detector at 280 nm. RESULTS: The average recoveries and equations of linear regression of tryptamine, serpentine, vindoline, ajmalicine and catharanthine were 94.5%, 95.9%, 97.0%, 96% and 98.2%, respectively, and Y=85157143X-185275 (γ=0.9988), Y=43939499X-3414.24 (γ=0.9996), Y=10386.97X-357.53 (γ=0.9994), Y=40717.75X-1551.22 (γ=0.9996), Y=5694.16X-1668.667 (γ=0.9979), respectively. Intra and inter day precisions of these alkaloids were lower than 2% and 3% (RSD), respectively. CONCLUSION: A simple, rapid and sensitive method with good precision was established for the determination of these alkaloids in cell cultures of Catharanthus roseus.