Objective: To develop an HPLC method for determinating the contents of five boswellic acids in Boswellia serrata.
Method: Analysis was performed on a zorbax SB C18 column eluted with acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid in water as mobile phases in gradient elution and the detection wavelengths were 210 nm and 250 nm.
Result: The five ingredients were separated well. The content ranges of alpha-boswellic acid, beta-boswellic acid, 3-acetyl-beta-boswellic acid, 11-keto-beta-boswellic acid and 11-keto-beta-acetyl- boswellic acid were 8.68-16.1, 53.5-246.9, 38.4-192.9, 4.48-5.81, 32.7-44.2 mg x g(-1), respectively.
Conclusion: The contents of five individual boswellic acids were different in 12 batches of B. serrata samples.